JAGUAR has stolen the limelight at the Paris Motor Show by unveiling a electric supercar concept car. The C-X75 has been designed to celebrate 75 years of the marque and provide a glimpse into the future of Jaguar and its commitment to producing beautiful, fast cars powered by sustainable means.
The 205mph C-X75 showcases some of Jaguar’s cutting edge technology while the design pays homage to some of the most admired cars in the brand’s 75-year history such as the 1950s C-Type and D-Type racers and unique 1966 XJ13 Le Mans prototype.
Advanced design features include a ground-breaking propulsion system and active aerodynamics. The absence of a traditional piston engine has allowed the car’s designers freedom to install components for best effect.
“The C-X75 is everything a Jaguar should be. It possesses remarkable poise and grace yet at the same time has the excitement and potency of a true supercar. You could argue this is as close to a pure art form as a concept car can get and we believe it is a worthy homage to 75 years of iconic Jaguar design,” said Ian Callum, design director for Jaguar Cars.
The four-wheel drive supercar is capable of running in purely electric mode for 68 miles on a six-hour charge. The innovative, lightweight micro gas-turbines are also capable of quickly recharging the Lithium-ion batteries, giving the car a theoretical range of 560 miles.
The car certainly grabbed the headlines on the opening day of the show but could not detract from questions about the company’s future.
Chief executive Ralf Speth would not be drawn on plans for the closure of either the Castle Bromwich or Land Rover’s Solihull plant, stating the company’s intention was to first get the product right before it looked at anything else.
One of the new products the company is pinning a lot of hope on is the new baby Range Rover, the Evoque, which is also being displayed at the show. Endorsed by Victoria Beckham, the vehicle is intended to widen the appeal of Range Rover to a younger customer.
One of the two plants is scheduled for closure by the middle of the decade and an announcement on which will shut down is eagerly awaited although the company has said it should not lead to compulsory redundancies.
The Paris show will be an important barometer for the health of the automotive sector. Many firms will be announcing new models in the hope of capturing new buyers but whether the customers will be persuaded to come out and visit the dealerships is another matter.
With a fresh wave of austerity measures expected due to public sector cutbacks many spending plans will stay on hold and without the incentive of a scrappage scheme many manufacturers could be looking at tough comparisons in the short term.
In the West Midlands, the component supply sector will be eyeing events for an indication of what might lie ahead. The fragile nature of the recovery has made many firms cautious and it appears this attitude could continue for some time to come.
Business Minister Mark Prisk did his best to bang the drum for the UK sector by hosting an event on the eve of the show and inviting representatives from 70 companies around the world to take a fresh look at what the UK could offer potential investors in terms of engineering expertise, skilled workforce, innovation and cutting edge design, especially with the UK taking the lead in low carbon automotive technologies.
