This is the smaller sports car that has been missing in the Jaguar range, one that’s designed to take on the new Porsche 911 as a proper driver’s sports car. To debut in concept form in Frankfurt next week, the Jaguar C-X16 Concept is a sexy looking thing, a strict RWD two seater with 50:50 weight distribution and a hybrid. It’s a sure thing that Porsche engineers will be snooping around Jaguar’s stand at the IAA!
Billed as a “bold statement of Jaguar’s future design and technological intent”, the 4.4-metre long C-X16 is front engined and rear driven. It has lightweight aluminium bodywork sitting on the next-generation aluminium XK platform, and 50:50 weight distribution. With all those ingredients, and Jaguar’s reputation, there’s no way the production C-X16 will emerge as anything less than a great handling car. We’ll have to wait till late next year for that.
Under the hood is a supercharged all-alloy V6 engine producing 380 PS and 450 Nm of torque from 3.0-litres. This all-new quad-cam engine is a modular development of Jaguar’s AJ-V8 powerplant.
Supplementing it is an electric motor producing 70 kW (equivalent to 95 PS) and 235 Nm, available to the driver at the push of a steering-wheel boost button. Available for up to 10 seconds, this is inspired by the KERS system used in Formula 1. Besides “push to pass”, the electric motor also enables the C-X16 to perform as a zero emissions electric car at speeds of up to 80 km/h on low throttle openings.
The motor draws power from a 1.6kWh lithium-ion battery pack mounted behind the seats. It is predominantly charged through a rear axle electro-hydraulic brake energy regeneration system. The battery is cooled by chilled coolant from the climate-control system, the compressor for which is electrical rather than engine-driven for better efficiency.
The engine is paired to an eight-speed transmission with Stop/Start, recently launched in the XF. Utilising a Twin Solenoid Starter, the system shut down the engine in just 300 milliseconds after the car has come to rest, restarting it in the time it takes the driver’s foot to travel from the brake to the accelerator. First time mated to a supercharged engine, says Jaguar.
Figures? 0-100 km/h in 4.4 seconds, a limited top speed of 300 km/h and in-gear acceleration of just 2.1 seconds between 80 and 120 km/h. The hybrid system helps reduce CO2 emissions to 165 g/km and 14.5 km/l economy on the combined cycle. Yummy!
Gallery after the jump.
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Very sharp,angular,chiseled and elegant design.I like it very much,and it’s not short on grunt too.A brilliant effort from Jaguar.Nice to see them still in the game.Ace.
Cheers.
Once Porsche, Life Porsche. Suck it Jaguar.
poyo jer…open minded la…a good car is a good car…a good brand may not produce a good car anyway…..
Sounds like a Ferrari fan too. Once Ferrari, Life Ferrari. You actually mean Live Porsche, right?
Seriously, for a moment, I thought it was a 350 z.
tune it to be GT, syiokk!
i guess it will be hard for lotus to “cari makan” …the jag seem like a better option…and i i am impressed with new jag owner, all their brand like jag and rover is so desirable …they did great job with it
Personally I think this new jag is beautiful, but I think the Lotus Elite look better.
http://paultan.org/2010/10/01/lotus-elite-22-seater-gran-tourer-with-folding-top/
Perfect RWD from Jaguar.
Mazda will also share this version? CX-16???
fairlady z look alike
Finally! a front end that I like from jaguar. Agree with mnazri.tan . Lotus better move quickly or they’ll lose out on the market.
I have never really liked Jaguars, except for their classic models. However, this cat looks not bad. But i still think as a whole they have lost their icon. No new design that stand out, that shout Jaguar.
Wait! Before you guys and gals burn me, Let me be the 1st to say:I know, I know, currently all new models of all brands are very generic, as in” whats in look”. But some still stands out, like E class, BMW, Porsche, etc. (same price range as Jag, I think) What do you think.
Jaguar 599?
Lot of Mazda 3 hints on front portion this car.
ford evos concept?
i really dont know how some people here can spot a nissan fairlady or a mazda 3 in this pics…it really baffles me…as said by the first poster…it is a an elegant and well proportioned car thats bound to sell really really well if the numbers promised can be delivered…..
jaguar has never been this sucessfull in terms of sales and im glad that the new owners Tata have given the engineers and designers are free rein to dictate thier own direction as opposed to the the restricted model that previous owners Ford employed ..that aj engine is a stonker ..i tried a non supercharged v8 version of the XF and it really had the legs as the power is right there in the working range which i prefer as opposed to having to rev the life out of certain engines which i think is suited to tracks….not all of us treat public roads as one so i think this is the way it should be… if they tidy up on reliability ( there have been complaints about the XF”S electrics) its gonna be another hit….
At first sight, I got a glimpse of a 350Z, then as it progresses back, you get to see a stark resemblance of an Aston Martin shell combined with certain lines and cues taken from the Jaguar XK & XKR.
Whatever said, good on you Jaguar being confident to take on the 911. Good Luck
it’s rear reminds me of Proton’s 1st clay concept car….
yup..PM5 rear i think
Different gear lever than current Jags. No more funky knobs and to the conventional ones? 8 gear ratio right? That’s why the change? But I like the funky knobs. :) But still, this is nice too.
Why make comparisons to Nissan 370Z? Have you guys seen XKR-S? Don’t you think the front look is from XKR-S? I will say the rear looks fantastic and is similar to Aston’s rear look but overall, it is a pretty car.
I think the front looks is from the current Jaguar sports car, the XKR-S although the rear definitely took some cues from Aston. I think it’s unfair to draw comparable looks with the Nissan 350Z. In fact, I don’t see any similar looks between the two. This cars looks absolutely fantastic. I must say Lotus and Aston should be taking Jaguar more seriously now.
Cantiq.
No moonroof in a Euro supercar? Strange ni.
never liked the looks of a Jag before, but this one surely nails it.
Looks like a CHICKEN WITH THE TAIL CHOPPED OFF. Yuck!!
Very nice, Hope to see it drifting along side rwd cars. Especially with the 370z. No red interior plz. Lines are perfect, job well done jaguar!
Lovely shape, gorgeous rear, but the front could be a lil more aggressive , too generic and similar to the many small volume sportscar models out there
one f*%$#ing cool cat!!! now all Jaguar needs is the grunt and agility tu maul the opposition….Jaguar eat Horse???