Jaguar unveils electric concept car C-X75

Tata motors owned Jaguar has unveiled an electric concept car that can run 900 km to a charge with a top speed of 320 km per hour.

Christened C-X75, it has been created to celebrate 75 years of the company, says Ian Callum, design director of Jaguar Cars.

Callum told PTI that he was very 'excited about the car and loved its design'.

He said the concept car had everything a Jaguar should be.

The car which would be put on display at the prestigious Los Angles Auto Show beginning Friday has created waves in the last few days after being exhibited in some parts of this city of Hollywood.

"It possesses remarkable poise and grace yet at the same time has the excitement and potency of a true supercar", Callum said.

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"This is as close to a pure art form as a concept car and get and is a worthy homage to 75 years of iconic Jaguar design, he said.

"Top Jaguar executives insist C-X75 was only a concept car and not for commercial sale while conceding they have been receiving a lot of inquiries from serious potential buyers. Built with lightweight aluminum panels and chassis, the C-X75 is a 4WD vehicle.

"Besides being powered by 145kw electric motors at all wheels, it has a pair of micro gas-turbines that provide another 140Kw of charge and extend the range to 900 km.

Top speed is over 320 km/h and the two-seater can sprint from 0-100 km/h in just over 3.0 seconds.

The super car was first put to public display at the Paris Auto show recently and now at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

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From Los Angeles it would travel to China, before it goes back to its garage at London. Callum said there is no plan to take this concept car to India, where its owners the Tata Motors is headquartered.

On comparison and similarity between Tata NANO the worlds cheapest car and Jaguar C-X75, now being dubbed as the super car, he said it was innovation which has been the key thrust of its chief Ratan Tata.

Mr Ratan Tata, saw it in August some time. He saw it a few times of course as we developed it.

He is very excited about it. "He (Tata) loves the technology. He loves the design of it. And he is a great fan of the car, Callum said.

"When he (Tata) saw it all finished, he was very very delighted indeed, Callum said, adding that at the moment there is no plan to market this super car.

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Meanwhile, the advanced design director of Jaguar Jullian Thomson has said the car "represents the ultimate in design technology. It is very obvious that Mr Tata himself loves the Jaguar brand and has a very very passionate view of Jaguar, said Thomson.

"We showed him (this car) three-four weeks before the Paris show', he said adding 'as a surprise, we just pushed it into the viewing area and he absolutely loved the car straight away'.

In Los Angeles, before it landed up at the auto show, the car was put up for restricted viewing at the legendary garage of Tonight Show host and longtime car collector Jay Leno.

In fact, Leno became the first person outside Jaguar to drive the C-X75 on a public highway. If the car is produced, it will be powered by twin turbines charging four electric motors. I am speechless, Leno said after having a look at the car.