We're bombarded these days with so much marketing hype that it's easy to dismiss new concept cars as nothing more than flashy PR spin. And so it could be with the Jaguar CX-75; sure it's a pretty car, but there are lots of show concepts like that, right?
Wrong. Because the CX-75 is a proper concept - a car that pushes the boundaries of what's theoretically possible in a car, and explores the limits of current (and future) technologies. To prove the point, Jaguar kindly invited PH to pop along to the Berkeley hotel for an exclusive chat with the engineers and designers behind the project, and for a glimpse of the real car behind the motor show glitz.
So a group of 30 lucky PHers (not to mention a few hangers-on from PH Towers) joined Jaguar in Knightsbridge last night, following the competition we ran a while back to round up an audience.
And what did we learn? Well, we won't go into the general details about the C-X75, because you can read all about it in our original story on Jaguar's spectacular concept car, but we were kept well entertained with some fascinating insights.
Like the fact that, because you can apply the torque of the electric motors to any wheel - in any direction - you could theoretically get the car's right-hand wheels turning in one direction and the left wheels turning in the other. Meaning the car could perform a 180-degree spin virtually on the spot.
Or that the tiny micro-turbines (the blades can't be much more than 10cm or so in diameter) can suck in up to 35,000 litres of air per minute - the same as Jaguar's 5.0-litre supercharged V8 at full tilt.
We also learned that, at a constant 100mph, with one turbine helping to provide motive power, the other can recharge the car's battery in just eight minutes - the key to the C-X75's incredible 500-mile-plus range.
Oh, and as well as the 200mph top speed and claimed 0-60mph time of 3.4secs, the C-X75 could theoretically do 50-90mph in just 2.3secs, courtesy of 1200nm (885lb ft) of torque available per wheel at 85mph.
Had enough factoids, yet? How about that you'd need Airbus A380 levels of computing complexity to make this car 'road viable'? That the turbine's exhaust gases fill in the aerodynamic hole in the 'wake' at the rear of the car reducing drag? Or that the reason this micro-turbine technology exists is because the Brit who came up with what effectively is a shrunken Jumbo Jet engine was told it couldn't be done by aerospace engineers at Rolls-Royce?
But our favourite nugget is that the interior door releases, which are operated from between an occupant's legs by a lever marked 'pull', imitate those on Martin Baker fighter plane ejector seat. Why? Just because the designers have wanted to do it for ages, and with this car they could. Brilliant.
Our winning PHers seemed to enjoy themselves, too:
"It's good to know that even when there's so much focus on efficiency, Jaguar is still looking after the enthusiast," said Ed Hasler
, "but it'll be interesting to see how much of this technology we'll see on the road in 20 years time."
Simon Frost (M5sime) reckoned the C-X75 is "stunning. It looks a little bit XJ220-like and very much larger than life."
Will Baxter (insight) - who runs a first-generation Honda Insight - thought that there was "an amazing depth of detail, especially the idea of the aero at the rear. It's a shame they didn't shout more about the amazing technology of this car when it was first shown."
But you don't have to take their word for it - if you fancy seeing the C-X75 yourself, the Berkeley showroom will be open to the public from 18 December to second of January. Believe us, it's worth a visit...
Meanwhile, our heartfelt thanks go to Jaguar, and particularly the guys involved with the project who gave up a valuable evening to share their passion for this spectacular car with us here at PH. They were:
Matthew Beavan, exterior design manager
Hugo Nightingale, lead interior designer
Stephen Nicholls, advanced propulsion systems manager
Phillip Lelliott, MD, Bladon Jets
"We've been getting emails all morning from PHers who attended this fantastic event and want to pass on their thanks to the Jaguar team who presented the C-X75," says PH editor
"Also deserving of a mention are the Jaguar folk who worked behind the scenes to help make this opportunity happen - so sincere thanks to one and all, from all of us!"
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