Jaguar C-X16• Pre-show unveil of new Jaguar sports car
• Two-seater rear-wheel drive hybrid
• F1 influenced “push to pass” button

 

The Jaguar C-X16 has been revealed to a select group of journalists, prior to its official debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Jaguar’s first two-seater sports car since the iconic E-Type is hotly tipped to be one of the main stars of the show. Auto Trader’s Adrian Higgins was in attendance to give us a sneak peek.

Jaguar C-X16 gallery:

Jaguar C-X16
So Adrian, what’s all the fuss about?

Jaguar is making a truly stunning, full-on sports car so the likes of Porsche and even Aston Martin should be very worried. The two-seater C-X16 is smaller in size than the Jaguar XK, but also much more focussed with rear-wheel drive, an all-aluminium chassis and 50:50 weight distribution.

Jaguar’s Director of Design Ian Callum gave a nod to its iconic E-type forebear as he introduced the car, calling it: “the first two-seater Jaguar since ‘you-know-what’. No wonder it’s just received a deserved and rousing round of applause from every journalist in the room.

But is this just concept car fantasy?

Forget the pretense from all the Jaguar PR crew, this car is heading into production as both a coupe and a roadster. As our pictures from the exclusive event reveal, the C-X16 is closer to production than Jaguar would like us to believe. Look beyond the 21 inch carbon fibre wheels and you’ll spot proper door handles, even real windscreen wipers. This is most un-concept like.

Inside, the red leather-trimmed interior also looks ready to roll with some nice toggle switch details. The cabin architecture is being described as a 1+1, meaning it is incredibly driver orientated.

Callum continued: “We couldn’t go on much longer without having a true sports car, a two-seater. It’s as sensuous and appealing as any Jaguar that’s ever been.”

So what power unit are we talking?

This concept version features a hybrid system which couples a supercharged 375bhp 3-litre V6 petrol engine to an electric motor capable of delivering an extra 94bhp. This equates to a 0-62mph time of 4.4 seconds, a top speed of 186mph but an average 41mpg and 165g/km CO2 emissions. Now that’s what we call a very modern sports car.

The C-X16 can also drive using battery power alone at speeds of up to 50mph, while a touch of the F1-inspired, steering wheel-mounted “Push to Pass” button gives it added oomph for overtaking manoeuvres, with the 332lb/ft pulling power of the petrol unit able to draw on a further 173lb/ft of battery power.

I want one. When does it go on sale?

The production version of the C-X16 is expected to hit British roads in September next year, with an expected price tag of around £50,000.

AutoTrader.co.uk will be interviewing design guru Ian Callum on the first day of the show tomorrow, so check back to see all the latest Jaguar news.

By Web Editor Adrian Higgins