Jaguar Debuts C-X16 Concept Hybrid Sports Car

The Frankfurt Auto Show opened Monday with Jaguar making an impressive pseudo-green splash, debuting a 375-horsepower supercharged 3.0-liter V6 linked to a high-performance electric motor that boosts output by up to 94 hp in short bursts. Inspired by last year's C-X75 concept, the C-X16 two-seater concept integrates an electric motor with the transmission, along with a Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) adapted from Formula 1 that  replenishes the lithium-ion battery pack through brake regeneration. The hybrid add-on provides short bursts of additional power -- up to 94 hp and 173 pound-feet of torque -- at the touch of a button on the steering wheel.

The electric motor with KERS saves fuel compared to using a V8 to achieve similar horsepower, but Jaguar spokesmen weren't willing to discuss the model's fuel economy. They were, however, delighted to report that the car accelerates from zero to 60 in less than 4.4 seconds and has a top speed of 186 mph. The front-mounted V6 is a new direct-injection prototype unit based on Jaguar's familiar AJ-V8 and develops 332 pound-feet of torque, driving the rear wheels through a ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox.

The swoopy Ian Callum-designed aluminum-bodied coupe is finished in gunmetal, its lines reflecting what Jaguar described as the next evolution in the brand's design language. The C-X16 boasts a signature trapezoidal grille, similar to the one on the C-X75, as well as such defining elements as a clamshell hood, carbon-fiber front splitter and side sills, plus flush door handles that pop up when touched. The car rides on 21-inch wheels and tires and has unusually strong aluminum architecture and, reportedly, a perfect 50:50 weight distribution. The "1+1" cockpit of the C-X16 is equally eye-catching, finished in Vermillion Red and trimmed in leather, Alcantara, anodized aluminum, piano black, dark chrome and carbon fiber.

"The C-X16 is our compelling vision for a 21st-century Jaguar sports car," said Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar's global brand director. "It embodies the established Jaguar strengths of sensual design, animal-like agility and inspirational performance and combines these with attributes that set us on a course to create sustainable sports cars of the future."

*autoobserver.com

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