[AUTO] Callum C-X75: Reinventing the Mid-Engine Jaguar Sports Car

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“It’s the one that got away,” says Ian Callum, design director at Jaguar from 1999 to 2019. He’s talking about the Jaguar C-X75, which started life as a 2010 Paris Show concept powered by an innovative 778-horsepower series hybrid powertrain that featured diesel-fueled turbine engines generating the electric power for four Yasa high-performance e-motors. The car was subsequently re-engineered by Williams Advanced Engineering, the specialist research and development operation then owned by the Williams F1 team, with a more potent series hybrid powertrain that comprised two e-motors and a single conventional internal combustion engine as the on-board generator. Then it turned up with a mid-mounted 5.0-liter V-8 in the 2015 James Bond film Spectre. Jaguar C X75 concept from James Bond Spectre 12 Jaguar had planned to build 250 of the Williams Advanced Engineering-spec C-X75s, but the project was cancelled at the end of 2012 amid fears their proposed million-dollar price tag would make them a hard sell in an economy still reeling from the 2008 global financial crisis. For Spectre, a total of seven C-X75s were built, their dry-sump supercharged Jaguar V-8 engines cradled in a bespoke space frame.

Ian Callum Jaguar C X75 redux 8 Sign up for Print Magazine Subscriptions today! Sponsored Content Sign up for Print Magazine Subscriptions today! Motor Trend Group | Sep 5, 2024 Callum, the design and engineering shop set up by the former Jaguar design boss, last year reworked one of the film cars, chassis 007, to make it street legal. Now chassis 001 is about to hit the road, the result of a bespoke commission from a wealthy Jaguar enthusiast. The comprehensive re-engineering and refurbishment program has included new engine electronics, the addition of a seven-speed dual clutch transmission, the development of an active aerodynamics system and the creation of a luxurious new interior. Ian Callum Jaguar C X75 redux 5 The new interior features a sophisticated blend of dark green and cream tones, split by a line that runs through the cabin at a 40-degree angle, and is finished with dark metal accents. “Sports cars typically feature darker interiors, while comfort is often associated with lighter shades,” explains Callum’s head of design, Aleck Jones. “We wanted to fuse those elements in a dynamic way to reflect the dual nature of this car.”