Everything you need to know about Jag's stunning new sport touring concept.
Jaguar has been on a bit of roll lately. Since their wholesale ditching of the design language that saw the company stuck firmly in the 60s, they’ve become a trendsetter in modern car design and with the C-X16 concept, they’re not showing any signs of letting up.
So, what is the C-X16 and where does it fit into Jaguars current range? The answer to both of those questions is rather intriguing. If it goes into production (and that’s not much of an “if”) it will slot in below the XK. Think of it as a front-engined Porsche Cayman or a high-end Nissan 370Z. Jaguar points out that it’s the smallest car they’ve built since the XK120 in 1954.
It’s powered by a supercharged 3.0 liter V6 that produces 376 hp and 332 lb ft of torque and is based on architecture from Jaguar’s current V8 engines. All this is supplemented by a push to pass KERS system that is not only capable of delivering bursts of 94 hp via a steering wheel-mounted button, but can also power the car on its own up to 50 mph. Zero to sixty comes in 4.4 seconds and top speed is 186 mph.
The KERS system is mounted to the C-X16’s eight-speed gearbox and is charged through a brake energy recovery system. Power is stored in a battery pack mounted behind the front seats.
True to current Jaguar form, aluminum figures heavily in the construction of the C-X16 and with the engine nestled far back in the chassis, it achieves perfect 50:50 weight distribution.
For now, the C-X16 is only a concept, but at least 80 percent of it appears to be feasible for production. There’s no question Jaguar has had a hole in its range for decades for just such a car. The C-X16 makes its official debut at the Frankfurt Motor show and hopefully we’ll hear confirmation of production shortly afterwards.
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