New Hybrid Hypercar to be Based on Jaguar C-X75 Concept
Hungarian firm Kincsem just teased an eclectic supercar based on Ian Callum’s gorgeous Jaguar C-X75 concept.
When it was released in 2010, the Jaguar C-X75 was billed as the future of the marque, and sported a radical hybrid system based on micro turbines and electric motors. Unfortunately, while it got some screen time as the villain car in the James Bond thriller Spectre, neither the sexy supercar — or it’s innovative drivetrain — made it into production. But recently, a new Hungarian firm called Kincsem is teasing an electric supercar based on Ian Callum’s design, so well-heeled C-X75 fans should take note.
Now, if you’re wondering exactly how a random startup that nobody’s ever heard of can lay claim to the design of a ten-year-old Jaguar concept car, you’re not alone. The official Kincsem website is painfully short on specifics, and the associated video looks more like an artsy perfume commercial than anything else. Call me crazy, but I’m going to regard the Kincsem Hyper-GT as vaporware until I see something more impressive than hyper-stylized equestrian footage and a minimal render of the lines.
That said, the C-X75 was a killer concept, and I’d love to see it make the leap from fantasy to reality. Back in 2010, I actually got to check one out at the Los Angeles Auto Show, and even amid the bumper crop of hot hardware on display, it was hypnotically beautiful. Like Jay Leno says in the video below, it both looks like a Jaguar while looking nothing like a Jaguar, which is testament to Callum’s skill with a pen.
Or rather, it didn’t look like any Jaguars at the time. You don’t have to look too hard at the C-X75 to see that some of design language displayed here would appear in later models, specifically on the stunning F-Type Coupe.
Exactly what will power the Hyper-GT is a mystery, so there are no specs to speak of just yet. But the new machine will stay true to the roots of the original, and sport a bevy of electric motors and a range-extending internal combustion engine. Unfortunately, it seems like the incredible micro turbines visible under the glass in the pictures above won’t be part of the package.
The company says that only 54 examples will be created, so if you’re interested, it would make sense to act sooner rather than later. The extremely limited production number is a nod to the company’s namesake, a legendary racehorse named Kincsem who managed to win each of the 54 races he ran. Now, as someone who doesn’t believe that anything on Kickstarter will become reality, I’m firmly in the “I’ll believe it when I see it camp.” But production is slated to begin in 2023, so I’ll be following this story to see if my lack of faith is smart or cynical. Stay tuned…
Photos: Kincsem, Jaguar