LE MANS HINTED-MAYBE

THIS CONCEPT WAS FOUNDED ON A VIDEO GAME CAR CREATED BY JAGUAR'S DESIGNERS AND ENGINEERS. WHAT IS IT'S FUTURE?

HOW MANY FUTURISTIC CONCEPTS have Jaguar teased us with since the V12 powered the XJ220 in 1988 - but not followed through with? There are many, but that is why concepts are brought to life.

The V12 XJ220 supercar, which caused ten mile long stoppages on the M5 Motorway as excited visitors crammed into the NEC to see the unexpected Jaguar, didn't come to fruition. At least not as a V12 despite specifications in the original brochures.In more modern times the C-X75 is the outstanding tease.

In May 2011 Jaguar announced a limited production of the C-X75 to be built between 2013 and 2015. It would have a compact, forced induction petrol engine, combined with electric motors instead of the micro gas turbines in the first concept car.

A maximum of 250 cars were planned to be built in partnership with Williams F1, and the production version was expected to have an all-electric range of 50 kms (31 miles).

In December 2012, the company announced the cancellation of production due to the on-going global economic crisis. The bad news was not revealed before five developmental prototypes were built in the production car specifications.

The model was featured in the 2015 movie Spectre, the twenty-fourth James Bond film in which seven C-X75s were supplied to the film makers. Not all were runners, or built to correct specifications, having a space frame chassis with panels hung on it rather than a carbon-fibre tub. Quietly though, a number of them have been sold off to collectors.