Jaguar C-X16 Concept Makes Us Forget The F-Type

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

It’s been a long road for Jaguar’s long-awaited sub-XK sportscar, as fans have been holding their breath for something small, tossable and decked out in Ian Callum sheet metal since the 2000 F-Type Concept. And though this C-X16 is technically a concept, it’s been approved for production and according to Autocar its supercharged V6 hybrid drivetrain is

expected to appear in other Jaguar Land Rover vehicles before the end of next year.

Unfortunately, between the hybrid drivetrain and a platform that will also be used on the next-gen XK, the C-X16 isn’t as light as the new 911 it benchmarks. I’m not a huge fan of the interior either, which Jaguar calls “1 + 1.” But with Carrera performance, high-tech toys like a KERS regenerative braking system, and about 3,500 lbs of kerb weight, the C-X16 has a lot of the things people look for in a premium sportscar. Besides, once Porsche’s “Baby Boxster” comes out, perhaps Jaguar will follow it closer to “true Roadster” territory…





Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Mazder3 Mazder3 on Sep 07, 2011

    Wouldn't mind parking one of these next to my B99 when I win Powerball, all my stocks make big digit gains, and the executor for the estate of my late long-lost cousin from Nigeria finally sends the check. :)

  • Will_atlantic Will_atlantic on Sep 07, 2011

    I like the loud interior, except for the bar on the passenger side of the gear selector. I mean, it covers up the HVAC controls - and could a car this expensive really come without dual-zone? On the other hand, I suppose it's a control freak's dream come true!

  • Dave M. My hipster daughter is greatly into it. We watched the race together this weekend. It was interesting but I'm not devoted to it like she is. She'll be at the Austin race in October.
  • Bd2 If I had time to watch other people driving, then I would go for LMP.
  • Steve Biro There are 24 races on this year’s F1 schedule. And I guarantee you no more than two will be reasonably exciting, Meanwhile, F1’s reception for Andretti reveals the dark underbelly of the sport. I have followed F1 since the 1960s and, frankly, I am running out of interest. I’ll catch a race if it’s convenient but won’t bother DVRing them.
  • YellowDuck Been watching since the 80s, seriously since the 90s once we had reliable TV coverage. I'm in Canada though. Hey, and don't forget that the Interlagos race is also in a convenient time zone, as is Mexico. So that's 5 races in the Americas. Absolutely love it, but it takes a bit more interest in the technical / strategic side of things to really appreciate it. It's not just going fast in circles until someone crashes into someone else, while drunk people watch. The US can be proud of what it has contributed - Austin is one of the best tracks on the calendar, Vegas turned out to be much better than anyone could have hoped, and even Miami - a real Indy car-style track - produced a good race this year.
  • JMII I watch every F1 race, same with Indycar which is 100X better in terms of actual racing.
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