The hybrid supercar

Jaguar’s C-X75  Paris - Arabstoday These images show the design process behind the C-X75 -- the eco supercar Jaguar never intended to produce, but is due for release in 2013.Last October, Jaguar sprung the C-X75 concept car on the unsuspecting public at the Paris Motor Show. The reception was phenomenal. Its sleek form ensured its image instantly made its way round the world, while journalists and have-a-go pundits speculated upon exactly how a " jet-powered" turbine car would work. Despite appeals from representatives of the motoring press, the British marque maintained the concept was a one-off and not for production.The C-X75 ticked all the right boxes for the modern supercar. It set tongues wagging across the globe, inspired curiosity and, above all, instilled a sense of desire. In fact, the strength of the response to the concept meant that on 6 May, this year, Jaguar changed its tune, announcing it would indeed produce the car. Tellingly, Jaguar showcased it at Clerkenwell Design week at the end of May -- a move that emphasises how proud the company is of the C-X75.Ian Callum, Jaguar's design director and Design Summit speaker, oversaw the conception of the C-X75, so it was always going to be striking (he's the man behind the Jag XF, the XJ and Aston Martin's DB7 and Vantage). The result is a designer's car through and through. No focus groups were consulted and no market research undertaken in its creation. The production model is still true to that original's feel and form, rather than being a pale shadow of the press-getting concept car, like so many tend to be.There have of course been compromises -- the production model will not feature the turbine engine (not in the first instance, anyway). Instead, power will come from a petrol/electric hybrid system, with a relatively small "highly boosted" four-cylinder petrol engine and two electronic motors. This means the car should have a very small carbon output of around 99g/km of Co2. That's Prius territory. Even so, at 1,350kg it'll weigh in at less than a Ford Focus, top 200mph and, from standing, reach 60mph in less than three seconds.Jaguar has said it'll build around 250 C-X75s and it'll hit the UK at the end of 2013 with a price tag of between £700,000 and £900,000. It's a staggering price, but less staggering than the fact that, nine months ago, Jaguar didn't even intend to build it.