2010 L.A. Auto Show: Video Tour of Jaguar C-X75 Plug-in Supercar

Zero-to-60 performance in less than four seconds, a top speed of more than 200 miles per hour, and “green credentials.” Those were the three goals set out for Jaguar designers and engineers when they created the Jaguar C-X75, the outrageous concept car on display at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show, which runs through Nov. 28.

We first heard about the C-X75 when it was unveiled at the Paris Auto Show in September. The L.A. show was our first chance to see it in person, so we asked Nigel Taylor, manager of low carbon advanced engineering at Jaguar, to give us a quick tour. See video below. The project, completed as part of Jag’s 75th anniversary, is intended to show the future of the company’s design and technology.

The plug-in series hybrid uses four 195-horsepower electric motors, two supplying power to the front wheels and two for the back. That adds up to 780 total electric horsepower.

A 20 kWh battery pack provide enough all-electric range for 68 miles. That comes close to the same amount of storage as some pure electric cars, so the designers didn’t want to load up the plug-in hybrid with a heavy internal combustion engine. Instead, they used two lightweight micro-gas-turbines. The turbines are used either to extend driving range when the batteries are depleted, or for high-speed driving. Push the C-X75 past 100 miles per hour, and the first turbine fires up. Zoom past 120 mph, and they both come alive for a combined 188 horsepower boost.

Okay, so it’s pure high-power green eye candy to wow the crowds at the auto show. But as far as fantasy concepts go, this is good stuff.