The F1-inspired Jaguar XF10 concept is a V10-engined monster aching to chew up the Ferrari Enzo and Porsche Carrera GT. Could this end up as Jaguar’s first supercar since the XJ220?
Unveiled at the Barcelona Motor Show last week, the XF10 concept is a vision of a new Jaguar supercar. Fuore Design’s Erwin Himmel, who penned the model, said: “The XF10 is basically an Enzo for Jaguar. Although it’s primarily a racer, it also has a fair degree of driver comfort. You could say its styling and refinement make it more of a gentleman’s car than the Ferrari.”
Jaguar did not commission the project, but gave Barcelona-based Fuore Design its blessing to use its famous Cat badges. Himmel is hoping that the Coventry-based marque will take it up if the public response is good. And he says the company needs a premier sports car such as the XF10 to capitalise on its F1 profile.
Can the XF10 prosper where the XJ220 failed?
Back in the late ‘80s, Jaguar built the 6,2-litre V12-engined XJ220 and the car made the record books by setting the fastest top speed for a production car – 322 km/h. The XJ220, which was designed by South African Keith Helfet, was essentially a road going version of the marque’s group C racer, and many well-heeled fanatics put down deposits to acquire the car.
But the XJ220 was doomed from the start… Its assembly line at Bloxham was in full flow by mid-1992 but the early-90s slump in Britain’s economy meant that some contract-holders could not complete their purchases and over one-third of the anticipated 350 cars remained undelivered (and some unbuilt).
Furthermore, production versions of the car were fitted with twin-turbo V6 – and not V12 – units. For much of the conservative and minimalist ‘90s, Jaguar struggled to sell off its XJ220s.
But fortunately for the XF10, supercar is currently a big word in the automotive world. The Lamborghini Murciélago, Enzo and recently-unveiled Carrera GT are not the only supercars around… The Pagani Zonda has also raised eyebrows, and an Audi supercar as well as Mercedes-Benz’s SLR are waiting in the wings.
Although fresh, the XF10’s grille is similar to that of the S-Type, while the deep nose is a nod to the F1 racer. The sloping C-pillar and rear lights are reminiscent of the E-Type Coupé. The concept shown at Barcelona was 4,55 metres long, 1,98 metres wide and 121 centimetres high. The total package weighs in at 1 350 kg.
The XF10 is powered by a mid-mounted 477 kW naturally-aspirated four valves per cylinder seven-litre V10. The carbon fibre-bodied car is claimed to zip from zero to 100 km/h in 3,8 seconds and reach a maximum speed of 338 km/h. The car is fitted with six-cylinder Brembo brakes behind its 21-inch alloy wheels.
Inside, the cabin features a panoramic glass roof, while climate control and telematics are operated through a dial on the centre console. Driver and passenger sit in Momo bucket seats with four-point safety harnesses, while the F1-style six-speed sequential gearbox is operated by steering wheel-mounted buttons.
In the centre of the dashboard, there is a large TV screen – but it’s not for DVDs. Instead, it displays on-board recordings of track exploits captured by the car’s roof-mounted camera so the driver can appraise performance on the circuit.
