A hint of one or more sports cars to come? A sketch of Jaguar's new C-X16 concept, which will debut in Frankfurt next month.
Stretch your mind a bit and this sketch will give you a hint of what’s the come at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show, when Jaguar officially unleashes what it’s calling a “precursor” to a future sports car it hopes will do for the brand what the classic E-Type did precisely 50 years ago.
What that means, well, the British maker isn’t saying much more beyond calling the concept the C-X16, and suggesting its ambitious goal is to “set new class benchmarks in design, vehicle dynamics and technology.”
“Jaguar has set in place bold, ambitious plans for the future,” suggests Adrian Hallmark, the marque’s global brand director. “This production concept demonstrates the depth of design and engineering ability we have within Jaguar to make these plans come to life. I look forward to sharing this latest, exciting step at the Frankfurt Motor Show.”
If you have a sense of déjà vu, no surprise. There is certainly some hint of the current Jaguar XK in this sketch, though it’s clear Jaguar design chief Ian Callum wants to take the styling to a new level, going beyond the somewhat generic look of the current 2-door. But it will nonetheless be a tall order to even come close to the classic E-Type, which was a revolutionary breakthrough that even rivals adored.
No less than Enzo Ferrari once described the original 2-seater as “the most beautiful car ever made.”
Where a production version of the C-X16 might fit into the line-up remains to be seen and, in fact, the wording of the Jaguar press release might be read to suggest the prototype will serve as the influence for more than one future product. That could mean not only a replacement for the XF, but also a smaller Jaguar sports car that might be targeting the likes of the Porsche Cayman.
“Great Jaguars have always been beautiful, innovative and have looked firmly to the future,” said Callum. “The finished C-X16 concept has the potential to do these things while retaining the ability to surprise, to excite and invigorate.”
We’ll have to wait to learn more when Jaguar gets its turn in the spotlight at Frankfurt on September 13th.