One of many stumbling blocks to developing the new sports car is the platform itself, which – if to be designed from scratch and bespoke to the model – would require lots of cash and resources at an uncertain time for Jaguar Land Rover. The company lost £395 million in the last financial quarter and hopes models such as the updated Jaguar XE, new Range Rover Evoque and heavily revised Land Rover Discovery Sport can offset significant recent investments and a slump in demand from China.  One cost-effective solution is to again join forces with BMW. The British and German makers recently announced they would develop and assemble electric drive units for future models together, but already sources suggest BMW will supply combustion engines to JLR too. As previously revealed by Autocar, JLR may also use BMW’s FAAR front-driven platform for a range of compact models, including Land Rover SUVs.  BMW bosses are said to be deciding whether to turn the next-generation i8 into a fully electric sports car. Prototypes of such a model have already undergone testing, according to a Munich-based engineering source. By sharing development of an EV sports car platform, BMW and JLR could considerably reduce costs while at the same time pooling engineering expertise and resources.  Another alternative is to make use of Jaguar’s well-proven electric car platform used in the I-Pace. This would require investment to adapt it for a different purpose, but EV platforms tend to be easier to modify to suit different bodystyles and drive configurations than ICE ones.  With Callum’s departure, the F-Type has immediately become his legacy in terms of Jaguar sports cars. With global sales of around 62,000 (70% in coupé form, 30% as convertibles), the model has helped rebuild Jaguar’s reputation as a maker of alluring sports cars – as it also strives to become renowned for other types of car such as SUVs. While the F-Type’s sales continue to significantly trail those of class leaders such as the Porsche 911, Callum is adamant that a successor is integral to the brand. “We will also do sports cars,” he said. “End of story.”  The C-X75 was a groundbreaking supercar originally conceived to use jet turbines as generators for an electric propulsion system when Jaguar first unveiled the concept in 2010. Working prototypes were then produced that instead used a more conventional petrol-electric hybrid system.  But by the end of 2012, the decision was taken to pull the plug on the whole project, meaning Callum’s highly praised exterior design never made it to
Origin: Jaguar could revive C-X75 concept as next-gen F-Type