There are no plans to produce the Jaguar C-X75, but the engine that gave the bulk of its power, the 502HP 1.6-liter turbocharged, four cylinder gasoline unit, may still have a chance. According to a report from Piston Heads, the F1-derived engine is still being developed and could make it to production.
Developed by Cosworth initially as a Formula 1 engine (before the FIA changed its mind and ditched 4-cylinder units for V6 engines for the 2014 season), the powerplant then found its way on to the Jaguar C-X75 prototype. Now, Cosworth’s principal engineer Andy Ball told the website that the engine is still alive with a road-car manufacturer.
Although he did not say which manufacturer, it could be Jaguar, as rumor has it the UK-based carmaker may use the engine for a hardcore F-Type Coupe model. Ball also said Cosworth is working to adapt the unit for an eventual production car. “We’ve being doing development engines. We’re still partnering on this. As a road-going engine it could have similar specific power as a Formula 1 engine of 300hp/litre,” he said.
Cosworth was left out of Formula 1 following Marussia’s decision to no longer use its engines, but Ball says this may have been for the better, as the engine specialist can now focus on adapting the engine for production cars.
“We’re talking with quite a few manufacturers about doing engines of this ilk – downsized, high specific power output engines,” Ball said.
With Jaguar or another carmaker, it’s exciting to know that the fantastic 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with a 10,000 rev-limit may one day make it to a production car.
By Dan Mihalascu
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