Callum, you may recall, has turned its attention to the Jaguar C-X75 before. And who can blame it? The existence of stunt cars from its fondly-remembered appearance in Spectre means there is an opportunity to revisit one of the great near-misses of the 21st century. And while the previous conversion was very much about getting the customer commission through its IVA certification, this one is said to go far beyond that.
The supercharged V8 remains, but is now mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and has been re-engineered for improved drivability. It’s adaptive, too, with a more dynamic sporting mode available at the touch of a button. To complement what Callum says is ‘increased performance’, the firm has developed a bespoke active aero package that is said to provide additional downforce above 40mph, and even includes an air brake function.
The original wheels remain (who would dream of replacing them?) although they now feature Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres. Callum reckons over 1,000 hours of craftsmanship has gone into perfecting the body, some of it into ensuring a more precise alignment of the body panels and applying some new aluminium details, but also in giving it a new lustrous paint finish in something called Willow Green.
Still, the most serious work has been undertaken inside, where the merely functional stunt car cockpit has been replaced by a ‘driver-centric, premium environment’. There’s green at work in here, too, although it’s the plunging centre console, with three rotary controls, each with integrated touchscreens and all angled toward the driver, that draws the eye. That and the new instrument cluster (oof - those dials); to preserve the minimalist look, all the other controls are located on a roof-mounted console above the driver’s head, including the starter switch.
We’re partial to the steering wheel (machined from a solid billet to the customer’s specifications) and the new Bridge of Weir leather sports seats don’t look half bad either. Callum says that the introduction of a digital rear-view mirror, electronic park brake and an immobiliser - fiddly, time-consuming jobs all - shows the level of detail it has committed to in the transformation process.
“C-X75 was ‘the one that got away’ – a car brimming with unfulfilled potential,” reckons Ian Callum himself, who of course led the team that created the car in 2010 and is now design director and co-founder of the company that bears his name. “We’ve combined the customer’s wishes with carefully engineered solutions to bring C-X75 to the thoroughly satisfying conclusion it always deserved.” No word on price, naturally. But, clearly, this was a labour of love for someone. Let's hope they get to enjoy it on the road for a little while at least.
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