Jaguar considers V10 Supercar

We love a good prototype vehicle here at Wombat motoring, and the Barcelona Motor Show is providing more sneek peeks at works-in-progress than we would ever have given the show credit for.

Shame on us.

Last week Seat unveiled its provocative Cupra GT, and this week Jaguar's low-key unveiling of its XF10 is both exciting and intriguing.

Exciting because it looks amazing and promises to go, turn and stop very, very quickly.

It's also largely intriguing because why hasn't Jaguar done this before?

One could suggest that the XJ220 was a supercar, what with its stonking 349km/h top speed and 404kW twin-turbo 3.5-litre V6.

Sure, the XJ220 was one terrifyingly fast and somewhat sexy piece of kit, yet it was also built way back in 1993 and is no longer for sale.

Compounding this point is Jaguar's burgeoning Formula One program.

Jaguar's new 2003 F1 car is seriously quick and becoming more and more reliable as the season continues. With the likes of Aussie up-and-comer Mark Webber behind the wheel, the next few seasons are looking good for the Big Cat, so why not offer a road-going model to celebrate this, much like Ferrari, BMW and Mercedes do?

Jaguar recently agreed to let Fuore Design (a Barcelona-based styling house that has worked with Subaru and Mitsubishi) develop a unique and highly desirable supercar - one that would perform well on the track in addition to turning heads.

That car is the Jaguar XF10.

So, what does one make of an American-owned British supercar designed by the Spaniards? Let's check it out...

Erwin Himmel from Fuore Design reckons this is the car that will help take on the Porsches, Lamboghinis and Ferrari's of this world, saying: "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."

Creature comforts are numerous for such a high performance car, and include a chic panoramic glass roof to give the impression of driving a drop-top, but without disturbing the kind of precise aerodynamics needed for 300+ km/h speeds.

A dial on the centre console controls interior temperatures and cycles through racecar-inspired telematics and -- arguably one of the coolest features ever seen in a supercar -- the XF10 comes with a roof-mounted camera to record your driving exploits, whether on a closed circuit or down at the KFC carpark, which can be replayed via an LCD screen built in to the dash.

The two-seater XF10 comes with two Momo racing seats complete with four-point safety harnesses, and it would be fair to say they'll be very necessary, as the proposed V10 mill that will provide locomotion promises to be a scorcher.

Powered by a mid-moutned, naturally aspirated, 40-valve 7.0-litre V10, the XF10 would indeed give the well-established kings of exotica solid competition. The XF10 has been constructed using carbon fibre body panels and is intended to weigh in at just 1200kg.

Thanks to such a light kerb weight, and the 475kW V10, the XF10 will sprint from 0-100km/h in 3.9 seconds and, given a long enough straight, onto a top speed of 336km/h. Six-piston Brembo calipers covering large discs hide behind massive 21-inch alloy rims, which should ensure the big Cat stops efficiently.

According to Fuore Design, the XF10 moniker was derived from a number of areas. The 'X' is a tribute to the two-seater Jags of yesteryear, while the 'F' points to Formula One and the '10' is essentially a reference to the 10-cylinder engine configuration.

But perhaps the most controversial aspect of the XF10 is its styling: While we have big issues with the droopy grille, the car redeems itself with what are arguably the world's sexiest mirrors. The rear end is also quite impressive, using new-age styling cues to great effect, particularly in the brake light clusters.

The overall profile is pleasing and the way the rear end tapers off slowly - giving the car a pseudo 'hatchback' quality - works remarkably well, and the little camera mounted on the glass roof gets browny points just for being so damned cool.

At the end of the day, Jaguar may tell Fuore Design to take their XF10 and stick it where the sun don't shine, but if it garners enough attention from consumers at the Spanish Motor Show, there's a good chance the Ford-owned automaker will commission the vehicle, particularly with Ford's other supercar almost online - the GT (aka GT40).

Very much aimed at taking away market share from the Ferrari Enzo, Carrera GT and the upcoming BMW M5, which are also all V10s save for the Enzo (V12), the XF10 is just what Jaguar needs to boost the brands profile as a serious prestige and super sports car maker.