Frankfurt Live: Jaguar C-X16

Unveiled live at Frankfurt IAA 2011 was not only a host of concept vehicles but the sign of a new brand and partnership featuring two of Britain's finest: Jaguar and Landrover. Dubbed JLR (Jag/LandRover) this new media identity is set to become a powerhouse in terms of icon and vehicle reputation.

Jaguar's boss Adrian Hallmark took the opportunity to give the C-X16 its world debut live at the Motor Show. The car, designed in Coventry, is a two-seater luxury model which apparently will cost in the region of £55,000 to £70,000 when it finally goes on sale. But that's not to say that it will make production...as of yet it's still deemed a concept and there's no saying when it will go up against it's main competitors, the Porsche 911 and Aston Martin V8 Vantage.

Once the sheets had been taken off, the silver-cat gleaned its way into journalists' hearts and thus its reception has been phenomenal. The British designers even went so far as to throw on a pair of shades onto the cat emblem on the front of this car almost as if to say "we all know that this is one cool cat".

The vehicle stretches in at 4.4 metres in length and of important note is the fact that it shows off a hybrid powertrain. This plant helps propel the C-X16 from 0-62mph in a rapid 4.4 seconds with a top speed of 186mph. Coupled with design traits fresh from Aston (we're looking at you door handles) and it's easy to see where Jaguar sees the brand heading in the future.

In terms of specifics, Jaguar intend to place a supercharged 3.0-litre V6 into this animal, which will develop 375bhp and 332lb ft of torque. The engine is a modular development of Jaguar’s current AJ-V8, using the same block architecture and quad-cam, four-valve-per-cylinder head design made of recycled aluminium.

Lest we forget the success Jaguar has had in the past couple of years, Jag showcased the XKR-S on stage also. This electrifying two-seater high performance vehicle tops off a dramatically improved range which has shown the world that the Jaguar brand has reached "Stage 2" of their global domination; the first stage having been completed with the refreshed line-up of the XF, XJ and XK. If this C-X16 concept makes its way onto our roads who knows how much impact the newly formed JLR brand will have. Only time will tell.