Jaguar Will Go Racing Next Year... With The I-Pace SUV

Jaguar already competes in Formula E, but as of the 2018/19 season it's going to be filling the support race slot, too, with - of all things - an electric SUV
Jaguar Will Go Racing Next Year... With The I-Pace SUV

Jaguar has announced probably the last thing you were expecting: a race series based on near-production-spec I-Pace electric SUVs on city circuits around the world.

The 10-race Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy series will visit cities like Paris, Rome, New York and Hong Kong as the one and only support race to the Formula E series for the 2018/19 season. Jaguar has been racing in Formula E itself since 2016.

Jaguar Will Go Racing Next Year... With The I-Pace SUV

Up to 20 I-Pace-based racers will compete at each round, with one ‘VIP’ driver at each, but sadly we don’t have any technical details yet. The full specs and more details about the races themselves will be announced next year.

We’d expect the modified I-Pace used in the series to use more or less the standard drivetrain, so maybe as much as 400bhp from the all-electric high-rider. It’s likely that there will be lower-powered versions as well, with fewer batteries in exchange for a price drop, but the 395bhp one we’ve talked about before would be the one to use on a circuit.

Jaguar Will Go Racing Next Year... With The I-Pace SUV

Hints dropped by Jaguar in its short press release on the I-Pace racing series suggest that it’s going to be a platform for young and upcoming drivers to prove their mettle in circuit-tweaked EVs on the world stage, potentially before earning a drive in a Formula E seat. After all, Porsche, BMW and Mercedes-AMG are all getting involved soon…

Gerd Mauser, Chairman of Jaguar Racing, said:

“We’ve always said we want to prove our electrification technologies on the track –this is the proof. I am looking forward to seeing a full grid of Jaguar I-Pace racecars in late 2018, soon after the first Jaguar I-Pace hits the road in Europe. Ultimately this innovative series will enhance the technology in our future electric vehicles and benefit our customers.”

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Comments

The Prius Tumor

I hope the other manufaturers will be able to keep pace with jaguar in electric racing development

09/12/2017 - 10:22 |
2 | 0

“Pace” “I-Pace”
Unintentional pun lol

09/12/2017 - 11:12 |
2 | 2
Austin98

Weren’t they once talking about an electric GT-series? They could start one with Tesla to create more variety.

09/12/2017 - 10:23 |
12 | 0

Electric GT, yes. Starts next year.

09/12/2017 - 22:50 |
2 | 0
German Perfectionist

A SUV race car? That’s the single dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of…

09/12/2017 - 10:26 |
59 | 3

Welllllllll
SUV does stand for sport utility vehicle
Racing is a sport
You can fit loads of sfuff inside it
And it is a vehicle
Checks all the boxes in my book

09/12/2017 - 11:26 |
31 | 4
Nishant Dash

Why…just why??

Jag HQ: Oh! SUVs are slow, heavy, have enormous body roll… Perfect! Let’s make a track car out of it…

facepalm

09/12/2017 - 10:28 |
9 | 5
09/12/2017 - 10:35 |
7 | 0

It’s not like they’re turning the I-Pace into a GT3 or GTE car. They’re racing them against themselves so it doesn’t really matter with they choose to drive an I-Pace or an F-Type because they aren’t trying to compete against another company’s car; they simply want to market their latest electric vehicle.

09/12/2017 - 23:42 |
4 | 0
Anonymous

Gta in real life..

09/12/2017 - 10:46 |
1 | 1
Anonymous

I actually like the idea, while the car choice is interesting… This is sorta thing that Failrace would do on Forza

09/12/2017 - 10:48 |
3 | 0
TheRealBouss

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Exactly

09/12/2017 - 11:12 |
0 | 0
Dave 12

City racing is boring. So long as FE sticks to city circuits there will be no enthusiasm for it.

09/12/2017 - 11:12 |
4 | 7
TheRealBouss

Sounds like it could be be exciting. Same make racing with inappropriate cars is always a spectacle. Speaking of inappropriate, that blue tho

09/12/2017 - 11:14 |
7 | 0
Wreckless

Ok so we switch to electric formula cars, fair enough, we race SUVS, ok fair enough but combine the two, thats one hell of a combo

09/12/2017 - 12:41 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

Possibly a low riding EV platform with a CF shell on top. It just looks like an SUV, just like Nascar racers look like sedans.

09/12/2017 - 13:07 |
1 | 0