Supercars: Present and Future
As the performance car leasing market continues to break its own boundaries, we’ve taken a sneak peek into the word of the supercar: present and future… why not dream with us just for a while?
Desirability
Perhaps the most desirable supercar concept in the market at present is the Jaguar C-X75, unveiled at the 2010 Paris Auto-Show.
The concept car featured four powerful electric motors (one for each wheel) and a pair of gas turbines. Tata have since decided to try and produce a production version but, for improved practicality, the car will feature a 1.6lt supercharged engine alongside the electric motors instead of the gas turbines.
The C-X75 is beautifully designed and will offer blistering performance. With a combined power of nearly 800hp the C-X75 should do 0-60 mph in less than 3 seconds. However, the cars won’t be the most affordable and some reports suggest that the RRP will be around £650,000 per car; only 250 cars will be built. The C-X75 will feature ultra-lightweight composites such as aluminium and carbon fibre and, because of its aerodynamics and light weight features, the C-X75 is said to produce just 99g per Km of CO2 which is very impressive for such a fast automobile. The C-X75 should arrive sometime between 2013 and 2015.
Supercar competition
Competition in the supercar hybrid sector comes from Porsche, with their 918. The 918 is also a carbon fibre composite design and is powered by a V8 engine delivering more than 500bhp and three electric motors with an overall output of 218hp.
The engine of the Porsche 918 emits just 70 grams CO2 per km and offers a combined fuel consumption of just 94 mpg. The 0-62 time is an impressive 3.2 seconds and the top speed is reportedly 198 mph. The car is said to lap the Nϋrburgring even faster than the original Porsche Spyder which came with a V10 race inspired F1 engine. The Porsche is reported to be cheaper than the Jaguar, with an expected price tag of around £500,000 which is still by no means easily affordable. It is likely however that the technology used in both the Jaguar and Porsche will ultimately benefit the production of mass market cars in the future.
In order to up the desirability stakes, 2012 sees the release of the limited edition Aston Martin One-77 of which only 77 will be produced. The One-77 comes with the world’s most powerfully naturally aspirated engine; a 750bhp V12. The car features a minimalist designed interior and a fully integrated Bang and Olufsen stereo system with a 1000w subwoofer.
The One-77 will be the most expensive Aston yet, set to retail at around £1.2 million. Even if you could afford one, they are likely to be sold out quickly. The Aston is not a rival to the Bugatti Veyron but sits at the pinnacle of Aston Martin ergonomic design and functionality. The suspension of the One-77 features many of the elements originally intended exclusively for race cars.
Italian supercars of the future
As we move into Italian territory perhaps the three most desirable Italian cars lined up for future production are the Pagani C9, the Ferrari FF and the Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4.
The Pagani is the lightest and most agile of the three and probably offers the wildest acceleration. With its titanium carbon composite chassis, the Pagani weighs in at just over 1200 kilos and offers the best power to weight ratio with a new Mercedes sourced AMG motor offering over 700bhp. Closely following the Pagani is the Lamborghini Aventador which boasts carbon-fibre monocoque technology, a 0-60 time of just 2.9 seconds and 700bhp of raw pulling power.
But potentially the most practical of all supercars set for release in 2012 is the Ferrari FF, which is short for Four Four. The car offers four seats and four wheel drive and is the most powerful four-seater Ferrari ever. Under the bonnet there is a 6.2lt direct injection V12 engine that delivers an impressive 660 HP at 8,000 rpm. The FF will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.7 seconds and can hit a maximum top speed of 208 mph.
Finally, from the Best of British, we have the 2011 McLaren MP4-12C which is rumoured to be the fastest car around the Top Gear test track. The car should reach full production in 2011 and around 1,000 are set to be produced annually at McLaren’s state-of-the-art factory here in the UK.
On a more affordable level, there are a wide range of high performance cars available on a business car leasing contract from Windmill Leasing. View our coupé car leasing deals or our prestige car leasing deals to view the best range of current prices, or call us on 0800 121 4020 to discuss your performance car leasing options.
