In part one of our two-part series, we brought you an insight from Limerickman, Mike Keane into the design and prototyping of the revolutionary Jaguar C-X75 hypercar from his role as Propulsion Systems Lead Engineer and then Design Lead from 2011 to ’13.
In part two we will feature Mike’s role from 2014 – ’15 as Head of Mechanical Engineering in preparing seven stunt cars for the twenty-fourth James Bond movie ‘Spectre’.
Amidst a worldwide economic downturn and just 100 expressions of interest secured for the C-X75 hypercar, Jaguar Land Rover made an announcement in December 2012 that production would be indefinitely suspended.
All seemed lost for the Jaguar C-X75 it was not to be part of the lucrative and prestigious hypercar market that had been started back in 2005 with the launch of the 1001 bhp Bugatti Veyron.
The reprieve for this incredible car came just two years later, in 2015 when James Bond came calling in the form of Eon Productions as having secured an Aston Martin DB10 for 007 they now needed an equally impressive car for the villainous assassin, Mr. Hinx and so the C-X75 was reborn as a movie car.
The Spectre producers tasked Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) and Williams Advanced Engineering (WAE) to build four special stunt versions (along with two “standard” versions) of the Jaguar C-X75 and prepare several modified Land Rover Defenders and a Range Rover Sport SVR for use in filming.
The decision was made to use the valuable prototype models with their luxurious interiors and impeccably finished exteriors for low-speed and static shots. The remaining four cars required would be specially constructed to withstand the demanding challenges of stunt driving on the streets of Rome.
WAE constructed five stunt cars using a sturdy 60mm tubular steel spaceframe chassis and composite body panels wrapped in burnt orange film, that exactly replicate those of the original Jaguar C-X75. Mike has told us that when you are standing close to the stunt cars, you cannot tell them apart from the original, however he also told us that mechanically, the stunt cars bore no relation to either the concept or prototype.
These stunt cars feature double wishbone suspension on all corners and utilise the same springs and dampers found in a Porsche 911 GT3 tarmac rally car. To achieve soft landings from jumps, the stunt cars were equipped with long-travel, droopy suspension. Additionally, hydraulic handbrakes were installed for dramatic handbrake turns.
The two electric motors and four-cylinder 1.6 engine from the prototype were replaced by a supercharged 5-litre 492 hp V8 borrowed from the Jaguar F-type. With the engine now mid-mounted, there was insufficient space for a traditional gearbox. Instead, each stunt car was equipped with a six-speed sequential unit directly sourced from a Porsche 911 GT3 racer. Shifting gears was facilitated by a single paddle mounted to the left side of the steering wheel.
Once inside the stunt version of the C-X75, everything is different from the original car as the elegant and luxurious interior is nowhere to be seen, instead everything is pared back. A single bucket seats with 5-point seatbelt, a race car-style steering wheel and hydraulic handbrake.
The overall shape of the prototype’s dashboard remains intact, although touchscreens have been replaced with plastic blanking plates. The centre console is prominently filled with an array of buttons and safety switches. In a cool reminder for the stunt driver that he was in a James Bond movie, turning the isolator switch and flicking the starter starts the engine and red LEDs across the dash spell out SPECTRE.
For the high-speed driving, the movie used trained, professional stunt-driver’s. However, in some high-speed driving sequences, the actors needed to be in the driving seat.
To accommodate this, a rigid steel-frame safety-cell was mounted on the roof. This was where the stunt drivers sat and operated the vehicle. The cell was equipped with a racing seat and 6-point harness and with drive-by-wire steering-wheel, pedals, and handbrake. These were connected to electrical actuators on the primary systems.
The car’s tubular steel space-frame had a number of discrete mounting points in the roof surface to which the safety cell was attached.
During the filming, the talented stunt-drivers performed high speed manoeuvres whilst sitting on the roof of the car. At the same time, the actors were in the driving seat with their hands on the steering mimicking the steering action but in reality they were just passengers.
One of the effects of drive-by-wire steering is that it decoupled the stunt-driver from the road wheels and therefore removed feedback which is a key element in high-performance driving. Apart from the unusual position, it’s another indication of the skill level of these drivers.
In the movie, after 007 interrupts a Spectre conference, jumps into his Aston Martin DB10 and is chased through the streets of Rome by Mr Hinx driving the Jaguar C-X75. While 007 deployed flamethrowers Mr Hinx had no gadgets on his car save for the ability to climb steep embankments, make jumps and perform huge power-slides.
The cars are often the stars of a James Bond movie and Spectre is no exception. However, the two cars in Spectre are unusual as 007’s Aston Martin DB10 was specially commissioned for the film and never entered production and Mr Hinx’s Jaguar C-X75 was due to enter production and was cancelled. Will we ever see these cars in production?
Information sources:
Barrons.com
Eon Productions
James Bond 007
JamesBonfandom.com
Jep Gambardella
Motor.ru
TheNationalNews.com
Emeoutlookmag.co
The Irish Sun
Carthrottle.com
