Jaguar guns for Porsche's 911 with its latest concept

Jaguar sure knows how to wow an audience with its concept vehicles. Just under a year ago, the company showed off its C-X75 supercar concept that was powered by four 195hp electric motors generating a total of 778hp and 1,180 lb-ft of torque.

Today, however, Jaguar is showing off something that is a little more production-ready and will be aiming squarely at the "all-new" 991 Porsche 911. The C-X16 is a thinly-veiled two-seater concept that foreshadows the upcoming production model. With the exception of a few details (like the red-lit side vents, tiny door handles, and side opening rear window/hatch), the car looks amazingly close to production-ready.

When it comes to the power train, the C-X16 features a supercharged V6 that produces 375hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. In addition to the V6, the C-X16 also features a 95hp, 173lb-ft electric motor that can power the sports car alone at speeds up to 50 mph (for short distances only, of course). The 1.6 kWh battery pack is mounted behind the front seats to help the vehicle achieve perfect 50:50 weight balance.

Jaguar says that the C-X16 can hit 60 mph in 4.3 seconds and reach a top speed of 186 mph. That compares favorably to the standard 350hp Porsche 911 (991) with PDK which hit 60 mph in 4.4 seconds and has a top speed of 179 mph.

Now you knew there had to be a “but” thrown in somewhere in all of this yummy goodness. Unfortunately, the concept comes saddled with an 8-speed automatic transmission. We can only hope that Jaguar will offer both manual and automatic transmission options when the vehicle reaches production.

"The C-X16 embodies the established Jaguar strengths of sensual design, animal-like agility and inspirational performance and combines these with attributes that set us on a course to create sustainable sports cars of the future," said Adrian Hallmark, Global Brand Director for Jaguar.

"Jaguars have always been dramatically different," added Ian Callum, Director of Design at Jaguar. "With the C-X16 we have moved the current award-winning design language on to the next generation, creating a car that is the very essence of future Jaguar performance."

Seeing as how this is officially a "concept", we'll have to wait another year or so before we see the final production model and pricing. As long as Jaguar doesn't mess with the design too much, it is sure to have a hit on its hands and is a welcome break from the "sameness" of Porsche's 911.