- The once-star of James Bond flick Spectre, a prototype Jaguar, is now a street-legal supercar
- The gorgeous makeover of the bright orange movie car was pulled off by its designer, Ian Callum
- Only four of the movie cars still exist—yet this is the second Callum’s had a chance to revisit and revise
The Jaguar C-X75 supercar concept was, if you ask us, the real star of the widely acclaimed 2015 James Bond movie Spectre. Somewhere between four and seven Jaguar prototypes made it out alive, post-production, and found their way into private collections. Now, one of those examples, car #001, has been converted for public road use by U.K.-based firm Callum Design. Incidentally, that company was founded by the C-X75’s original designer, Ian Callum, one-time director of design for Jaguar.
Epic car-chase scenes are generally the highlight of most Bond movies, and Spectre was no different. In the film, the biggest chase stars a C-X75, a Jaguar prototype from 2010 that was once intended to see a 250-unit limited production run. The high-speed chase scene places the Jag in Rome, where the villainous Mr. Hinx, played by Dave Bautista, uses it to hunt down James Bond, who is driving an Aston Martin DB10 (another prototype car that, like the Jaguar, never made it to production). Presumably, there will be a much cooler head than Hinx behind the wheel when the “reborn” C-X75 takes to the streets.
The conversion was a comprehensive project that involved, among other things, a re-engineered drivetrain, an active aero system, and a bespoke interior layout. Panel gap alignment in the bodywork was improved, and the car received a new coat of paint, in a shade dubbed Willow Green.
Callum also added carbon-fibre accents to parts like the intakes behind the side windows. The fuel tank cap and window trim were finished in brushed aluminum, while a “C-X75” emblem was finely etched into the taillights. The C-X75’s exterior looks are rounded off with 20- and 21-inch alloy wheels, carried over from the prototype.
At its heart is a Jaguar F-Type-derived 5.0-litre V8—the same supercharged unit that powered the car in the movie. However, this time, it’s paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, in place of the sequential racing gearbox that was hastily rigged up for the movie car.
Callum says the car is tuned for comfortable everyday driving. However, a dedicated ‘Sport’ mode delivers a more performance-oriented driving style with faster gear changes, a more responsive throttle, and an accompanying raucous exhaust note.
It took over 1,000 hours just to refinish the car’s exterior, hinting at the mammoth scale of the entire project. Callum is not revealing how much it cost to complete the conversion, but it must have been steep.
Interestingly, this is actually the second Jaguar C-X75 movie-car conversion the company has undertaken. In February 2024, Callum announced that another of the C-X75 movie cars had been re-engineered and made fit for road use, though the changes made back then were not on the same scale as the ones you see here.
Sign up for our newsletter Blind-Spot Monitor and follow our social channels on X, Tiktok and LinkedIn to stay up to date on the latest automotive news, reviews, car culture, and vehicle shopping advice.