There used to be a time when Jaguar made nothing but excellent concept cars which would then sit on the shelf gathering dust for eternity. But those days are long gone. These days the Brits are going straight from drawing board to production line. Well, at any rate that is the case with the Jaguar I-Pace Concept.

Previewing a production model which will be revealed next year and on the road in 2018, Jaguar I-Pace Concept can now even be pre-ordered on the company’s website which goes to show they have a lot of faith in this product. And that’s rather gutsy, since the I-Pace is a somewhat peculiar creation mixing “supercar looks, sports car performance and SUV space, in one electric package.”

How will that turn out in the real world remains to be seen, but on the surface Jaguar I-Pace Concept appears to be a handsome little thing, even though it has too many borrowed cues from other Jags. The specs are impressive too, with electric motors on the front and rear axles producing 700Nm of torque and 400PS. That corresponds to a 0-60 mph time of around 4 seconds, while a 90kWh battery pack with rapid charge capability provides 220 miles or 500km of range.

But perhaps the biggest highlight of the I-Pace, at least for now, was the “virtual” debut event they put together for it in Los Angeles. Hooked up by HTC and Dell who provided the technology, this world-first ‘social VR’ reveal allowed the guests, including A-list stars Michelle Rodriguez, Miranda Kerr and James Corden, to virtually sit in the concept car and interact with it. It’s only a matter of time before this becomes a thing, making actually visiting motor shows a waste of time. Still, a physical debut is planned at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show.