2007 JAGUAR XK8 (UPDATED- Why Does it Have a Ford Tauraus Nose ? )
02-28-06, 03:37 PM
#61
Super Moderator
Originally Posted by Vladi
Well my cat is coming sometime in June but I will be attending the XK premier in Miami where future buyers will have a chance to drive it. I will let you know.
Manager of The Collection told me if I want a convertible with same specs as the one I have on preorder (and even same jaguar racing green!!!) I can have it as soon as the end of the March.
That's good but I prefer coupe to convertible and once again Jag expects to sell more convs than coupes which means long wait if you opt for coupe.
P.S. Btw I thought that Caramel interior doesn't come with aluminum. Anyway those car pictured are equipped with Aluminum Luxury Package. Strange since I have been told that it will be a delayed option.
Manager of The Collection told me if I want a convertible with same specs as the one I have on preorder (and even same jaguar racing green!!!) I can have it as soon as the end of the March.
That's good but I prefer coupe to convertible and once again Jag expects to sell more convs than coupes which means long wait if you opt for coupe.
P.S. Btw I thought that Caramel interior doesn't come with aluminum. Anyway those car pictured are equipped with Aluminum Luxury Package. Strange since I have been told that it will be a delayed option.
The pics I posted above is from a Canadian article, plus they did the test in South Africa, so it's possible the trim combinations available may be different from the U.S. . . . . .
02-28-06, 04:13 PM
#62
Lexus Fanatic
The Jag-Aston resemblance is nothing new. The XK-series and entry-level Astons have shared a common body and chassis for years. The engines, though, have been different.....as has the interior trim.
(You could say the two have a common " Bond".
)
(You could say the two have a common " Bond".
)
Clean....I like...
05-08-06, 09:24 PM
#65
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After seeing the convertible at the Auto Show, I was 
.
1. There was NO ATTENTION at this all new car, even spinning on a podium. It got NO traffic. SAD!!
2. It looks GOOD but did not FLOOR ME like in pics. Not good. The 6 while ugly, is more IN YOUR FACE. This car looks good, the front end is still odd, but its not OHHHHHHH
. 1. There was NO ATTENTION at this all new car, even spinning on a podium. It got NO traffic. SAD!!
2. It looks GOOD but did not FLOOR ME like in pics. Not good. The 6 while ugly, is more IN YOUR FACE. This car looks good, the front end is still odd, but its not OHHHHHHH
05-08-06, 09:49 PM
#66
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Originally Posted by 1SICKLEX
After seeing the convertible at the Auto Show, I was .
1. There was NO ATTENTION at this all new car, even spinning on a podium. It got NO traffic. SAD!!
2. It looks GOOD but did not FLOOR ME like in pics. Not good. The 6 while ugly, is more IN YOUR FACE. This car looks good, the front end is still odd, but its not OHHHHHHH
. 1. There was NO ATTENTION at this all new car, even spinning on a podium. It got NO traffic. SAD!!
2. It looks GOOD but did not FLOOR ME like in pics. Not good. The 6 while ugly, is more IN YOUR FACE. This car looks good, the front end is still odd, but its not OHHHHHHH
Thumbs up to Jag.
M.
05-09-06, 09:29 AM
#67
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Currently, the XK coup is my number 1 candidate to replace the Lexus GS later this year. IMO, this is the most graceful coup on the market now. I give Jaguar credit for staying true to their roots and choosing simplicity and refinement over the current trend towards more aggressive designs.
I also saw the covertible at the Atlanta Auto Show, and the reason it was unimpressive is because they had it up on a pedestal at eye level. To appreciate the design, I believe you need to see the car on the ground.
I also saw the covertible at the Atlanta Auto Show, and the reason it was unimpressive is because they had it up on a pedestal at eye level. To appreciate the design, I believe you need to see the car on the ground.
05-11-06, 03:28 PM
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Top Gear video review
Here's a Top Gear video review of the XK coup which is put to the test on a frozen lake in Norway.
http://www.vsocial.com/PlatAdPlayer.swf?v=18172
http://www.vsocial.com/PlatAdPlayer.swf?v=18172
05-15-06, 08:57 AM
#70
Speaks French in Russian
Jaguar hoping for big boost from redesigned XK sports car
Jaguar hoping for big boost from redesigned XK sports car
By MARK RECHTIN | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
AutoWeek | Published 05/15/06, 3:00 am et
http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dl...1/TOC01ARCHIVE
By MARK RECHTIN | AUTOMOTIVE NEWS
AutoWeek | Published 05/15/06, 3:00 am et
CABO SAN LUCAS, Mexico -- After 10 years, Jaguar has finally redesigned its XK coupe and convertible, complete with an advanced aluminum alloy body-in-white and outer skin.
The problem is that Jaguar's overall U.S. sales are lagging. The XK must be good enough to tide over Jaguar and its dealers until the S-Type sedan redesign arrives in spring 2008.
The basics: Following the XJ sedan's journey into aluminum fabrication, the XK coupe takes it a step further. Aluminum gives the XK performance advantages over its segment rivals.
Although the car's V-8 engine is a retuned carryover, the XK's light weight allows it to get from 0 to 60 in less than six seconds. Its quarter-mile time is 14.4 seconds. Jaguar claims its sequential manual transmission -- developed by ZF Friedrichshafen AG and Robert Bosch GmbH -- gives quicker and more exact shifts than competing systems from BMW or Audi.
The new XK, while barely longer than its predecessor, has a wheelbase that is 6 inches longer.
Notable features: Standard features include adaptive dampening, bi-xenon headlamps, multi-CD audio player, navigation system, reverse parking radar, keyless locks and engine start, directional headlights, driver and passenger memory seats, and steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
The convertible roof stows in 18 seconds beneath an aluminum tonneau cover. A touch-screen in the center console allows control of climate, audio, navigation, telephone and vehicle settings.
Jaguar engineers also wanted to ensure the car sounded right. The exhaust system keeps things quiet around town, but the car lets out a crackling growl when the driver floors the accelerator pedal.
What Jaguar says: "The foundation of the XK is so good," Russ Varney, XK chief program engineer, said at the XK's press launch here. "We have a great powertrain, a great body, a great suspension. We'd be (disappointed) if we couldn't make a great car out of it."
Adds C.J. O'Donnell, Jaguar executive vice president of sales and marketing: "We are shattering the misconception that this is an older man's car. This is about living fast and always in style."
Compromises and shortcomings: The front fascia styling, especially the headlamps and large oval grille, has drawn criticism. The center console's information touch-screen washes out in sunlight. Rear legroom is minimal.
Even though the redesigned XK is made from aluminum, it weighs almost as much as the old version because of all the new gadgetry, safety equipment and features.
While many competitors are going with retractable hardtops, the XK convertible still has a canvas roof and its accompanying huge blind spot. But the canvas roof helps in terms of luggage space and packaging the rear of the vehicle to accentuate the car's haunches.
The market: The XK went on sale April 17. In the past, convertibles accounted for 90 percent of XK sales among American buyers. The speed and handling of the redesigned car may raise coupes to as much as 25 percent of the total. The coupe is priced at $75,550, the convertible at $81,500. Prices include shipping. Jaguar declined to give sales targets for the car.
The skinny: The Jaguar is going up against some potent rivals in the Mercedes SL, BMW 6 series, Porsche 911 and Lexus SC 430. The XK scores points by using aluminum, but it is no leap ahead in terms of overall execution. It may be good enough to keep Jaguar loyalists in the brand, but it will be a challenge to conquest sales from the Germans and Lexus.
The problem is that Jaguar's overall U.S. sales are lagging. The XK must be good enough to tide over Jaguar and its dealers until the S-Type sedan redesign arrives in spring 2008.
The basics: Following the XJ sedan's journey into aluminum fabrication, the XK coupe takes it a step further. Aluminum gives the XK performance advantages over its segment rivals.
Although the car's V-8 engine is a retuned carryover, the XK's light weight allows it to get from 0 to 60 in less than six seconds. Its quarter-mile time is 14.4 seconds. Jaguar claims its sequential manual transmission -- developed by ZF Friedrichshafen AG and Robert Bosch GmbH -- gives quicker and more exact shifts than competing systems from BMW or Audi.
The new XK, while barely longer than its predecessor, has a wheelbase that is 6 inches longer.
Notable features: Standard features include adaptive dampening, bi-xenon headlamps, multi-CD audio player, navigation system, reverse parking radar, keyless locks and engine start, directional headlights, driver and passenger memory seats, and steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
The convertible roof stows in 18 seconds beneath an aluminum tonneau cover. A touch-screen in the center console allows control of climate, audio, navigation, telephone and vehicle settings.
Jaguar engineers also wanted to ensure the car sounded right. The exhaust system keeps things quiet around town, but the car lets out a crackling growl when the driver floors the accelerator pedal.
What Jaguar says: "The foundation of the XK is so good," Russ Varney, XK chief program engineer, said at the XK's press launch here. "We have a great powertrain, a great body, a great suspension. We'd be (disappointed) if we couldn't make a great car out of it."
Adds C.J. O'Donnell, Jaguar executive vice president of sales and marketing: "We are shattering the misconception that this is an older man's car. This is about living fast and always in style."
Compromises and shortcomings: The front fascia styling, especially the headlamps and large oval grille, has drawn criticism. The center console's information touch-screen washes out in sunlight. Rear legroom is minimal.
Even though the redesigned XK is made from aluminum, it weighs almost as much as the old version because of all the new gadgetry, safety equipment and features.
While many competitors are going with retractable hardtops, the XK convertible still has a canvas roof and its accompanying huge blind spot. But the canvas roof helps in terms of luggage space and packaging the rear of the vehicle to accentuate the car's haunches.
The market: The XK went on sale April 17. In the past, convertibles accounted for 90 percent of XK sales among American buyers. The speed and handling of the redesigned car may raise coupes to as much as 25 percent of the total. The coupe is priced at $75,550, the convertible at $81,500. Prices include shipping. Jaguar declined to give sales targets for the car.
The skinny: The Jaguar is going up against some potent rivals in the Mercedes SL, BMW 6 series, Porsche 911 and Lexus SC 430. The XK scores points by using aluminum, but it is no leap ahead in terms of overall execution. It may be good enough to keep Jaguar loyalists in the brand, but it will be a challenge to conquest sales from the Germans and Lexus.
Last edited by magneto112; 05-15-06 at 02:27 PM.
05-15-06, 09:48 AM
#71
Speaks French in Russian
Will XK fix Jag's spotty record?
Ford's luxury marque pins high hopes on aluminum-body coupe to help stem sliding sales.
John McCormick / Special to The Detroit News
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...85/1148/AUTO01
Ford's luxury marque pins high hopes on aluminum-body coupe to help stem sliding sales.
John McCormick / Special to The Detroit News
CAPE TOWN, South Africa -- Jaguar is known mainly for two things these days -- making expensive and often beautiful cars for the upper crust and losing money for parent Ford Motor Co.
Now the roller-coaster fortunes of the famed, if tarnished, British automaker are entering a critical phase. With sales falling year after year, the fate of the luxury brand funded with an estimated $10 billion of Ford's money over the last 17 years is in serious question.
Officially, Ford is standing by Jaguar the way family would express support for a ne'er-do-well cousin. But at a time when the automaker is fighting to return its automotive operations to sustained profitability, industry observers say Jaguar's turnaround had better arrive quickly lest Ford finally pull the plug on its chronic underperformer.
The latest hope for revival -- typically pinned to a new Jaguar that will revolutionize its segment -- resides in the 2007 XK coupe and convertible, showcased recently in South Africa.
Three months later and with only a few weeks of sales under its belt, it's too early to declare the new XK a success. But reaction from critics and dealers has been mostly positive. And last month, the XK was the only positive note in an otherwise grim set of sales numbers for Jaguar.
Compared with a year ago:
XK sales jumped 122 percent -- up to 544 units.
Sales of the XJ sedan, the marque's flagship, dropped 41 percent.
S-Type sales dropped 27 percent.
Sales of the X-Type, the entry-level luxury car, dropped 60 percent.
Overall, Jaguar's global sales in 2005 fell to 85,531 from 115,453 the previous year.
One problem for Jaguar, says CSM Worldwide analyst Joe Barker, is Jaguar's sister brand in Ford Premier Automotive Group -- Land Rover.
"Jaguar is in the unfortunate position of not being able to expand its portfolio into the profitable luxury truck sector because that is Land Rover's role."
The new XK will help, he says, but "it will take a lot more than this one model to turn things around at Jaguar."
At its peak, the previous generation XK model sold 14,000 units annually worldwide. Expectations for the 2007 model are more modest, with the U.S. market predicted to account for 6,000 sales per year out of a global total of 10,000.
In its favor, the new $75,500 XK coupe is priced a few thousand dollars below the competing BMW 650i and substantially less than its primary rival, the $94,675 Mercedes-Benz SL. But in wealthy neighborhoods across the country, the SL is entrenched as the two-seater of choice, so Jaguar still faces a tough challenge.
The XK's uphill battle is compounded by two factors seen as drawbacks by some critics. First, the car's 4.2-liter V-8 only produces 300 horsepower; the 2007 SL model comes with 386-horsepower from a 5.5-liter V-8. The British automaker also points to the XK's lightweight, all-aluminum body as an advantage that sets it apart from European rivals.
According to Jaguar body structure engineer Mark White, aluminum brings advantages not just in terms of performance, but also in creating a superior handling sports car. "If we had just done a conventional high-strength steel body shell, it would have been heavier than the old car with a similar powertrain, and therefore would not have given us the sporty character we wanted," White said.
Still, the XK's design elicits mixed reactions. Many critics have lauded the XK as Jaguar's most iconic design, but others have aimed barbs at the details.
Fortune magazine's Alex Taylor III described the grille as "simply a travesty, a plain oval with the Jag emblem in the middle; it recalls the recently departed Ford Taurus, an inappropriate homage if there ever was one."
Retorts Jaguar's chief designer, Ian Callum: "Get over it." Callum points out that the grille design is very similar to that of the 1960s E-Type, perhaps the most revered production Jaguar of all time.
The XK's design and what it portends for Jaguar is critical for the brand, which arguably relies more heavily on its appearance than any other. This has been evident with the 2004 XJ sedan, which has struggled in the market not because of its driving qualities, but because its design was changed almost imperceptibly from its predecessor.
Callum promises that dramatic change is on the way, starting with the new 2008 model S-Type sedan debuting later this year. The next XJ, due in 2009, will be "even more radical."
Now the roller-coaster fortunes of the famed, if tarnished, British automaker are entering a critical phase. With sales falling year after year, the fate of the luxury brand funded with an estimated $10 billion of Ford's money over the last 17 years is in serious question.
Officially, Ford is standing by Jaguar the way family would express support for a ne'er-do-well cousin. But at a time when the automaker is fighting to return its automotive operations to sustained profitability, industry observers say Jaguar's turnaround had better arrive quickly lest Ford finally pull the plug on its chronic underperformer.
The latest hope for revival -- typically pinned to a new Jaguar that will revolutionize its segment -- resides in the 2007 XK coupe and convertible, showcased recently in South Africa.
Three months later and with only a few weeks of sales under its belt, it's too early to declare the new XK a success. But reaction from critics and dealers has been mostly positive. And last month, the XK was the only positive note in an otherwise grim set of sales numbers for Jaguar.
Compared with a year ago:
XK sales jumped 122 percent -- up to 544 units.
Sales of the XJ sedan, the marque's flagship, dropped 41 percent.
S-Type sales dropped 27 percent.
Sales of the X-Type, the entry-level luxury car, dropped 60 percent.
Overall, Jaguar's global sales in 2005 fell to 85,531 from 115,453 the previous year.
One problem for Jaguar, says CSM Worldwide analyst Joe Barker, is Jaguar's sister brand in Ford Premier Automotive Group -- Land Rover.
"Jaguar is in the unfortunate position of not being able to expand its portfolio into the profitable luxury truck sector because that is Land Rover's role."
The new XK will help, he says, but "it will take a lot more than this one model to turn things around at Jaguar."
At its peak, the previous generation XK model sold 14,000 units annually worldwide. Expectations for the 2007 model are more modest, with the U.S. market predicted to account for 6,000 sales per year out of a global total of 10,000.
In its favor, the new $75,500 XK coupe is priced a few thousand dollars below the competing BMW 650i and substantially less than its primary rival, the $94,675 Mercedes-Benz SL. But in wealthy neighborhoods across the country, the SL is entrenched as the two-seater of choice, so Jaguar still faces a tough challenge.
The XK's uphill battle is compounded by two factors seen as drawbacks by some critics. First, the car's 4.2-liter V-8 only produces 300 horsepower; the 2007 SL model comes with 386-horsepower from a 5.5-liter V-8. The British automaker also points to the XK's lightweight, all-aluminum body as an advantage that sets it apart from European rivals.
According to Jaguar body structure engineer Mark White, aluminum brings advantages not just in terms of performance, but also in creating a superior handling sports car. "If we had just done a conventional high-strength steel body shell, it would have been heavier than the old car with a similar powertrain, and therefore would not have given us the sporty character we wanted," White said.
Still, the XK's design elicits mixed reactions. Many critics have lauded the XK as Jaguar's most iconic design, but others have aimed barbs at the details.
Fortune magazine's Alex Taylor III described the grille as "simply a travesty, a plain oval with the Jag emblem in the middle; it recalls the recently departed Ford Taurus, an inappropriate homage if there ever was one."
Retorts Jaguar's chief designer, Ian Callum: "Get over it." Callum points out that the grille design is very similar to that of the 1960s E-Type, perhaps the most revered production Jaguar of all time.
The XK's design and what it portends for Jaguar is critical for the brand, which arguably relies more heavily on its appearance than any other. This has been evident with the 2004 XJ sedan, which has struggled in the market not because of its driving qualities, but because its design was changed almost imperceptibly from its predecessor.
Callum promises that dramatic change is on the way, starting with the new 2008 model S-Type sedan debuting later this year. The next XJ, due in 2009, will be "even more radical."
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll...85/1148/AUTO01
05-15-06, 12:16 PM
#72
Super Moderator
Arden AJ20
Arden AJ20
15-05-2006
Shortly Arden will offer the following for the new Jaguar XK:
- Body modifications
- Power increases
- Suspensions
- Light alloy wheels
A first picture - more information will follow soon....
source : babez.de
05-15-06, 12:26 PM
#73
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I feel the same way about this XK as I did about the previous one: I'm looking for an objective reason to buy this car. It looks good - but what else? Why would I really want to own and drive this over an SL500 or 650i? Over a 997? All of those cars have their own sensual appeal as well.
05-15-06, 08:25 PM
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Originally Posted by akhbhaat
I feel the same way about this XK as I did about the previous one: I'm looking for an objective reason to buy this car. It looks good - but what else? Why would I really want to own and drive this over an SL500 or 650i? Over a 997? All of those cars have their own sensual appeal as well.
06-04-06, 08:11 AM
#75
Super Moderator
Why the new XK has a Taurus nose ? . . .
Behind the Wheel
2007 Jaguar XK: A Low-Fat Cat
The new XK is elegant to behold, but it seems to lack the swagger and rakish charm of progenitors like the XK 120, XK SS, XKE and XJ 220.
By JERRY GARRETT
Published: June 4, 2006
IAN CALLUM, who designed the new Jaguar XK, has a framed letter on the wall of his office in England. "Whoops!" the letter begins. "I am SO sorry!"
Emotion is more likely than pricing to seal a deal in the premium sports class. In that regard, the XK would seem to have an edge.
The apology came from Mr. Callum's younger brother, Moray, who is also an auto designer. (Moray recently became design director for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars in North America, after serving as head of styling for Mazda.)
In 1995, Moray Callum had just started to restyle the Ford Taurus. To add what he considered a sporting touch to the otherwise staid family sedan, he borrowed the elliptical grille opening of some classic Jaguars. He set Ford's blue oval emblem in the middle of it, atop a stripe of chrome.
That decision by Moray, now 48, loomed large when it came time for his brother Ian, who is 51 and Jaguar's director of design, to restyle the British automaker's 10-year-old sporty coupe and convertible.
"Everyone wants to know why the new XK has a 'Taurus nose,' " Ian lamented in an interview. "Done in by my own brother!"
Whatever the geneology of its nose, the new XK has arrived, like the eagerly anticipated scion of fading aristocrats, with the burden of great expectations. The car is expected to do nothing less than pull the revered English automaker out of its doldrums; give its parent, the Ford Motor Company, an overdue return on a very large investment; and put Jaguar back on the short list of great European luxury marques.
The new XK is elegant to behold, but it seems to lack the swagger and rakish charm of progenitors like the XK 120, XK SS, XKE and XJ 220.
The XK's teardrop-shape headlamps and taillights are one departure. "I looked at the old E-Type elliptical headlights and said, 'It's been done,' " the designer said. "Too obvious. Let's do something different."
The coupe's liftback, however, is pure E-Type. The convertible's rear haunches look a bit swollen, but that is because the trunk had to be big enough to hold the retracted softtop and some luggage.
The Jag does not have a retracting hardtop, like rivals from Cadillac, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz. "There's more power and presence in having two cars — a convertible and a coupe," Mr. Callum said. "It's not just a choice; it's to challenge which one to buy."
The rear wing seems a little too large — it houses the mandatory center brake light. As a result, the spoiler provides more rear downforce than desired, and can cause the nose to lift at speeds over 130 miles an hour. That, happily, is not an everyday worry.
The hood line is not as low as Mr. Callum would have liked it to be; he is also not fond of the lower air dam, which gives the new XK a shovel-nose look. These touches were mandated by new European rules governing front-end design, intended to reduce injuries to pedestrians. "The dimensions are set by regulations," Mr. Callum said of the front end.
There are "gills," or side vents, behind the front wheels that augment the car's catfish face. These recall Mr. Callum's early career designing cars like the Interceptor for the British automaker Jensen.
And then there is that snout. "I believe the grille will continue to be a signature Jaguar styling cue long after the Taurus is gone," Mr. Callum said emphatically.
The Scottish-born designer said he deliberately sought a controversial look with a bit of "discord — and a sense of edge." If his goal was to do more than recycle well-established Jaguar themes and designs — taking the easy, noncontroversial path — it would seem he has been successful. "I wouldn't dumb the car down, just because it's a Jaguar," he said.
The interior styling is less contentious. The champagne-color convertible that I tested featured a sublime mix of real walnut burl veneer and creamy caramel leather.
The contoured front seats cocoon the driver and passenger, though the tiny rear seats are suitable only for very small children or leprechauns. The driver looks over the long hood like an airline pilot surveying the curvature of the Earth.
The remote keyfob doesn't fit into an ignition switch; it merely needs to be in the car. A starter button lights up the 300-horsepower, 4.2-liter V-8. The restrained rumble of that engine won't disturb the neighbors, but it will warm the long-neglected cockles of an Anglophile's heart.
More powerful XK's are expected to come — with 420 and even 500 horsepower — at six-figure prices. The smooth six-speed ZF automatic transmission — this gearbox is not a choice but a given — is one of this car's finest attributes.
Can you find the Jaguar in these pictures?
Jerry Garrett for The New York Times
(That's a 2001 Ford Taurus above and a 2007 XK below.)
Early drivers have had notably mixed views about the speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering. Some drivers have described it as numb, and others as too heavy. I thought it was nicely weighted.
Curtis Turner, the late stock car driver, used to say the ultimate test of a car's turning prowess was whether it could make a U-turn on a two-lane bridge (presumably, in Turner's experience, with a revenuer in hot pursuit). The XK can come exhilaratingly close to nailing that standard — quite a feat considering its 11-inch-wide tires rated for high speeds. The XK has a turning circle of 33.3 feet, compared with 39 feet for the latest Chevrolet Corvette or the Cadillac XLR.
Still, the XK is the least aerodynamic convertible in the over-$50,000 class. The Jag's drag coefficient of 0.36 compares with 0.32 for the BMW 650i, 0.31 for the XLR and 0.29 for both the Mercedes SL and Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet.
Previous XK's have been referred to euphemistically as sporting cars — a backhanded compliment for Jaguars that didn't cut the Grey Poupon in the handling department. This new cat feels light on its paws. It sinks its claws into the pavement and springs eagerly out of the turns.
Its suspension — unequal-length double wishbones, front and rear, plus coil springs — have been more precisely tuned for performance that is closer to a true sports car's. Computers provide four-corner control of pitch, yaw and damping of the Bilstein shock absorbers. The faint of heart will appreciate driver's aids like traction and stability controls; brake force distribution for panic stops; and better antilock brakes.
The newly invigorated ride is also steadied by a wheelbase stretched six inches. While the new XK is virtually the same length as the old XK8, it is 3.7 inches wider and 4.7 inches taller. In its effort to set itself apart from high-prestige German and Japanese cars, Jaguar has developed an aluminum strategy: the XK, like the latest XJ sedan, has an all-aluminum chassis and body. (The Audi A8, built with an aluminum space frame, is the only mainstream competitor that can make a similar claim.)
If the XK feels tightly put together that is because it is. Sections of the car are both riveted and joined with high-strength aerospace adhesives, much as modern aircraft are put together. The aluminum construction helped Jaguar cut 263 pounds from the coupe and 375 from the convertible. That's a good 500 or so pounds lighter than the steel-body Mercedes SL500 or BMW 650i.
This, in turn, helps the Jaguar to laudable, class-leading fuel economy. In my testing, the convertible averaged 24 m.p.g. over all.
The coupe is, understandably, slightly more taut and quiet than the convertible, although it provides far less hedonistic pleasure. The convertible's semi-rigid canvas-covered top drops and stores in the trunk in 18 seconds. A couple of thin roll-on suitcases might fit in the drop-top's cramped trunk, if they don't get in the way of the folded top or its mechanism.
The coupe's trunk is almost 50 percent larger; optional run-flat tires eliminate the spare, freeing a bit more luggage space.
The XK is the first Jaguar convertible with rollbars that pop up in a rollover.
The convertible has a price premium of about $6,000 over the coupe, which starts at $75,500. The convertible I tested had a sticker of $85,200, including the $665 shipping charge. This represents a price bump of about $6,000 over the discontinued XK8, but the Jaguar is still priced some $14,000 below the Mercedes SL.
Of course, emotion is more likely than pricing to seal a deal in the premium sports class. In that regard, the XK would seem to have an edge; some shoppers are put off by the BMW 650i's styling and complicated iDrive controls. The Mercedes SL may no longer seem so exclusive, given that some 12,000 of them are now sold each year. The Lexus SC 430 is — forgive me for putting this so delicately — rather homely.
True, the XK is far from the most handsome Jaguar ever; that title was retired with the glorious E-Type, the standard for British sports car styling since 1961. And while the new XK doesn't quite have the movie-idol good looks of the recently departed XK8, it is, for my money, the sexiest sports car under $100,000. Even with the proboscis of a Taurus.
source : nytimes
2007 Jaguar XK: A Low-Fat Cat
The new XK is elegant to behold, but it seems to lack the swagger and rakish charm of progenitors like the XK 120, XK SS, XKE and XJ 220.
By JERRY GARRETT
Published: June 4, 2006
IAN CALLUM, who designed the new Jaguar XK, has a framed letter on the wall of his office in England. "Whoops!" the letter begins. "I am SO sorry!"
Emotion is more likely than pricing to seal a deal in the premium sports class. In that regard, the XK would seem to have an edge.
The apology came from Mr. Callum's younger brother, Moray, who is also an auto designer. (Moray recently became design director for Ford, Lincoln and Mercury cars in North America, after serving as head of styling for Mazda.)
In 1995, Moray Callum had just started to restyle the Ford Taurus. To add what he considered a sporting touch to the otherwise staid family sedan, he borrowed the elliptical grille opening of some classic Jaguars. He set Ford's blue oval emblem in the middle of it, atop a stripe of chrome.
That decision by Moray, now 48, loomed large when it came time for his brother Ian, who is 51 and Jaguar's director of design, to restyle the British automaker's 10-year-old sporty coupe and convertible.
"Everyone wants to know why the new XK has a 'Taurus nose,' " Ian lamented in an interview. "Done in by my own brother!"
Whatever the geneology of its nose, the new XK has arrived, like the eagerly anticipated scion of fading aristocrats, with the burden of great expectations. The car is expected to do nothing less than pull the revered English automaker out of its doldrums; give its parent, the Ford Motor Company, an overdue return on a very large investment; and put Jaguar back on the short list of great European luxury marques.
The new XK is elegant to behold, but it seems to lack the swagger and rakish charm of progenitors like the XK 120, XK SS, XKE and XJ 220.
The XK's teardrop-shape headlamps and taillights are one departure. "I looked at the old E-Type elliptical headlights and said, 'It's been done,' " the designer said. "Too obvious. Let's do something different."
The coupe's liftback, however, is pure E-Type. The convertible's rear haunches look a bit swollen, but that is because the trunk had to be big enough to hold the retracted softtop and some luggage.
The Jag does not have a retracting hardtop, like rivals from Cadillac, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz. "There's more power and presence in having two cars — a convertible and a coupe," Mr. Callum said. "It's not just a choice; it's to challenge which one to buy."
The rear wing seems a little too large — it houses the mandatory center brake light. As a result, the spoiler provides more rear downforce than desired, and can cause the nose to lift at speeds over 130 miles an hour. That, happily, is not an everyday worry.
The hood line is not as low as Mr. Callum would have liked it to be; he is also not fond of the lower air dam, which gives the new XK a shovel-nose look. These touches were mandated by new European rules governing front-end design, intended to reduce injuries to pedestrians. "The dimensions are set by regulations," Mr. Callum said of the front end.
There are "gills," or side vents, behind the front wheels that augment the car's catfish face. These recall Mr. Callum's early career designing cars like the Interceptor for the British automaker Jensen.
And then there is that snout. "I believe the grille will continue to be a signature Jaguar styling cue long after the Taurus is gone," Mr. Callum said emphatically.
The Scottish-born designer said he deliberately sought a controversial look with a bit of "discord — and a sense of edge." If his goal was to do more than recycle well-established Jaguar themes and designs — taking the easy, noncontroversial path — it would seem he has been successful. "I wouldn't dumb the car down, just because it's a Jaguar," he said.
The interior styling is less contentious. The champagne-color convertible that I tested featured a sublime mix of real walnut burl veneer and creamy caramel leather.
The contoured front seats cocoon the driver and passenger, though the tiny rear seats are suitable only for very small children or leprechauns. The driver looks over the long hood like an airline pilot surveying the curvature of the Earth.
The remote keyfob doesn't fit into an ignition switch; it merely needs to be in the car. A starter button lights up the 300-horsepower, 4.2-liter V-8. The restrained rumble of that engine won't disturb the neighbors, but it will warm the long-neglected cockles of an Anglophile's heart.
More powerful XK's are expected to come — with 420 and even 500 horsepower — at six-figure prices. The smooth six-speed ZF automatic transmission — this gearbox is not a choice but a given — is one of this car's finest attributes.
Can you find the Jaguar in these pictures?
Jerry Garrett for The New York Times
(That's a 2001 Ford Taurus above and a 2007 XK below.)
Early drivers have had notably mixed views about the speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering. Some drivers have described it as numb, and others as too heavy. I thought it was nicely weighted.
Curtis Turner, the late stock car driver, used to say the ultimate test of a car's turning prowess was whether it could make a U-turn on a two-lane bridge (presumably, in Turner's experience, with a revenuer in hot pursuit). The XK can come exhilaratingly close to nailing that standard — quite a feat considering its 11-inch-wide tires rated for high speeds. The XK has a turning circle of 33.3 feet, compared with 39 feet for the latest Chevrolet Corvette or the Cadillac XLR.
Still, the XK is the least aerodynamic convertible in the over-$50,000 class. The Jag's drag coefficient of 0.36 compares with 0.32 for the BMW 650i, 0.31 for the XLR and 0.29 for both the Mercedes SL and Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet.
Previous XK's have been referred to euphemistically as sporting cars — a backhanded compliment for Jaguars that didn't cut the Grey Poupon in the handling department. This new cat feels light on its paws. It sinks its claws into the pavement and springs eagerly out of the turns.
Its suspension — unequal-length double wishbones, front and rear, plus coil springs — have been more precisely tuned for performance that is closer to a true sports car's. Computers provide four-corner control of pitch, yaw and damping of the Bilstein shock absorbers. The faint of heart will appreciate driver's aids like traction and stability controls; brake force distribution for panic stops; and better antilock brakes.
The newly invigorated ride is also steadied by a wheelbase stretched six inches. While the new XK is virtually the same length as the old XK8, it is 3.7 inches wider and 4.7 inches taller. In its effort to set itself apart from high-prestige German and Japanese cars, Jaguar has developed an aluminum strategy: the XK, like the latest XJ sedan, has an all-aluminum chassis and body. (The Audi A8, built with an aluminum space frame, is the only mainstream competitor that can make a similar claim.)
If the XK feels tightly put together that is because it is. Sections of the car are both riveted and joined with high-strength aerospace adhesives, much as modern aircraft are put together. The aluminum construction helped Jaguar cut 263 pounds from the coupe and 375 from the convertible. That's a good 500 or so pounds lighter than the steel-body Mercedes SL500 or BMW 650i.
This, in turn, helps the Jaguar to laudable, class-leading fuel economy. In my testing, the convertible averaged 24 m.p.g. over all.
The coupe is, understandably, slightly more taut and quiet than the convertible, although it provides far less hedonistic pleasure. The convertible's semi-rigid canvas-covered top drops and stores in the trunk in 18 seconds. A couple of thin roll-on suitcases might fit in the drop-top's cramped trunk, if they don't get in the way of the folded top or its mechanism.
The coupe's trunk is almost 50 percent larger; optional run-flat tires eliminate the spare, freeing a bit more luggage space.
The XK is the first Jaguar convertible with rollbars that pop up in a rollover.
The convertible has a price premium of about $6,000 over the coupe, which starts at $75,500. The convertible I tested had a sticker of $85,200, including the $665 shipping charge. This represents a price bump of about $6,000 over the discontinued XK8, but the Jaguar is still priced some $14,000 below the Mercedes SL.
Of course, emotion is more likely than pricing to seal a deal in the premium sports class. In that regard, the XK would seem to have an edge; some shoppers are put off by the BMW 650i's styling and complicated iDrive controls. The Mercedes SL may no longer seem so exclusive, given that some 12,000 of them are now sold each year. The Lexus SC 430 is — forgive me for putting this so delicately — rather homely.
True, the XK is far from the most handsome Jaguar ever; that title was retired with the glorious E-Type, the standard for British sports car styling since 1961. And while the new XK doesn't quite have the movie-idol good looks of the recently departed XK8, it is, for my money, the sexiest sports car under $100,000. Even with the proboscis of a Taurus.
source : nytimes