2003 Jaguar Xkr Base Convertible 2-door 4.2l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Jaguar to create Panthera electric vehicle platform in-house

Jaguar Land Rover CEO Thierry Bollore isn't trying to make Jaguar's turnaround, called "Reimagine," easy nor inexpensive. What it appears he's most interested in doing is making sure the turnaround creates a range of Jaguar electric vehicles that exude the historic Jaguar-ness the brand still gets credit for but hasn't been known for in a while. He had told Autocar last year that future products must be "really modern luxury cars that are the copy of nothing in style or design, the top of technology and refinement, but not looking backwards." Since then, the brand had cast around for an existing electric platform created by another automaker or a supplier that it could adopt for Jaguar use, but nothing met the standard. Instead, Autocar now reports the English carmaker will create its own EV platform in-house. Company CFO Adrian Mardell said in an investor call the platform is called "Panthera," which is the scientific name for the genus of large cats that include jaguars, leopards, lions, and tigers. Bollore said, "Concerning the new Jaguar, we're making unique proportion a priority. That's the reason why at the moment we do it by ourselves." Some have fastened on the phrase "at the moment" to suggest the Panthera plan could be temporary. And while that's possible — there have been a lot of temporary plans all over the industry for the past few years — Jaguar is expected to release the first EV in its new lineup in 2025, so the plan couldn't be temporary for long. Slightly under four years from now would be just enough time to create a new mechanical architecture on a new technical foundation to serve a new vehicle. Emphasis on "just." The Panthera platform makes sense, if Jaguar can pull it off. Bollore wants the coming Jaguars to be considered alongside Bentley and Aston Martin, so he'll need those unique proportions along with brilliant design to draw buyers that haven't considered the brand in ages, if ever. The makeup of the revamped model line remains murky. On the sedan side, it's thought the XE and XF might become a single midsize four-door. The return of a true flagship sedan isn't clear, but it seems a good possibility considering the intended competition and as a differentiator with sister brand Land Rover. As to crossovers, the E-Pace and F-Pace might make the transition to battery power, and a new J-Pace flagship crossover looking unlikely in order to, again, maintain space from Land Rover.

2020 Jaguar XE updated inside and out, diesel engine dropped

For the 2020 Jaguar XE sports sedan, less is more, at least in terms of powertrain offerings and trim levels. But the new, slimmer lineup adopts additional tech features, and the model also sees design tweaks inside and out. The diesel engine and the 3.0-liter V6 have been axed. The 247-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged Ingenium inline-four is the base engine. It's mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and can be had with rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. This base engine's new model designation is P250, versus 25t previously. The step-up engine is the 296-hp version of the Ingenium 2.0-liter. Cars so equipped wear a new P300 badge, in place of the previous 30t. All-wheel drive is now standard with the 296-hp engine, and Jaguar claims a zero-to-60-mph time of 5.4 seconds for this powertrain. The exterior design tweaks include new bumpers front and rear, a reshaped rear valence, as well as new LED headlights and taillights. A wider grille with lattice mesh is supposed to draw the XE closer visually to the I-Pace EV. The previous thicket of trim levels — Premium, Prestige, R-Sport, S, Portfolio, and Landmark — have been pruned to just two: S and R-Dynamic S. Newly available is Jaguar Land Rover's InControl Touch Pro Duo infotainment system, which uses a second screen for climate control, flanked by two large knobs that can operate different functions (temperature, fan speed, and seat heating/cooling). The new rearview camera mirror eliminates blind spots, and wireless device charging has been added to the center console. Jaguar also has ditched the rotary shifter in favor of pistol-type shifter found in the F-Type and elsewhere, while surrounding it with a variety of controls, including a flipper switch to toggle among the car's different drive modes. A beefier steering wheel includes capacitive-touch switches. Newly designed seats, with standard leather, are claimed to be more comfortable, while redesigned door panels incorporate wider, softer armrests as well as increased storage capability. Base pricing climbs from $37,990 for the old rear-wheel-drive 20t to $40,895 (including destination) for the new P250. The AWD P250 is $42,894, while the P300 is $47,290. The 2020 Jaguar XE is on sale now. Related Video:

Jaguar celebrates 60 years of the E-Type with six pairs of restomod cars

Jaguar is celebrating 60 years of the E-Type — which was known as the XK-E in the United States — by giving 12 cars a full in-house restoration that includes a handful of 21st-century updates. Sold exclusively in pairs, the six coupes and six convertibles are inspired by the cars shown in Geneva during the model's introduction in 1961. Developed to replace the XK150, the E-Type was presented to the public and the press on March 15, 1961, at the Geneva auto show. Two examples made the trek from England to Switzerland: a gray coupe wearing registration number 9600 HP and driven by publicist Bob Perry, and a green roadster registered 77 RW put in the hands of official Jaguar test driver Norman Dewis. Both cars were driven to the event; the coupe arrived in Switzerland minutes before it was scheduled to make its debut, and the roadster was rushed to Geneva the following day. Jaguar chose not to re-release either car. Instead, it will paint the six coupes in a special shade called Flat-Out Grey, and it will give the six convertibles a coat of Drop Everything Green. It pointed out that both colors were created specifically for the 60 Edition models, and that neither will be used on another car. Edition-specific emblems created by Jaguar's design department appear on the hood and on the fuel cap, among other parts. Jaguar E-Type 60 Edition View 11 Photos Sitting in the cabin is like traveling to the 1960s. The driver faces a wood-rimmed steering wheel with drilled spokes (and a non-original 24-carat gold horn button), analog gauges, and an array of switches on the dashboard. Coupes receive Smooth Black leather upholstery, while convertibles get Suede Green leather. Don't look for power windows or automatic headlights. You'll need to manually roll down the windows and turn on the headlights. There's tech if you look, however. Jaguar concealed a modern infotainment system with satellite navigation and Bluetooth connectivity, for example. While that's available on any of the resto-modded E-Types the firm builds, the 60 Edition cars stand out from with an engraving of the route from Jaguar's headquarters in Coventry to Geneva, Switzerland, on the center console. It's created by hand in 100 hours by Johnny Dowell, who also goes by the name King Nerd. On the coupe, the engraving reads "I thought you'd never get here," words spoken to Perry by Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons after he arrived in Geneva.