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Jaguar says F-Type sales off to flying start

As we noted in our recent first drive, Jaguar's luscious new F-Type roadster is a bit of a tweener in both size and cost, lining up in between rival Porsche's Boxster and 911. That one-for-two-segment strategy is showing early signs of paying off, with Automotive News reporting that half of the car's 2014 production allotment is already sold. We're not talking huge numbers - sports cars in this segment only "have a global annual volume of about 75,000 units and a market share of 0.1 percent," notes Jaguar brand director Adrian Hallmark. Yet the company figures the F-Type will work out to about 15 to 20 percent of its total volume of around 60,000 units.
From where we sit, this is all very encouraging news, but it's way too early to call the F-Type a smash hit. The sports car segment is known for its fickleness and its front-loaded sales curve, so the real measure of success will be how it fares over the next few years after early adopters get their cars. Jaguar will have to work to keep the F-Type fresh with new variants, and we hear it's prepared to do just that. The British luxury marque hasn't confirmed a hardtop coupe variant yet, but patent images and spy shots suggest one is on the way shortly, and it ought to extend the model's appeal greatly. A four-cylinder option and a manual transmission have also been rumored, and presumably Jaguar will eventually launch higher-performance R and R-S variants as it has done with various model lines, including its other sporty two door, the XK grand tourer.

Watch 2 clay modelers build Jaguar E-Types out of plasticine

Ah, quarantine time. When put to good use, it can be a time of ingenuity and creativity — precious time given back to us, in a sense. So here are two chaps, Joe and Lucas, who work at JaguarÂ’s Design Studio, stuck at home, ready to make a couple classic E-Type models out of some plasticine. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. ItÂ’s not exactly an instructional video, since itÂ’s mostly sped-up time lapse footage with no instructional explainers. But itÂ’s meant to show us that anyone can do it. The tools they use to shape the plasticine are common household items: a rolling pin or similar cylindrical items — they use a can of hair spray — to roll out the material, a plastic spoon, potato peeler, a knife, cardboard, tinfoil and a glass of water to apply to the plasticine and make a smooth finish. As for plasticine itself, itÂ’s a modeling clay thatÂ’s similar to Play-doh except that it is oil-based, where the latter is made of flour and water. (If youÂ’re interested, hereÂ’s a video that shows you how to convert Play-doh into plasticine.) So weÂ’re shown how the designers shape the signature fender bulges, greenhouse, head- and taillights and wheels. But it frankly all goes by in a blur, and we suspect that most of us amateurs would be left with something that looks more like an undefined blog. Still, itÂ’s fun to watch. Built between 1961 and 1975, the E-Type two-seat roadster is considered one of the major icons of automotive design and part of the AUTObodies collection at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Design/Style Jaguar Coupe Classics

Jaguar XF Sportbrake headed for the door? Maybe not [UPDATE]

Update: A Jaguar spokesperson reached out to put the brakes on the XF wagon's demise, writing, "Jaguar Land Rover North America President and CEO Joe Eberhardt did not discuss the status of the current Jaguar XF Sportbrake, which is currently in the Jaguar lineup — making up 20 percent of XF sales. The remark was that in the long term, features and types of vehicles that are less popular would likely not make it into the United States. The current Jaguar XF Sportbrake remains in the lineup and is available at retailers and for ordering, including for the upcoming 2020 Model Year which should be announced soon. This should be good news for wagon enthusiasts." Indeed. Previous story appears below: The Jaguar XF Sportbrake only just got here, hauling its first load of mettwurst and Coca-Cola to a junior varsity soccer tailgate party in 2017. According to a report in The Detroit Bureau, the comely wagon could be on the way out later this year thanks to two massive turnaround campaigns. The outlet interviewed Jaguar USA CEO Joe Eberhardt, who conveyed the message that only the strongest products will live. That means no more manual transmissions after this year, simplified trims, and easing up on diesels. It also means, in TDB's words, "you'll no longer see wagons ... in the U.S." If this ends up true, it would be a shame. Wagon sales were up 29 percent in the U.S. last year. We just included the XF Sportbrake as one of the potential reasons Audi teased its Twitter fans about the return of Avants. And if there's anyone who doesn't like the XF Sportbrake, we haven't met them. Our review said the slinky wagon "Puts SUV appeal on ice." Jalopnik called it " The best-kept sleeper wagon secret you can buy." Road & Track labeled it " A high five to America." High fives and good secrets don't pay the rent, though. The push for global sustainability after last year's shocking Q4 loss at Jaguar Land Rover has compelled two turnaround campaigns called "Charge" and "Accelerate." One focuses on immediate cost matters, the other takes the long strategic view. Both need to incorporate the fact that Jaguar's crossovers, the F-Pace and E-Pace, represent 70 percent of Jaguar sales. On that matter, Eberhardt said, "I don't want to say the speed of change took us by surprise, but they were too quick for us to react to immediately.