New Jaguar XE sportscar to ride on bobbed XK platform?
Autocar is reporting that the compact Jaguar XE sports car due in about two years time will be based on a shortened version of the XK's extruded and cast aluminum frame. The dimensions are supposedly going to challenge those of the Mercedes SLK, and that narrower chassis created for the XE could then be lengthened something that would "compete in the compact premium segment."
Engines - which would go up front, not in the middle – could include an outsourced and blown four-cylinder, or a V6 developed from Jaguar's new 5.0-liter V8. Lotus is again tipped to be helping Jaguar sort out the car's dynamics, and might even manufacture the car.
[Source: Autocar]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Steve 10:58AM (2/24/2009)
It better look like that damned car in the picture...
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John 11:07AM (2/24/2009)
God let's hope not.
KeatMP 11:09AM (2/24/2009)
I'm with John.
What the hell are the mirrors doing on the roof?
Sektor 3:11PM (2/24/2009)
Those mirrors on the roof look like mouse ears.
Alex 11:11AM (2/24/2009)
Before we get too deep in this debate. The new XKE/F-Type/whatever will most likely NOT look the car pictured above. That is the 2000 Jaguar Concept F-Type. In the last 9 years Jaguar has seen a multitude of changes. New owner, new chief designer, new design direction, etc.
We may see some similarities, but that car does not represent the direction Ian Callum wants to take Jaguar and ultimately it is his pen that'll dictate what we get.
All that being said, i can't wait to see what he does produce for us. The man is a God as far as i am concerned.
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Concerned Citizen 7:39PM (2/24/2009)
I'll get my hopes up right about the same time that Toyota brings out that new Supra I've been hearing about (for the last 10 years)
Jared 11:15AM (2/24/2009)
It will never see the light of day. Tata is in very deep financial trouble. Jaguar is losing money hand over fist. The last thing Tata can afford to do is to fund a niche Jaguar. Not gonna happen.
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Duders 11:43AM (2/24/2009)
Jaguar losing money hand over fist? How would you know? It's a privately held company. They don't have any reports out saying that they're losing money so unless you're a higher up in the Tata firm, don't spout nonsense.
I for one, work at a Jaguar dealership and we've sold more cars these last few months than the year prior, all that and our cheapest car went from a $30k car to a $50k car. I'd say Jaguar is doing fine.
Jared 2:09PM (2/24/2009)
"Tata Motors had been grappling with worse situations like declining sales, financial burden of its recent expensive acquisitions like JLR, Tata Nano projects delays, etc."
"But the global financial crisis has changed everything for one of the flagships of India Inc. Within the space of a year, Tata Motors has gone from being a developing-world success story to a cautionary tale of bad timing and overly ambitious expansion plans. Revenues are plummeting: Tata's commercial vehicles sales in India fell by 40% and exports by 45% in the quarter ending on December 31, 2008, while passenger car sales in India slid 14.4%. With losses mounting, it recently reported a quarterly loss of $58.5 million its first in seven years. To complicate matters, Tata Motors faces a June deadline when it must repay a $3-billion bridge loan taken on to buy Jaguar Land Rover."
"But the collapse in global auto sales is forcing the company to drastically scale back. Tata laid off some 850 employees at JLR in November, and reportedly is considering issuing another 1,500 pink slips. Indeed, the storied Jaguar and Land Rover brands that once were a source of Tata Motors pride are increasingly looking like boat anchors. Since the acquisition, Moody's, the investment ratings agency, has twice downgraded Tata Motors' debt rating, which now stands at non-investment grade."
Tata may be private, but the signs are there to be seen. If JLR was doing well, they would not be in the midst of heavy layoffs.
HotRodzNKustoms 11:28AM (2/24/2009)
I always felt that Jaguar (when Ford owned them) should rebody Miatas with the F type concept's looks and to drop the Duratec V-6 in standard for in it, and a supercharged or turbocharged Duratec V-6 in R trim.
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Kattleox 11:48AM (2/24/2009)
I have thought that too, more or less. Only thing is, ford V8s tend to fit excellently into miatas, so that route seemed more reasonable to me.
And I hope lotus doesn't make THAT. They have a track record to maintain, and I want the TaTa nano to stay their all time low.
sam 11:55AM (2/24/2009)
I doubt we'll see it. Jaguar is on life support right now and bleeding cash. Tata made a bad decision taking this lemon on!
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Steve 1:30PM (2/24/2009)
Hey if you're so good at predictions, why don't you go to Donald Trump and propose we keep GM open and starving? He's against the idea, so give him a run for his money.
MJL 1:57PM (2/24/2009)
If it gets made on the bobbed XF platform it will be a bobbed cat
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P.V. 6:34PM (2/24/2009)
In any case, I REALLY hope the doggy-ears don't make it to production.
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pcr 6:47PM (2/24/2009)
Jaguar is not the same as JLR. Land Rover is suffering disproportionately.
Read the article; it is proposed that the XE be built on a shortened XK platform, an extruded and cast aluminium frame. The XF is on a steel platform developed from the one originally used in the S-Type and Lincoln LS. The next gen XF will most likely be aluminium itself as JLR looks to move away from steel to REcycled ALuminium (REAL).
Rumour has it that the new XJ will be seen at Geneva next week, albeit in the form of the C-XJ concept.
These are exiting times for Jaguar. Don't write them off just yet.
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Jared 7:49PM (2/24/2009)
Tata Group owns Tata, Jaguar, and Land Rover. Both Tata and Land Rover are suffering badly. As well as Jaguar might be doing (something that we'll probably have to agree to disagree on), Jaguar can't carry Tata and Land Rover.
Tata Group's automotive holdings are in crisis. Any suggestion otherwise is simply whistling past the graveyard.
Jose 9:26AM (2/25/2009)
Most car companies are losing sales right now. Why pick on Tata? Makes no sense.
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