Report: Jaguar green-lights the C-Type sportscar, nixes the XJ coupe

Lovers of Jaguar sports-coupes – of which there are more than a few here at Autoblog – have only had the XK to subsist on for quite some time now. And a silken cat it is, to be sure, but soon it'll have company. According to a report from Inside Line, Coventry is proceeding with preparations to launch an oft-rumored and long-speculated new sportscar.

Tentatively dubbed "C-Type" and (unimaginatively) referred to internally as the "small sports car," the new vehicle will reportedly be based on a new aluminum monocoque chassis. IL indicates that the engine bay will be big enough to accommodate the company's 5.0-liter V8 (supercharged C-Type R, anyone?), but power is is initially expected to come from a turbocharged V6, developed in-house off the V8's architecture. Both coupe and soft-top convertible bodystyles are expected to form part of the formula when the new sportscar arrives to take on the likes of the Mercedes SLK, BMW Z4 and Audi TT within the next two years.

While we eagerly anticipate the C-Type's arrival, our compatriots at IL also report that the rumored XJ coupe – targeting the likes of the Bentley Continental GT and Mercedes CL-Class – is not currently in the running. But given the choice between a small, lightweight sportscar and an oversized coupe, we'll gladly take the former.

[Source: Inside Line]