The Sep 09 issue of Car Magazine (UK) had an interesting article on what is coming down the pike for Jaguar in the next six or so years. For me the most interesting were:

1. The supercharged cars will be getting a bump up to 600 bhp.

2. The two seat sports car XE which seems to be the most current name will be available in coupe and convertible models. Engines appear to be V6 for base models and V8s for the high end models. Along with this, the XK series will grow somewhat to be more than 2 + legless midgets with a semi-functional rear seat with actual legroom.

3. A limited production run of C-Type and D-Types utilizing modern components running between $250K to $400+K depending on exchange rate. Not sure if these will have the 600 hp engines, but for the price I would expect so. Also as a possibilty modernized MKIIs and XJ series coupes.

Mike

 

I hope they manage to do that besides I would like to see an LMP1 Jaguar as well as XJ220's successor

 

It's about god damn time..

 

Supposedly, Jaguar is playing around with coming out with a new XJ220. Autoexpress had an article on it.

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/au...orn_xj220.html

 

meh. i'm not very impressed with what jaguar is doing nowadays... the new XJ, while i figured it would be, was a HUGE let down. it just looks like a stretched out XF, which, IMHO, looks like any other mazdalexusyounameit out there... quite a shame...

 

They need to keep the owners, not run them off with super-duper 1000 hp models. Keep the quality up, prices comparable to BMW and Mercedes, and let it thrive. Too much change is just as bad as too little.

 

I'm thinking of paintin my side markers to match the car and eliminate the ugly orange color. The question is.... Would the light still iluminate through the side narker or no?

 

I'm sure that I've seen clear or smoked side marker lights for sale on that mina gallery site... so don't paint them!

 

I've seen clear and smoked for sale also.
Painting them is a VERY bad idea. If you can't stand them, remove them and put some emblem there or something. Painting them would look like hell.

 

I disagree and think Jaguar should pursue both a "supercar" at supercar prices and a mega horsepower sport model (reskinned XKR).

Marketing is often more about being in the spotlight and reputation than what you're selling. American cars now cost less than their Japanese counter part for the reputation that Japanese cars are better built - which hasn't been true for at least a decade. Jaguars sell for more than Japanese cars and certainly more than American counter parts, but less than their German counterparts.

Why? The value of the badge and that's all psychology.

Supercars always lose money. Porsche never made a dollar off of 928s. But being the fast production car in the world made owning a Porsche iconic to success, wealth and power. It sold the heck out of 924s and 944s, and boosted the 911 series also. Supercars are financial lose leaders to promote the badge and to gain free advertising publicity in feathered articles and now also Internet chatter.

I don't think Jaguar will do well if their performance car is the slowest one out there and they just keep reskinning old designs. Jaguar needs flash and it has always helped them. People kept buying Jags even when they became known as terribly unreliable and with dated bodies and mechanicals - solely on the prestige that came from owning one. That is the one thing Jaguar could never recover from - losing the prestige of their badge.

The danger to Jaguar is they becoming seen as cash-broke dead in the water just re-marketing the same increasingly outdated and therefore overpriced car year after year. It takes supercars to make the Car and Driver type magazines and the Internet chatter. Jaguar must protect the badge's value in perception. So that people continue to think "Wow, a Jaguar!" where they don't think "Wow, a Nissan!"

Successful Jaguar has always produced two (or three) cars. One a luxurious sedan costly vastly less than a Rolls. The other a very fast sports car. And they would have one high profile experimental or gorgeous one off race car or mega costly car as their show piece to gain all the media focus and oogling of potential car buyers.

Jaguar has two reputations they must protect. A Jaguar is a cut above elegant and sophisticated car. A Jaguar is fast.

How does Jaguar with it limited production level stay in that spotlight?

And if Jaguar is marketing a mid to high 6 figure supercar, then their $60K to $120K cars seem like real bargains.