I've been wondering since the MP4-12C came out who the first "major" manufacturer is going to be to try and copy what McLaren has done with their hydraulic suspension. Everything I've read is so overwhelmingly positive about how that car can go from true-luxury-plush to racetrack-firm without really compromising either one. Seems to be such an important quality for these types of cars... sporting cars that mostly get driven on public roads.

 

Executive was spot on. The GTR, outside of its considerable performance parameters is just not a pleasant place to be unless it's being tracked. Nissan and Infiniti have made some rather unusual choices over the years that have resulted in considerable market share losses to other Japanese car companies. With regard to technology, I would caution against equating newest with best or even most effective. The 6 speed rev matching XKR transmission has consistently been called one of the best, fastest shifting transmissions available. Just because that's not accomplished via a dual clutch system doesn't make it worse. I would assume that the 8 speed F-type tranny will be equally good if not better. Now if you wanted to argue about when this madness to keep adding gears is going to end (I'm sure cars will soon have more gears than bicycles), I'm with you. And the fact that Porsche has a 7 speed manual gearbox available is just nutty. Are the center consoles going to have to get wider to handle the slots of the shifter. I'm going to go out on a limb and predict that the F-type, while not being the fastest "kid on the block," is going to be a real driver's car, a luxury, high powered Miata of sorts, that will get very good reviews. I don't believe Jaguar is foolish enough to believe that in the 2 seater, luxury arena, already a small target, that they could sell an unremarkable car in a very competitive market. In a month or so the world will know just how good or bad the F-type will be; I'd say let's withhold judgment til then.

 

Very interesting article. Reads like Jaguar is going to develop the F-type into a real sports car. Can't wait to see the AWD F-type RS. Nissan is moving the redesigned GT-R into a more luxurious car to appeal to an older buyer. They may even release it under the Infinity brand. Given the current GT-R model I'm not in one. When they replace the current old design with a more modern look with better quality interior it becomes attractive. Nissan set a goal to out perform the Porsche 911 and remarkably achieved it. In the above article Hallmark promises a competitive sports car to the end...I hope Jaguar delivers. I'm glad to read Jaguar is not complacent.

 

Sorry to play devils advocate, a little gremlin worries me with this statement : 'Jaguar F-Type expansion plans to mirror 911 philosophy'. I kinda feel the 911 is a soulless car today, it's part of a mass produced range where the design team got lazy using cut & paste to make new sub models, Boxter Cayman etc. They went blind due to their obsession with technology, something Audi also seems to be doing, this leaves you with a corporate stamped range of cars. Cars made by accountants. A Porsche today certainly isn't a conversation starter while filling with fuel at the gas station, where as my XKR is.

Jaguar already have soul and passion. They have history of the E-Type that is the envy of every other car manufacturer out there, including Ferrari. To me thats what they should be building on.
I hope they don't water down the F-Type with multiple sub models. Yes it is a thing to worry about, look at what the same owners are doing to Range Rover, all new models look the same, as with Audi, just pick what size you want.

To me they have already built the perfect son of the E-Type, this is a great sports car for the ROAD. Sounds great, has plenty of power, comfortable to drive, luxurious, not light and nimble so doesn't skitter all over the road. Having owned lightweight 'super cars' in the past, they are tedious to use in the real World, hence why I think the current F-Type will do so well and why I want one. Super cars are second cars, the F-Type will be an everyday car and why they should mirror the philosophy of their own bloodline…a bloodline of luxury usable sports cars, not hardcore racing.

 

Jaguar concept cars look so good. If they manufacture similar looking cars with a modern drive train at a reasonable price they could be very competitive. Jaguar concept cars are sex on wheels, especially the C-X75. It's going to be interesting to see where Jaguar takes the brand.

I bought my 2011 XKR-175 because of the great looks, quality, power, jaguar name, only 3,000 miles from new, and most of all because I got a fantastic deal. Used Jaguar's are the best valued cars after they have over depreciated. I'm just filling space in my 7 car garage. Even the new Jaguar's are good value for a new car irrespective of resale value.

Just configured an F-type on jaguar.com with all the options I wanted for $101K. Interesting.

 

600bhp Jaguar F-type road racer planned
http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/co...-racer-planned


Extreme supercharged V8-engined Jaguar F-type, in the spirit of the XKR-S GT, is under consideration
A concept of the F-type GT has been tipped for the Goodwood Festival of Speed






An ultra-high-performance Jaguar F-type is being considered by the company’s specialist engineers, with the range-topping model potentially being powered by a supercharged V8 with as much as 600bhp.

The car is believed to be at the planning stage but would become the most powerful Jaguar on sale, cementing its status at the heart of the brand’s sporting values. Although it would probably be powered by the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 found in models such as the recently launched Jaguar XJR and XKR-S, the power output would stretched beyond the 542bhp found in those cars.

Jaguar boss Adrian Hallmark didn’t confirm the project. But he conceded that more limited-series vehicles in the spirit of the XKR-S GT, revealed at the New York motor show last month and set to be built in a run of no more than 50 units, were likely to happen because of their marketing value as halo cars. And, more important, Jaguar sees them as test beds for future technology that can used in more mainstream cars.

“Clearly, building a run of 30 to 50 exclusive GTs isn’t going to have any impact on the fortunes of the company in sales terms, but the importance of these projects lies in the knowledge they give us,” he said.
“Jaguar is already well known for its ability to create sporty, dynamic cars, but the XKR-S GT project has shown us that we can learn more by pushing the envelope. Lessons learned from the dynamics, aero and braking work on that car will enter the mainstream.”

Hallmark also confirmed that, during testing for the XKR-S GT, engineers had experimented with higher-output versions of the supercharged V8.
“There’s a lot you can do with supercharging,” he said, “but the lesson we learned was that driveability must always come before brute force. For most people, 542bhp is enough anyway, and whatever power you have, the trick is in being able to get it down on the road. You can have all the power in the world if you want it, but getting the traction to use it is the key.”

The hot F-type is unlikely to reach production until at least 2016, but rumours suggest that a one-off concept could appear as early this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, where Jaguar has traditionally shown innovative projects ahead of schedule. Last year, for instance, an F-type prototype was driven on the hill by Jaguar chassis guru Mike Cross.

This year’s festival celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Porsche 911, a key sales rival to the F-type, giving added appeal to such a project. Hallmark confirmed only that Jaguar would do something “special” at the event.

Although high-performance models have long been a part of Jaguar’s heritage, the company is believed to have firmed up a definitive business case for pushing even further with the new GT brand.
Developing low-volume halo models allows Jaguar to push its credentials as a manufacturer of sporting premium cars harder, and higher price points give the company room to develop its product range.

Jaguar’s plans to enter the hypercar field with the C-X75 were abandoned earlier this year, and although it hasn’t ruled out returning to that sector, Hallmark describes projects based on existing cars as “much more marketable in the short term”.

Cars bearing the GT badge will be developed by Jaguar Land Rover’s Engineered To Order (ETO) division. ETO is set to take on a bigger role in the company as it expands to develop more bespoke styling and performance projects for Jaguar and Land Rover.
Pete Simkin, director of ETO, told Autocar: “We judge each project on its merits, but we hope the XK GT is just the start. We would definitely look at the business case for an F-type GT. The ETO division is about extending customer choice by offering a bespoke package. That might mean developing low-run option packs or doing one-offs.
“Many customers are demanding more in terms of individuality and exclusivity, and we are well placed to deliver that. Our performance heritage is well known, and we have designers within the division who are there to work on customer-led projects. Our role is to consider anything that stays within the values of the brands we represent.”

As well as an F-type GT, Jaguar is expected to develop more moderate (but still hard-edged) versions of the F-type. Insiders have confirmed to Autocar that sporting Jaguars will henceforth be developed under the R, R-S and GT brands. R models will be sporting versions of mainstream cars, R-S versions more extreme performance models and GT cars limited-run, track-focused specials.

Although the higher-performance F-type models are likely to be the most eagerly anticipated, it is not certain that the sports car will be the next model to get the GT treatment. Instead, an XFR-S GT is thought to be likely.