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Weekly Recap: Automakers rethink the definition of luxury

Variety is the spice of life, but it's becoming a prerequisite for luxury carmakers in the ultra-competitive US market. The Detroit Auto Show was strong evidence of this reality. It's not enough to offer attractive and well-appointed cars and SUVs anymore. Luxury brands that want to be competitive need to invest in everything from high-powered supercars to clever hybrids. To be relevant, you need to be green and mean – and everything in between. As General Motors product chief Mark Reuss said after the reveal of the 640-horsepower Cadillac CTS-V: "We are not leaving anything on the table." He was speaking for Cadillac, but he might as well have been speaking for the luxury car market. The CTS-V debuted in Detroit about an hour after Lexus surprised showgoers with the reveal of the RC F GT3 race car and then announced ambitious plans to return to competitive racing. That almost overshadowed the fact Lexus had just revealed another potent addition to its growing F line, the 467-hp GS F. View 20 Photos But for luxury brands, it's not just about maximum horsepower for well-heeled enthusiasts or decadent amenities for the Grey Poupon set. Strong competition from all corners has forced automakers to refine and expand their lineups in ways unforeseen even a few years ago. Case in point: Mercedes-Benz finally has an answer to the BMW X6, rolling out the GLE coupe in Detroit. The X6, which blends coupe-like styling cues with some of the functionality of an SUV, debuted in 2008. Back then it was a punchline, but seven years and more than 260,000 sales later, the X6's success has compelled Benz to respond. Mercedes – one of the strongest proponents of diesel technology – also debuted the C350 plug-in hybrid sedan, which promises a range of 20 miles on electricity, though fuel economy figures were not announced. The car pairs Mercedes' well-received 208-hp turbocharged four-cylinder with an electric motor for total output of 275 hp and 443 pound-feet of torque. Meanwhile, Infiniti will add the Q30 hatchback to its lineup by the end of the year, new president Roland Kruger reiterated in Detroit. It's expected to be joined by a crossover variant, and the additions will help strengthen Infiniti in the United States and abroad. "While we're expanding our product line, we're also expanding our market reach," he said. That's something echoed by Jaguar executives, who are preparing to launch the brand's first crossover, the F-Pace, in 2016.

Jos? Mourinho shares his fear in Jaguar F-Type R Coupe spot

Jaguar is in the middle of an image makeover. It wants people to know that it makes more than just big, comfy luxury cars. Underneath that there is an edge. In its recent ads, the company wants to be associated with a more tailored, witty form of villainy. The next step is showing that it's also fearless.
Many Americans might not be familiar with José Mourinho, but he's one of the premier soccer, or football, coaches in the world. He's nicknamed "The Special One." Mourinho worked his way up from an assistant coach to lead small teams but eventually took over international heavyweights like Real Madrid and Chelsea.
In a new ad for the Jaguar F-Type R Coupe, Mourinho talks about what it means to be afraid. You might think such successful people overcome their fears, but successful men are driven it, he claims. But being scared doesn't make a man weak - it makes him dangerous. Scroll down to understand what Mourinho is talking about and get an earful from the wonderful exhaust of the R Coupe.

Jaguar XK and F-Type meet for final sibling faceoff

There's nothing that real, dyed-in-the-wool car geeks love so much as to say "Old Car X is actually a lot better than New Car Y." For reasons that defy both logic and science, we all (your author included) are able to, almost simultaneously, bitch about needed advancements in current vehicles and then bemoan character lost in the next crop.
Mitsubishi Evo models have been supremely prone to this bifurcation of opinion in recent years (ask an Evo IX fanboy about the Evo X sometime... ), and performance cars wearing WRX, Mustang, and M3 badges have been deeply subject to it, as well.
The Jaguar XK and F-Type are not exactly in the same one-model, generational-changeover form as those mentioned above, but that doesn't mean that there aren't defenders of both the old dog and the new joint. Autocar seeks the truth of the matter in this new video, and we're just happy to come along for the ride. May the best sib win.