2002 Jaguar Xkr 100 Convertible on 2040-cars

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2013 Jaguar XF 2.0T

Jaguar is moving to modernize its XF engine lineup - once the exclusive territory of V8 mills - with a range including a turbo four, a supercharged six and supercharged V8s of various potencies. Personally, I'll miss the combination of this smooth looking and driving XF sedan, and the lazy power of the naturally aspirated 5.0-liter engine, even if the super six has earned some praise in other applications.
The truth is that the four, six, eight lineup for the XF makes a lot of sense, and this 2.0T version of the sedan is far better than I expected it to be. In fact, there's a legitimate argument to be made for it as the XF that works the best for the largest group of customers. Here's why:
Driving Notes

2014 Jaguar XKR-S GT takes fiercest feline further [UPDATE]

If there were any car to overshadow the 542-horsepower Jaguar XJR that's coming to the New York Auto Show, this is it. Meet the Jaguar XKR-S GT - a street-legal, higher-performance version of the already hardcore XKR-S that will be headed to North America in very limited quantities. Only 30 will be offered on our continent, with 25 earmarked for the United States and the remaining five going to Canada. The cost of entry? $174,000 when it goes on sale this August.
What that gets you is a coupe that is, without any doubt, ready to attack any racetrack it might encounter. The XKR-S' supercharged 5.0-liter V8 has not been upgraded in terms of power - not that 550 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque is anything to sneeze at - but instead, Jaguar focused on tuning the bits of the car that help effectively put all that grunt to the ground. There's a new hood with rows of louvers to aid in engine cooling, and elsewhere on the car's body, you'll find carbon fiber on the redesigned front air splitter, dive planes, extended wheel arch spats, as well as a new rear diffuser, an aluminum front under tray and an absolutely massive wing out back to keep downforce to a maximum.
Underneath that hot body are retuned and height-adjustable adaptive dampers; spring rates have been increased by 68 percent in front and 25 percent at the rear versus a standard XKR-S. Most of the front and rear suspension geometry has been upgraded, larger carbon ceramic brakes have been fitted at all four corners, and wider 20-inch forged alloy wheels are found here, wrapped in Pirelli Corsa tires - 255/35-series rubber in front and 305/30-series stuff out back. There's also a revised active exhaust system, which should only improve the already thunderous roar coming out the back of the Jag coupe, and a faster steering rack has been added for improved agility.

Jaguar is ready for the future, and its cars look the part thanks to Ian Callum

There are few living legends in the car business. Jaguar design director Ian Callum is one of them. The longtime stylist announced Tuesday he's stepping down after a decorated career that's seen the resurgence of Jaguar and its again superlative design. Callum, who turns 65 in July, has overseen Jaguar design for 20 years and shepherded it from an era of mediocrity and uncertainty to success with its current lineup of eye-catching products. The brand's 1990s and 2000s cars, led by the haggard X-Type, were too-often forgettable. But in the last decade, Callum has completely flipped the script, returning Jaguar to its sports-car roots with the F-Type while embracing the new period of electric vehicles and crossovers. "Yesterday I told my team I was leaving as Design Director for Jaguar after 20 years. I've done what I set out to do. Time for a new adventure. I pass the baton onto my good friend and great designer Julian Thomson...." Callum tweeted Tuesday. Thompson, a 19-year veteran of Jaguar takes the reins from Callum, who is staying on as a consultant. The move takes effect July 1. As Callum notes, it's not a retirement, though he didn't elaborate. "Given the strength of both our products and the design team I feel that now is the right time to move on, both personally and professionally, and explore other design projects," he said in a statement. The Scottish-born designer studied at the Royal College of Art and was steeped in the tradition of Jaguar and British cars. He had every reason to resist change. He didn't, instead evolving his dream job into an instrument of evolution, and today Jaguar has the most well-rounded portfolio in its history. With EVs like the I-Pace the brand has an elegant and efficient car capable of taking down Tesla, while the F-Pace and E-Pace crossovers are bringing Jaguar to a new kind of customer. "In my view, the World Car Design of the Year winning F-Type, F-Pace and I-Pace – true game changers – are perhaps his greatest achievements. I believe they will be future icons," Jaguar Land Rover chief executive Ralf Speth said in a statement. Through it all, Callum never lost focus on Jaguar's sense of purpose. Along with Aston Martin, McLaren and Rolls-Royce, Jaguar holds a place in Britain's car culture and broader identity. He recognized when Jaguar rolled out a sports car openly tapped as the successor to the E-type – and then called it the F-Type – it carried the weight of history on its aluminum chassis.