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Jaguar could still revive XK as luxury grand tourer

With the F-Type taking the lion's – or Jaguar's – share of attention lately, it would be all too easy to forget all about a Jag once known as the XK. But it existed, and it could once again. First introduced in 1996 as the XK8 to replace the old XJS, the XK survived for two generations. It was available as a 2+2 coupe or convertible and was powered by Jaguar's signature AJ-V8 engine. By the time it was discontinued just this past summer, the ultimate XKR-S packed as much as 542 horsepower. But though it had two more seats, the XK was rendered largely obsolete by the arrival of the nimbler, newer and arguably more stylish F-Type. According to Autocar, however, the XK could be reinstated with a more GT-like approach. The XK as we've known it, said Jaguar's Ross Varney to the British weekly, "straddled the GT and sports car segment, with more of an emphasis on the GT side but probably not enough." Varney was in charge of the F-Type project and was also responsible for a new project to replace the XK until it was shut down earlier this year. "We have plans to do lots more with the F-Type," said Varney, "but there will still be other areas we want to cover. We need to find the right way to deliver on them, and the XK could be one way of doing that." What Varney is saying, essentially, is that while the XK project may not be moving forward just yet, it could be revived in the near future. If it did, we'd be looking at a more accommodating and luxurious grand tourer, different from the F-Type that's more of a focused sports car. Think of it, then, as more of a Bentley Continental GT, but probably less expensive - or put another way, if the F-Type is a junior Aston Martin V8 Vantage, the new XK would be a (relatively) more accessible DB9. The intel sounds similar to what we heard when the most recent XK was being put out to pasture, but tells us that hope is still alive for those interested in a two-door Jag with room for the kids in the back.

Jaguar with claws: 592-hp XE SV Project 8 Collector's Edition

A few years ago, and to much fanfare, Jaguar launched the F-Type Project 7. It was Jaguar Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) unit's first Collector's Edition car. It now has a successor – with four doors. Jaguar has announced the XE SV Project 8 Collector's Edition, which will get its official debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Project 8 is as a 592-horsepower sedan that the automaker is calling "the most extreme Jaguar ever." It's powered by a specially tuned version of the company's 5.0-liter V8 engine, which will make it Jaguar's most powerful vehicle ever put into production. It will be limited to just 300 examples hand-built at SVO's Technical Centre in Coventry. As for how much it'll set you back if you're lucky enough to get your hands on one, Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations Managing Director John Edwards says Project 8 "is conceived for enthusiasts and the most discerning collectors. The price for such an extreme performance sports car available in strictly limited numbers will reflect that." Engine tuning is just one of the upgrades to the Project 8, but, for now, Jaguar is remaining vague about other alterations to the XE. Edwards says the car "takes aerodynamics and performance engineering to another level," and there's no reason not to take him at his word. The British automaker says it'll let us know more about the car on June 28, just two days before its official introduction. For now, though, we can enjoy the teaser video from Jaguar, above, which shows the XE SV Project 8 in a particularly sporty camouflage wrapper testing on the Nurburgring. Related Video: News Source: Jaguar Jaguar Performance Supercars Videos Sedan jaguar xe sv project 8

Jaguar C-X17 rides high into Frankfurt

After enviously watching its competitors rake in piles of crossover-shaped dollars for years, Jaguar is poised to get into the game with a production model based on this C-X17 concept. While the British brand hasn't officially confirmed it will sell a utility vehicle - indeed, brand fans and industry watchers have wondered whether the Leaping Cat even need to get into the game considering its corporate cousins at Land Rover - we would be dumbfounded if it didn't happen in short order.
We've always been concerned that Jaguar's styling language wouldn't translate well to a high-riding shape, but here at its Frankfurt Motor Show debut, the C-X17 comes off as quite handsome (if predictable) in the metal. The same couldn't always be said of Jag's styling DNA, but newer models beginning with the XF and the XJ have introduced design elements like a larger, more vertical grille that suit the C-X17's form factor exceedingly well. Even the rear end successfully borrows its taillamp design from the glorious new F-Type Roadster.
Underneath the concept's two-box shape is a new aluminum unibody that Jag says it is poised to employ on its next-generation models, including the long-expected midsize sedan coming to North America in 2016. Jaguar has long been a leader in aluminum chassis development even as it has struggled to take weight out of some of its vehicles (the F-Type, for instance, isn't exactly lightweight). Thus far, Jaguar isn't talking powertrains other than to say it will employ a new generation of gas and diesel engines.