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Jaguar F-Type Checkered Flag edition marks 70 years of sports cars

Jaguar's first sports car, the XK 120, debuted in 1948, right in the midst of Britain's postwar recovery efforts. Since then, the company has had decades of success building everything from lightweight roadsters to record-setting supercars. Currently, the automaker's performance lineup is led by the Jaguar F-Type coupe and roadster. To celebrate 70 years of building performance cars, Jaguar is releasing a new special edition, the F-Type Checkered Flag. Most of the upgrades are visual and are available on both coupe and convertible models. In addition to badges and logos on the rear bumper, headrests, kick plates and steering wheel, the cars will be fitted with brushed aluminum trim and black leather. The steering wheel will have a red center marker at its top. There are additional red and white accents throughout the rest of the car. The F-Type Checkered Flag will be available in three colors: Caldera Red, Fuji White or Carpathian Grey, all with a contrasting black roof. Jaguar F-Type Checkered Flag View 18 Photos Somewhat surprisingly, the Checkered Flag upgrades will only be applied to four- and six-cylinder models paired with the eight-speed automatic. Turbocharged four-cylinder cars make 296 horsepower, while the supercharged V6 models make either 340 or 380 horsepower. The 380 horsepower model can be equipped with all-wheel drive. The F-Type R Dynamic package (not the same as the V8-powered F-Type R) packs revised dampers for a smoother ride. Other general changes for the 2020 model year include revised dampers on the F-Type R coupe and convertible. The F-Type R gets the SVR's rear upper ball joint, rear knuckle and rear control arm. A rear camera and parking sensors are standard across the board. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. News Source: Jaguar Jaguar Convertible Coupe Luxury Performance

Tata to get Jaguar and Land Rover tech, platforms too?

Since buying Jaguar Land Rover, Indian automaker Tata has generally left its luxury arm's platforms and technology alone. However, those days might be gone. The two of them are gradually growing closer with coordinated development and rumors of shared platforms. And it looks like all of that work and money is finally going to pay off with an actual vehicle in the near future.
According to Australian website Drive, Tata wants to make its cars more attractive to buyers outside of India, and to do that the company knows it must improve quality. The Indian company is being careful, though, because it doesn't want to dilute the Jaguar or Land Rover brands with cheap models. "You're going to see in the future a lot of sharing of technologies and platforms over time, but you won't see a JLR with a Tata badge on it," said Darren Bowler, managing director of Tata's Australian distributor, to Drive.
According to Bowler, these future vehicles are already on the way. Tata and JLR have a global platform in the works for 2017 that both companies could use for cars or crossovers. He also hinted that Jaguar's new Ingenium engines could be shared among the brands in the future, too.

Jaguar Land Rover reveals EV concepts, details green strategy

While it offers diesel models and even a couple hybrids, Jaguar Land Rover isn't quite as fleshed out on alternative powertrains as its luxurious German rivals. That should change pretty soon. JLR revealed three concepts at the CENEX Low Carbon Vehicle event in Millbrook, England, today. The Concept_e "research demonstrators" all use a new electric drive module, an EV system that the Indian-owned, British-based outfit claims will double the power and torque of today' electric motors. JLR says these modular EDMs can be paired with any of the company's engines or transmissions to create either a mild hybrid, a plug-in hybrid, or a pure EV. So yeah, this is kind of a big deal. Arguably the most exciting offering is a one-of-a-kind research vehicle. Riding on JLR's aluminium aluminum architecture, it ties together two electric motors – an 85-kW unit with a single-speed trans on the front axle and a 145-kW rear motor that's been mated to a two-speed transmission – with a 70-kWh li-ion battery that's mounted in the underbody of the car. There's also the Concept_e MHEV. This is a Range Rover Evoque that's been fitted with a mild hybrid system. Just a refresher, but a mild hybrid is very different than what's found in either a Chevrolet Volt or Toyota Prius, as it uses the electric motor and battery pack to simply assist the internal combustion engine, rather than for an electric driving mode. Reflecting that use, this particular Evoque uses a 15-kilowatt electric motor and a 48-volt, lithium-ion battery pack alongside a 90-metric-horsepower diesel-powered prototype. Finally, we have a Range Rover Sport-based plug-in hybrid. This brute uses a 300-metric-horsepower prototype gas engine and an eight-speed automatic alongside a 150-kilowatt electric motor. Energy is stored in a trunk-mounted, 320-volt, li-ion battery back. Partially funded by the British government, the EDMs are the result of a 16.3-million-pound ($25-million) research-and-development program. They're built in house by JLR, but were developed alongside 12 partners. While these concepts are exciting, don't get your hopes up to see a plug-in Jaguar XF or an all-electric Discovery Sport in your local dealer any time soon. "This is a long-term Jaguar Land Rover research project exploring all aspects of future hybrid and battery electric vehicle technology," JLR research and design boss Dr. Wolfgang Epple said in the attached statement.