Archive for Jaguar

Jaguar Land Rover, Bladon Jets and SR Drives are in a joint venture consortium to develop a new ‘micro jet turbine’ for use in range extender hybrid drives. By now all of you should know what a range extender series hybrid system is, since once was featured in the Proton EMAS Concept.

The aim here is to replace the piston combustion engine in the range extender with a very compact jet turbine that is capable of burning a wide range of fuels. The turbine would be hooked up to a high-speed switched-reluctance generator to produce electricity to either recharge the batteries or power the electric motor that drives the series hybrid. The consortium has been awarded a juicy £1.1 million grant by the UK government’s Technology Strategy Board for the research and development. The total project cost is £2.2 million.

According to the consortium, replacing a petrol-powered piston engine with an axial flow micro jet turbine can save up to 15% of overall vehicle weight. Some of the weight savings will be from the engine’s supporting parts such as the lack of needing water cooling, oil or catalytic converters. You can also reduce emissions by burning cleaner fuels other then regular petrol.

But more importantly, Bladon Jets says the actual physical size taken up by the micro turbine is much much smaller, and could potentially only take up 5% size, weight and parts count of a typical piston engine. A prototype christened the BJ-300-P measures only 4 inch in diameter and 12 inches in length. Also, with a turbine there is only one moving part.

Production versions of the ‘Ultra Lightweight Range Extender’ as it is called could take between 5 to 15 years though – hopefully by then it will still be relevant to the motorist, as it definitely sounds like a cool idea.

Recession? What recession? The special 50 unit limited run Neiman Marcus edition Jaguar XJL Supercharged listed in their Christmas book for US$10,000 more than its regular price of US$90,500 were all sold out in just 4 hours and 4 minutes once phone lines opened for booking. Beyond the 50 bookings, Jaguar continued taking bookings and putting them on a waiting list in case a phone booking did not translate into a sale.

The Neiman Marcus XJL comes in an exclusive Celestial Black metallic paint exterior and a custom butter-soft navy and ivory leather interior. It is also equipped with 20-inch double-10 spoke polished alloy wheels, illuminated tread plates and trunk finisher as well as the nameplate inside that reads: “Neiman Marcus 1 of 50.”

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I thought BMW was the only car company that has special Neiman Marcus Edition cars for sale in their Christmas Book. Last year’s Christmas Book featured the very first F02 BMW 7-Series to be sold in the US – only 31 units of a Neiman Marcus Limited-Edition 2009 BMW Individual 7 Series sedans based on the 750Li sold for $160,000. Previously we’ve also seen a special 50 unit run of a Neiman Marcus M6. All 50 units priced at US$139,000 each were snapped up within 1 minute and 32 seconds of launching.

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This year, rich wives in the US will be able to choose from 50 units of a special Neiman Marcus Editiong long wheelbase Jaguar XJL based on the Supercharged version for their rich husbands. Or vice-versa. One will set you back US$105,000 (a regular XJL Supercharged is priced at US$90,500) and will come in an exclusive Celestial Black metallic paint exterior and a custom butter-soft navy and ivory leather interior with Zebrano matte wood accents. You also get 20-inch double-10 spoke polished alloy wheels, illuminated tread plates and trunk finisher as well as the nameplate inside that reads: “Neiman Marcus 1 of 50.”

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Jaguar’s last wagon was the Jaguar X-Type wagon – remember that Mondeo-based car that was initially offered only in all-wheel drive to distance itself from its front wheel drive plebian heritage? Since then the company has only made sleek sedans.

Yes, the E-Class and 5-Series have wagon versions but Jaguar refuses to be lumped in the same category as those cars, even to the point that they’ve resisted making small-engined versions of the new XF. There will be no E200K or 523i competitor for the XF (for now)… the range starts at the 3.0 liter.

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But still, people can dream, and when Theophilus Chin’s imagination runs wild what you get are the two chops you see above, an XF Estate.

Do you think there’s room in the world for a new catwagon?

The Jaguar XFR is now here in Malaysia, featuring the new AJ-V8 Gen III (AJ133) engine that produces 510 PS and 625Nm of torque. Jaguar did alot of shouting when the XFR was first released, claiming it was the fastest Jaguar ever based on the top speed of 363.188km/h recorded at Utah’s Bonneville Salt Flats.

And how much would you have to pay for one of these? RM888,888 OTR without insurance. Now what else can you get in Malaysia for that money? Two cars come to mind – the BMW M5, and the Brabus S B7 which is a tuned up W221 S350 S-Class. The XFR is definitely a looker in the metal and in photos as well, and the engine sound even at idle really stirs up some adrenaline.

That exhaust system is really some good work on Jaguar’s part, and even just teasing the engine with some light revs produce a real beautiful induction and exhaust sound, which I’m sure everyone at the Pavilion tonight enjoyed. Supercharged V8s seem to maintain that amazing way they sound, while a turbocharger in the middle of the exhaust stream seem to screw around with the engine note a little.

SISMA Auto also unveiled the latest Jaguar XKR today, which gets the Jaguar Drive Selector knob from the XJ and the same 510 PS and 625Nm engine as the XFR. The XKR goes for RM1,088,888 for the coupe and for the convertible there is a premium of RM150k, so it retails at RM1,158,888.

For now these figures definitely beat the BMW M5’s but I have a feeling they might fall short once the F10 M5 is out, since the X5-M and X6-M already have a 555 PS engine. But with both BMW and Jaguar’s monster engines featuring forced induction it should be much easier to wring more power out of them anytime.

Look after the jump for more photos I snapped at the launch event.

Click here to read the rest of Jaguar XFR launched with RM888,888 pricetag

Here’s a mega bonanza of multimedia goodies about the all-new Jaguar XJ, a car that Jaguar has been really shouting alot about. It really is a big deal, it’s the first departure from classic XJ looks in a really really long time.

The new XJ follows the new design language set by the XF but adds some quirky elements that you’d normally only expect from Citroen to it, such as the weird black-out polycarbonate C-pillars designed to make the rear windscreen look wider. What exactly is the point I don’t know, perhaps it’s a new way of making the rear end of a large car look sleeker – Callum pillar (like the Bangle butt) anyone?

Drag coefficient is the same as the XF – 0.29! The aluminium chassis of the new XJ is largely based on the previous X350 but updated with new bits wherever Jaguar saw fit. Long the outgoing XJ and most cars in this segment there will be both a long wheelbase and short wheelbase version. Four engines will be offered with the new XJ. The sole diesel version is the new 3.0 liter AJ-V6D engine with twin sequential turbochargers, putting out 275 PS and taking the XJ from 0 to 100km/h in 6.3 seconds, while consuming only 40.1mpg.

The top of the line petrol version is the supercharged 510PS 5.0-litre AJ-V8 Gen III, followed by 470PS supercharged and 385PS naturally aspirated petrol V8s depending on market. Read more about the Gen III AJ-V8 (AJ133).

Okay let’s just forget about all of that and go inside the car. This is where an XJ’s owner will be spending most of his time. And damn it’s a gorgeous place to be in! It combines retro styling cues with futuristic elements and very good use of wood like only a Jaguar could. The wraparound wood that sweeps across the whole interior is said to be inspired by a luxury boat.

The main LCD of the in-car entertainment system has a dual view mode which means the driver and passenger sees two different things because they are looking at it from different angles. This means the driver can have something else on the screen while the front passenger watches a movie. The other thing is the instrumentation panel right in front of the driver – it’s a pure computer screen which displays some really gorgeous animated virtual gauges instead of physical dials.

Imagine cruising in the new XJ during magic hour – the last hour of sunlight during the day. The sun is still lightly illuminating most of the interior but there’s enough darkness for Jaguar’s lovely mash-up of interior ambient lighting to glow.

That’s really the best time to feast your eyes and soak up the new XJ’s interior aesthetics and lighting. You simply can’t get that in a 7 or an S.

Look after the jump for a massive hi-res photo gallery and a couple of videos of the XJ. You really have to watch the videos as they tell you more about the XJ especially that amazing interior with the Virtual Instrument dials than text ever could.

Click here to read the rest of X351 Jaguar XJ sports a whole new look!

When the Jaguar XF was first launched, it was available with 3 engines – a 3.0 liter V6, a 4.2 liter V8 and a supercharged 4.2 liter V8 (AJ34 and AJ34S). Then came the range-topping XFR, with an AJ-V8 Gen3 (AJ133) engine – 5.0 liters of displacement, 510 PS and 625Nm of torque.

In certain or most markets, the non-R XF is also now offered with variants of the new AJ133 5.0 liter V8 engine. Depending on the market, it either complements or replaces the 4.2 liter previous generation AJ engine. A normally aspirated XF 5.0 makes about 385 PS while the supercharged version makes 470 PS, which is less power than the XFR’s 510 PS tune.

The new AJ133 5.0 liter V8 engine uses an all-new high pressure die-cast aluminium block with cast-in iron liners and cross-bolted main bearing caps. Despite the larger displacement, it is more compact – shorter by 24mm thanks to relocation of the oil pump. It has direct injection, which allows the compression ratio to be raised to 11.5:1 in the normally aspirated model, and from 9.0:1 in the 4.2 V8 supercharged up to 9.5:1 in the new 5.0 V8 supercharged.

The engine also features a new type of variable cam system. The four VCT (variable cam timing – intake and exhaust, 2 V banks) units move via positive and negative torques generated by opening and closing the intake and exhaust valves instead of by hydraulics. This allows the engine oil pump to be reduced in size and consumes less power. The supercharger and intercooler are packaged within the V-bank of the new engine – this reduces engine height and helps comply with pedestrian crash safety regulations.

The normally aspirated version features a variable inlet manifold and also camshaft profile switching on the intake cam, using hydraulically-operated two-piece tappets. The low-speed cam uses a 214 degree duration and 5.5mm valve lift while the high-cam uses a 250 degree duration and 10.5mm valve lift. The switch between low and high cams happens at 2,800rpm at high load, and this varies up to 4,500rpm at lighter loads.

UPDATE: Jaguar Malaysia (SISMA Auto) will be bringing in the 510 PS 5.0 liter supercharged Jaguar XFR into Malaysia this August. The product line-up will change somewhat. In Malaysia, the 3.0 V6 will remain, but the 4.2 normally aspirated will be replaced by the 5.0 normally aspirated, and the 4.2 supercharged will be replaced by the XFR. The non-R 5.0 supercharged in 470 PS tune will not be sold here, probably because it will be too close to the XFR.

Here is a fifth video in a series of Jaguar XJ teaser videos. It’s not very long now until the new flagship XJ is unveiled on the 9th of July – that’s next week actually! Some of Jaguar engineers talk about the XJ’s driving dynamics in this video. We all know less weight means better handling, and the XJ’s aluminium chassis contributes to that. But dynamics goes into a scope that extends to more than handling.

Watch the video after the jump.

Related Posts:
Jaguar XJ Teaser Video #1: launch set for 9th July
Jaguar XJ Teaser Video #2: Ian Callum on the design
Jaguar XJ Teaser Video #3: Sound System
Jaguar XJ Teaser Video #4: Aluminium chassis

Click here to read the rest of VIDEO: Jaguar XJ Driving Dynamics Teaser

Like the outgoing Jaguar XJ, the upcoming new XJ set for a 9th July 2009 debut will have an all-aluminium body and chassis construction. That’s the only way a large car like the current generation XJ could weigh less than 1,600kg.

Jaguar has released another teaser video, this time centered around the new XJ’s all-aluminium chassis. We get to see the chassis from the side and top, which should give us a better idea of how the car’s roofline will be shaped like.

Watch the video after the jump.

Previously featured Jaguar XJ Teasers:
All-new Jaguar XJ set for 9th July debut!
Is this what the new Jaguar XJ will look like?
VIDEO: Ian Callum on the new Jaguar XJ
VIDEO: Jaguar XJ Bowers & Wilkins Teaser

Click here to read the rest of New Jaguar XJ’s all-aluminium body and chassis

Jaguar had better have something really revolutionary ready for the Bowers & Wilkins audio system that’s set to be installed in the new Jaguar XJ because Matt Jones, Technical Specialist for Audio Systems at Jaguar claims that “nobody else has ever been able to do something like this in a car”, referring to the sound system’s ability to produce perfect sound no matter which seat you are seated in.

We don’t really get to see much of the car that we haven’t seen before in this video, but we do get to see one lone speaker set in a large area of wood panelling, so that pretty much assures us that the new XJ will be decked out in vast amounts of wood just like a Jaguar should.

Watch the teaser video after the jump!

Related Posts:
Is this what the new Jaguar XJ will look like?
All new Jaguar XJ set for 9th July debut
VIDEO: Ian Callum talks about the new Jaguar XJ

Click here to read the rest of All-new Jaguar XJ: Bowers & Wilkins teaser clip

We’re only slightly more than 5 weeks away from the official global unveiling of Jaguar’s new flagship car, the Jaguar XJ. So far we’ve only been able to see a teaser photo snapped from the top of the car, but in this video where Ian Callum talks about his latest baby like a proud new father we get to just barely see the XJ in motion behind a shroud of mist (screencap above), revealing a sleek profile but not much detail at all. Check the interview video out after the jump.

Related Posts:
Is this what the new Jaguar XJ will look like?
All new Jaguar XJ set for 9th July debut

Click here to read the rest of VIDEO: Ian Callum on the new Jaguar XJ

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UK police forces are currently evaluating a version of the Jaguar XF Diesel S designed to be a high-performance pursuit vehicle.

The base model is the XF 3.0 Diesel S Luxury and adds on a roof-mounted light bar with 3600 blue flashing lights and integrated side alley lights, blue and white flashing LEDs inside the front grille, side mounted blue flashing LED lights, blue and red flashing LED lights integrated in the rear lamp clusters, and a Home Office-specification electronics ‘Police pack’ to power the full suite of lights, radio and other police equipment.

The XF Diesel S is powered by a 3.0 liter turbodiesel V6. 0 to 60mph can be hit in 5.9 seconds. There are two versions of this engine available and the one in the Diesel S is a twin turbocharged “parallel-sequential” version where a small turbo is used at low revs to quickly build up boost while at high revs a bigger one takes over, much like the engines in the BMW 335d and 123d.

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We’re only about two months away from the unveiling of the all-new Jaguar XJ on the 9th of July 2009. All we have right now is a shot of the top of the car and a very short teaser video (watch after the jump) also featuring the same roof angle, but Theophilus Chin has whipped up some speculation for us based on the very little side views that we can see from the roof angle.

The new XJ will definitely have some family resemblance to the XF as the coupe-like roofline and the contours on the front bonnet are very visible from the teaser image. There is a rather interesting looking C-pillar which is visible in the teaser images, and Theophilus has used these clues to create his speculation.

A full panoramic glass roof as shown in the teaser will likely be an option if not standard, and like the XF, the XJ will be powered by a range of V6 and V8 engines.

2 more months to go!

Click here to read the rest of Is this what the new Jaguar XJ will look like?

Jaguar has released a teaser image of the upcoming all-new Jaguar XJ, set to be unveiled on the 9th of July 2009, after of which the company will start taking orders when the production car hits showrooms end-2009, with the first deliveries to happen in early 2010. Both a short wheelbase and a long wheelbase version will be sold. If the interior of the new XJ ends up anything like the XF, you can expect it to have the nicest chauffeur (optional) interior ever. It’s also built on an aluminium body structure like the outgoing XJ, which should bode well for its power to weight ratio. They also have a video version of the teaser image above, which you can check out after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of All-new Jaguar XJ set for 9th July debut

We now have more details regarding the Jaguar XE sports car courtesy of Motor Trend, which is set to take on the Porsche 911. To be based on Jaguar’s flexible architecture, the Jaguar XE will be larger than the Jaguar XF and this new sports car will revive the long-canceled Jaguar F-Type project.

A key executive from the TATA also mentioned that Jaguar needs something fresh and new, and that innovation and development is the key for Jaguar’s survival, which is why the auto maker is looking into producing the XE.

A number of engine choices would be available including a 385HP naturally aspirated 5.0 liter AJ-V8, a supercharged version of the 5.0 liter V8 that could pump out 510HP as well as a 272HP 3.0 liter diesel V6 what should also produce 600Nm of torque. With the supercharged 5.0 liter V8, the XE would be able sprint to 100 km/h in 4.0 seconds while equipped with the 3.0 liter diesel V6, the sports car would be able to do it slightly under 6.0 seconds.

We are expecting the Jaguar XE which will also take on Aston Martin’s V8 Vantage to make an appearance at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, along with the 50th anniversary celebration of the Jaguar E-Type.