177 replies to this topic

[mike.omega]

MONTEREY, Calif. - Jaguar Cars Ltd. is close to deciding to build the next-generation S-Type with an aluminum body, a decision that would take the expensive technology out of the realm of luxury cars only.

Beyond Jaguar's pricey flagship XJ sedan and upcoming XK coupe, the only other volume car with an aluminum body is the Audi A8 sedan.

"We are taking aluminum very seriously," said Ian Callum, Jaguar Cars chief designer, at the Pebble Beach classic car weekend. "We have to consider using aluminum in more than just one model line."

Callum added that it would "absolutely make sense" to shorten the XJ platform for use in the next S-Type.

Another Jaguar source says that the decision to use aluminum for the S-Type has been all but made.

Callum said, "When you reduce the body mass, you can reduce the size of the other components, such as the size of the brakes."

Using aluminum would allow Jaguar to run the XJ and S-Type down the same assembly line at the Castle Bromwich plant in England. That would create savings through economies of scale.

Jaguar expects to sell 30,000 XJs a year globally.

S-Type sales last year totaled about 55,000 units worldwide.

Aluminum is considerably lighter than steel, which fosters impressive acceleration and fuel economy numbers, but is more expensive. The XJ weighs 400 pounds less than a Mercedes-Benz S430 and 610 pounds less than a BMW 745i, according to Jaguar.

But the higher cost of aluminum argues against its use in nonpremium vehicles, where prices are lower and profit margins narrower.

Eric Noble, president of The Car Lab consultancy in Orange, Calif., estimates that aluminum adds about $5 per pound of weight saved to a vehicle's cost compared with sheet steel. That means less development funds remaining for other crucial areas, such as interior treatments.

The tradeoff is apparent in Jaguar's new flagship, the XJ, he contends.

"Dynamically, the XJ is great, but the interior has some pieces that look like they came from a Ford Crown Victoria," he says.

"Now scale that budget back to an S-Type price point, and they could be looking at a Ford interior. To American buyers, you don't get bonus points for saving weight, but you get bad marks for using (lower-quality) pieces in the interior."

Switching to aluminum likely would divorce the S-Type from the platform it shares with the Lincoln LS. Industry analysts have decried that first platform-sharing move with Ford as the beginning of the end for Jaguar's brand exclusivity.

On the development side, Jaguar already has a working relationship with Alcan Inc., with about 40 engineers at Jaguar's r&d center for the XJ development, but who were on Alcan's payroll.

The S-Type is scheduled for a seven-year cycle, which would have the replacement arriving in spring 2006 as a 2007 model. But Callum said the company is trying to get the new S-Type out a year ahead of schedule.

Callum says there is virtually no chance of using aluminum on the next X-Type entry-luxury sedan because of cost pressures.

Callum sees the real difficulty of aluminum being in the marketing of the car. He says: "In Europe, they understand the power-to-weight equation and the benefit it has on fuel economy, while all the U.S. customer sees is performance."

link: http://autoweek.com/cat_content.mv?port_co...t_code=04501155

[Edited on 24-12-03 by mike.omega]

[mike.omega]

Top Cat - Jaguar rejoice as UK car magazines rate S-Type as best drivers car, whilst stating the new BMW-5 is "Average" and the E-Class "Mediocre".

Insiders at BMW are initially quoting this as a disaster, indeed there are rumours that the Quandt family are singularly unimpressed with both designers and engineers for trying too hard to out-do Jaguar and Mercedes. The result? Lack of interest from customers. Where orders once went in sight-unseen, people are now waiting to see the car in person. BMW's board is stunned.

Meanwhile, Jaguar engineers at Browns Lane, Coventry, England are rejoicing as UK car magazines rate the new BMW-5 as "Average" and "no longer the ultimate driving machine" in recent road test reviews. Pitted against the 3-litre S-Type, 3.2-litre E-Class and a 3-litre 5-Series, the big cat came out on top as the best car,and most importantly, the best overall drivers car. The Bee Emm has been champion for a long time now and already it has a bloody nose from it's first fight!

According to reporters, BMW have made the new 5 "ponderous" and "strangely uninvolving" and some suggest that the variable rate steering is "not a success". Whilst inside the car, ergonomics are best described as "ill thought out". Those who have seen the car in British sunlight say that the BMW 7 looks better - and you know how lamented that has been!

In the UK, buyers are being offered cars within weeks of the launch, and some importers quicker than that - suggesting an apathy to the car from an early stage. I have it on quiet authority that those in the BMW board who are not completely arrogant are aware that the 5-series is the companies most important model range and were it to fail (ala 7-series), the unthinkable could happen. After all, it is rumoured that Daimler/Chrysler are still looking for acquisitions!

link: http://www.imakenews.com/autospies/e_artic...259p5V,a17VBB19

[mike.omega]

Big cat without its spots

Jaguar's S-Type is to be revamped next year, with the official unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show. Facelifted examples are out testing undisguised already, however, showing the more pronounced bumper and headlights, grille with added horizontal and vertical bars, bumpers with slimmer trim strips and revised air intake and fog lamps. The car snapped here is the diesel - spot the twin down-turned tailpipes - with the new Dagenham-built twin-turbo V6.


Link unde gasiti si poze

[mike.omega]

Jaguar's S-Type face lift model, due 2004/2005ish, has been seen cruising the West Midlands of England during final testing. It features a new grill, reshaped bonnet, slightly modified midsection and rear-end
improvements to the tail lights and boot shape.

Provision has also been made for xenon highlights. The interior has been tidied up too (more like the XJ now), with a massive increase in quality and some reshaping of the superstructure and seating to gain
more space in the rear (thank God). Standard equipment will also increase slightly, Jaguar going for outright value, rather than the Germans low price, everything extra routine.

Engine choices are being rationalised too. The 3.5-litre V8 from the XJ may make an appearance as a fill-in model to bridge the (price) gap between the creamy 3-litre V6 and the now enlarged 4.2-litre V8.
Jaguars 2.7-litre V6 diesel will make it's first appearance in the S-Type before moving on to other brands and models (Land Rover Discovery for example).

The S-Type has been voted as the best drivers car in a number of European magazines, and the Coventry based company is doing it's best to ensure that title stays with the "S" by making a number of improvements to the chassis. Prices will remain largely the same.
link

[mike.omega]

Jaguar just can't seem to leave their middle-of-the-line S-Type alone. After a thorough revision from through ground up in 2002, a short four years after its introduction, Jaguar's very retro S-Type goes under the pen for yet a third revision. It's important to realize why Jaguar has done this - while it's true that the S-Type is a legendary automobile for its history, it's also one of the most important vehicles in their lineup, contributing to a large part of their sales. The facelifted S-Type will apply technical enhancements as well as a visual update.



New hood with a more upright posture. Makes its debut at Detroit '04.


While critics may speak against the S-Type's retro look, it is one of the more famous shapes in luxury sedans - you can recognize this car from a mile away in a split second. The revision concentrates on ironing a few of the visual clashes in order to create a smoother, more attractive look. The hood of the S-Type has been re-cast, and instead of being made of sheet metal, it's been crafted from aluminum. More pronounced arches and lines around the four circular headlamps bring attention to the repositioned grille. The matte chrome finished grille with mesh texture has been fitted for a more upright position, harking back to the S-Type Mk.I.



Still an elegant car with an important historic past.


The makeover to the S-Type concentrates on more than just its face. Beneath, a revised air dam with sporty intakes and cross-mesh pattern has been fitted. To accompany the classy new face is an equally impressive tail end. Much like the front, it's more upright and features new tail lamps. These changes, as well as the '60s look of a heavily arched roof and the deep slash mark which runs from front fender to tail help improve the overall look of the S-Type. Overall, it maintains a truly traditional and classic appearance, helping separate it from the morphed look of the BMW 5-Series and the seemingly generic appearance of the Benz E-Class and Audi A6.



The major change here is new instrumentation. Otherwise, it's more of the same Jaguar goodness.


With the overhaul in 2002, much work was done to improve the accommodations of the interior, addressing leg and headroom problems. Aside from new instruments, which feature a more elegant typeface and chrome exterior rings, the 2004 update does not really change the S-Type's cockpit - it's still the same wood 'n leather as it has been. For the Sport and R-model S-Types, aluminum trim is offered to brighten up the cockpit. Of course, a larger pallet of colours for both exterior and interior are available, allowing for a greater selection. Improvements to the chassis and suspension are relatively minor as well; Jaguar have tinkered with the current settings to create a vehicle that's slightly more agile, responsive and fun to drive. The CATS system has truly helped here.



Tail now features a taller, more vertical trunk with new tail lights.


Currently, the S-Type has a large variety of engines available for consumer purchase. Basic models feature a 2.5 liter V6 engine borrowed from the X-Type, however it will not be sold in North America. Moving up is an advanced 3.0 liter V6 engine that features such technologies as variable valve timing, and a varying manifold to produce an impressive 240 horsepower. Higher up in the model range is a 300 horsepower 4.2 liter V8, borrowed from the full-size XJ8 4.2 sedan and XK8 Coupé. At the top of the heap is the S-Type R, which features a supercharged version of the aforementioned V8 unit. All engines are equipped with a 6-speed ZF automatic gearbox. We're still waiting on Jaguar to introduced the PSA-developed 2.7 liter turbodiesel V6, though. The S-Type facelift will make its debut at the Detroit Auto Show this January.

link

[mike.omega]

Sa mai spun ca-mi place??? http://www.garajul.r...tyle_emoticons/default/222.gif

[Edited on 24-12-03 by mike.omega]

[mike.omega]

WOW http://www.garajul.r...tyle_emoticons/default/bigeyes.gif
Design inspirat din conceptul RD-6 http://www.garajul.r...tyle_emoticons/default/thumb.gif iar masina... ma lasa fara cuvinte :cool:

[the1]

[masterblaster]

sper sa nu arate asa

[the1]

Daca va arata asa Jag va da cu siguranta faliment.

[the1]

http://cwimg.us.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dl...mp;MaxW=800

Aceasta postare a fost editata de the1: 26 septembrie 2006 - 11:16

[masterblaster]

asa mai merge

[the1]

Jaguar’s future hinges on a handsome and contemporary new styling theme for its mainstay luxury sedans, S-Type and XJ. The two cars will shed Jaguar’s variation on retro styling, which has stunted sales in recent years, for a new look intended to make Jaguars much more desirable—and profitable and secure within parent company Ford.

Design chief Ian Callum and advanced design boss Julian Thompson are behind the new look, which centers on a new grille design that will be common to all Jaguar sedans. Sports cars, like the new XK, will continue with the “Spitfire wing” opening reminiscent of the 1960s E-Type.

First out of the gate is the 2008 S-Type, known internally as Project X250. Make-or-break Jags seem to arrive every decade or so, but the description really applies to the new S-Type. A ground-up new design, it sticks to fundamentals—a traditional sedan just under 16.5 feet long and powered by a range of V6 and V8 engines driving the rear wheels through an automatic gearbox.

Eschewing aluminum construction for cost and timing reasons, the S-Type features a steel monocoque with a “couple of closures in aluminum,” meaning hood and trunk lid, according to a source.

S-Type’s secret weapon, though, is Callum’s dramatic styling that returns Jaguar to the “four-door coupe” look largely dismissed on today’s more practical designs. With its twin-nostril grille inspired by the 1968 XJ6, the styling is said to be “very aggressive for a Jaguar,” according to a source.

Jaguar has avoided copying Audi’s single-frame grille design, and the S-Type will have separate upper and lower grilles split by a license plate box on the bumper bar.

One-piece headlights, inspired by the new XK, will feature twin projector beams, giving the impression of a traditional twin-headlight Jaguar front end.

Other sporting and modern styling features will be a gently rising beltline creating a wedge, a subtle bulge over the rear haunch and a narrow greenhouse. Insiders report the package is somewhere between a traditional sedan and a coupe, with some compromise for the rear passengers. Thanks to a high trunk lid, the new S-Type will have usable luggage space.

A major target with the redesign is reduced noise and harshness, particularly from the rear suspension.

New S-Type engines will likely include the company’s first 5.0-liter V8, producing about 350 hp. A supercharged R version is rumored to punch out 460 hp. Smaller V6 gasoline engines based on current powerplants will be available at launch, but ultimately they will be replaced by a Jaguar version of the new Volvo inline-six. Also under consideration is a turbocharged 3.2-liter I6, which may get the green light thanks to better fuel economy than V8s.

Following hot on the S-Type’s heels is Project X351, the new XJ flagship sedan due for the 2010 model year. A major redesign is on the drawing board for Jaguar’s slow-selling flagship, which despite its high-tech aluminum body is selling about half what the company hoped for at launch in 2002.

The rivet-bonded aluminum platform and body construction will remain unchanged, but the upper body and its inner and outer panels will be new. The main aim is to bring the XJ’s styling and appeal into line with the younger-looking new S-Type.

The XJ will retain its own styling, although the grille appearance will be shared with the S-Type.

With sporty and elegant character high on Jaguar’s wish list, the XJ will return to the theme of the previous-generation XJ, a lower and sleeker design than today’s model. “Think of their inspiration as a better-developed Maserati Quattroporte,” says one insider.

Jaguar is ready to crimp rear passenger space to get the sexiest, coupe-like roof-line possible vs. today’s XJ, which was designed around an interior capable of battling more conventional luxury sedans like the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

The new body architecture will allow Jaguar to use Volvo’s 3.2-liter I6 from launch because the engine compartment can be engineered around the taller engine design. That also opens up the possibility of a 300-hp turbocharged I6 to replace smaller-capacity V8s to meet demands for better fuel economy. Range-topping models will use the 5.0-liter V8 and its supercharged R version.

Expect this range-topping model to feature quad tailpipes, a feature of the new XKR that is on Callum’s wish list for all future R models.

What about the X-Type?
Jaguar sources say the company is hellbent on retaining a four-model range, but it still doesn’t know what to do about the X-Type. There is no replacement or reskin in the cycle plan, but Jaguar must make a call fairly soon if it hopes to have an X-Type for 2010 that meets Europe’s new pedestrian-impact laws. Jaguar reportedly has all sorts of ideas on the drawing board, but none have been approved. For example, plans to borrow the Mazda RX-8/MX-5 platform for a small sports car or coupe have foundered because the chassis is too tight for a V6 engine.

[the1]

Jaguar's making a break with tradition: the replacement for the S-type is to be called the XF. It's a sign that the new car will be as different as the name – or at least that's what Jaguar hopes.

"The XF is a new sports saloon that will challenge people to think again about Jaguar as daring and different," said Jaguar boss Bibiana Boerio.

The current S-type has never been quite the success Jaguar would have liked. On launch it was criticised for its derivative retro styling and mediocre ride and handling. Much of the blame was laid on the S-type's shared underpinnings with the US-market Lincoln LS. A major revamp of the car in 2002 massively improved the way it drove, but the styling remained largely the same – even after a further facelift in 2005.

Initial design studies – such as the radical RD-6 concept car – have shown that Jaguar is keen to create a thoroughly different car to the old S-type. Unlike the XK and current XJ, however, the new S-type will not be made of aluminium, as this would have delayed the launch by up to 18 months.

The new XK has been met with near-universal praise. Here's hoping the new XF – designed and developed in Coventry and to be built at West Bromwich – has some of its sibling's magic when it goes on sale in spring 2008.

[the1]

Jaguar Cars announces the new Jaguar XF
Jaguar has issued the following press release:

Jaguar Cars today announces that a new sports saloon, the Jaguar XF, will make its public debut next autumn. Positioned in the luxury mid-size segment, the new Jaguar XF will replace the S-TYPE saloon in the Jaguar model line-up.

Designed and developed at Jaguar’s Product Development Centre at Whitley in Coventry, UK, the new Jaguar XF will be built at Jaguar’s Advanced Manufacturing Centre at Castle Bromwich in Birmingham, UK.

“The Jaguar XF is a new sports saloon that will challenge people to think again about Jaguar as daring and different,” commented Bibiana Boerio, Managing Director of Jaguar Cars. “Our new XK sports car has been very well-received and is enjoying great success. We are now moving on to the next stage of Jaguar’s exciting new design era – and if you like the new XK, just wait until you see the new Jaguar XF!”

Customer deliveries of the new Jaguar XF will commence in spring 2008, dependent on market.

Aceasta postare a fost editata de the1: 29 noiembrie 2006 - 12:51

[the1]

Daca iese asa nu m-ar deranja.

[andrei041]

Mai degraba ca in schita din post'ul 15 decat ca in asta

[the1]

[andrei041]

Nu chiar ... ca asta tre sa aiba 4 usi ... si totusi cred ca va fi in 3 volume, nu in 2.

[the1]

2 si jumatate.

[andrei041]

Hmmm ... exista si asa ceva?
Vechiul S era clar in 3 volume ...

[the1]

Fastback. Da, exista. Gandeste-te la un XK cu 4 usi.

[andrei041]

Nu'mi forta imaginatia ... zi un model deja existent
S-type'ul ar trebui schimbat cat mai curand ... ptr ca se pare ca e modelul Jaguar care sta cel mai prost la vanzari. X'ul se vinde cat de cat, XK'ul banuiesc ca si el ...

[the1]

Pai scrie intr-un post anterior, in comunicatul de presa. Lansare Frankfurt 2007.