By David Colman

Likes:

• Easily guided missile
• Caviar paint color
• Special order only model

Dislikes:

• Mismatch of dog-leg joint on driver’s door
• Rear-view distortion due to back glass
• Hidden cruise control “cancel” button

I told my friend who sells Lexus products that his cars are going to have to go some to beat the custom order Jaguar I just drove. The XJL Supersport will dispense with any Lexus on a straight road. And on a curvy road as well. In addition, it has a back seat worthy of a first class ticket on British Airways. Its 512 hp supercharged V8 does 0-60 mph in under 5 seconds. Its front seats not only heat and cool you, but massage you as well. “But they all do that” protested my Lexus friend. I beg to differ. If you want a mobile bank vault, buy a Lexus. If you want a real sporting sedan, buy a Jaguar XJL Supersport.

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By contributing editor David Colman

LIKES:

• Prodigious acceleration
• Effectiveness of Dynamic Mode system

DISLIKES:

• Low 57.5 inch roof height
• Non-adjustable rear seats

The Jaguar XF series marks an epochal advance in appearance, performance and engineering over the fusty sedans formerly produced by this legacy British car maker. Now in its third year of production, the XF is available in 4 distinctive models: 385 hp Base and Premium versions, 470 hp Supercharged offering, and line-topping XFR, with 510 hp. If you’re in the market for a Mercedes AMG 6.3, BMW M5 or Porsche Panamera, you’ll definitely want to cross-shop the XFR because this sports sedan is better looking than the Porsche, more nimble than the BMW and much cheaper than the Benz.

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Pros

• Gobs of supercharged V8 power
• Surprisingly nimble handling
• Yacht-like interior luxury
• Sublime B&W sound system

Cons

• Outdated 6 speed transmission
• Less than roomy interior
• Sluggish touch screen interface

The days of the lumbering land yacht are over, or so it would seem, after driving the new 2011 Jaguar XJL Supercharged. Buying a large luxury sedan like the XJL used to mean lots of cushy, roomy opulence, with the priority firmly placed on pampering over performance. Now, with close to 500 hp under the hood and huge, sticky sports car tires at the corners, this big Jag can do VIP duty in the evening and hit the racetrack the following morning.

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By contributing editor David Colman

Hits:

• Interior of the Gods
• Pinball quality gear selected display
• Silence at cruise speed

Misses:

• Too much chrome on air vents and central console
• Limited headroom front and rear
• No pass-through from trunk to passenger compartment

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Jaguar XKR Consumer Reviews	Jaguar XKR More Expert Reviews	2011 Jaguar XKR Photo Gallery	2008 Jaguar XKR Video Review

By contributing editor David Colman

Hits

• Drop dead beautiful
• 510 horsepower raring to go
• Keeps driver involvement on full boil

Misses

• Hair trigger in the rain
• Questionable reliability
• Five grand extra for 20 inch wheels

The “R” version of the XK is the first fully worthy successor to the legendary XKE that Jaguar has produced in the 40 years that have elapsed since the demise of the original model. After the XKE earned worldwide acclaim it became known as the E-Type. The XKR is already good enough to be designated R-Type. The same design and performance elements that elevated the XKE to icon status are all present in the 2011 R-Type: unsurpassed visual beauty allied with stellar speed potential.

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By Alex Kramer

Pros:

• Marvelous 385 hp 5.0 L V8 engine
• Exceptionally balanced suspension
• Classy and sophisticated interior
• Gorgeous exterior design

Cons:

• Rear seating is a bit cramped
• Touchscreen display could be bigger
• Poor gas mileage, even for a luxury sports sedan

Introduction

Some might say a car is just a machine, a combination of mechanical parts designed to get us from point A to point B. Although for most people this is the main point of owning a car, luckily for many the automobile embodies much more, capturing the soul through exquisite design and breathtaking performance. Otherwise we’d all be driving Toyotas… well, at least until recently.

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Contributing editors: Greg Gaillard, Alex Kramer, Kurt Gensheimer, Derek Mau

Despite 2008′s desperate measures to help auto manufacturers hold on to business as usual, 2009 brought only radical change leaving many old business practices and brands behind.

We have been spectators in this year of turmoil and watched the industry struggle to reinvent itself.  Two of The Big Three went bankrupt; one emerged with a global partner, the other became lean and focused.  Diesels are now faster than their gasoline counterparts. Nine out of ten EPA mpg champs are hybrids. VW bought Porsche while Porsche was buying VW.  Overall sales were millions of units short of expectations. Manufacturers now pin their hopes on the Chinese market, while Americans pray that the Volt is half as good as it needs to be. Somehow, during all of this turmoil Kia became cool.  What was once unthinkable has happened.

Amidst the mayhem consumer conservatism has redefined value to mean more than MSRP, monthly payments and residuals. Cars had better be good at what they do or people won’t buy them. The industry must meet the new expectation of great cars and real innovation. Tricky marketing and trend analysis will not build the product portfolios of the future.

While the industry was being shaken to its core, 2009 was a banner year for new technologies and remarkable products.  Read on to find out which cars persevered as CarReview’s best choices of 2009

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Jaguar, a company long known for making very beautiful, very fast cars seems to be turning its eye towards a green other than its traditional British Racing Green. Reports indicate that not only will Jag soon be building a hybrid, but they are also seriously looking at, if not already committed to building an all-electric model. And this electric will be a two-seater convertible.

Dubbed the XE roadster, the news suggests that it will have a very novel drivetrain similar to that of the Chevrolet Volt. The engine will be a three cylinder that will drive an electric generator (at least that’s what Motor Trend says), the genny will charge the batteries, and off you go. Sort of like a diesel/electric train. MT states that it’s just a concept, and is not definitely slated for production, but it IS a very interesting idea. Dubbed the Jaguar XE-EREV, it will likely debut at the 2011 Geneva show.

Just to make things more confusing, it’s not clear whether the electric Jag would be the only electric Jaguar, or if it would be in addition to the XJ range-extended electric car Jaguar says it will roll out in 2011. The XJ would have an all electric range of 30 miles and get 57 mpg, which are very impressive numbers for a car that big. Also, the CO2 emissions would be on par with a Honda Civic Hybrid. To make the XJ, and possibly the roadster a reality, Jaguar is counting on a more than $407 million loan from the European Investment Bank to help develop the car.

Pass the popcorn.

Source: Wired Autopia

Photo from Flickr user xmatt

Believe it or not, Jaguar and Land Rovers have never been officially sold in the Indian market. That’s about to change, officially, and it has everything to do with the fact that, business-wise, Jag and Landy are now Indian brands. As most of you know, Jaguar and Land Rover were acquired not to long ago by Tata, one of India’s largest automakers. Dubbed the “Jaguar Land Rover” premiere car group, they will enter the Indian market for the first time later this year. The first showroom scheduled to be open in Worli, Mumbai, in June this year. Initially only the Jaguar XF and XK, and the Land Rover Discovery and Range Rover models will be offered.

“We are delighted to be formally entering the Indian market, an economy which is still growing appreciably, and able to offer our premium products to a whole new group of customers. It is an important strategic move for Jaguar Land Rover and will enable us to realize our competitive potential in this significant market,” said David Smith, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover.

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Somehow, despite all the sturm und drang happening in the auto world at the moment, Jaguar is seeing fit to let the rumors fly about an upcoming new sportscar for 2011, and not just any sports car, but a re-do of the mouthwatering F-Type show car. The F-Type, which was a show car from 2000, was announced for production in early 2001, but sadly the F-Type was never to see the light of day, since Jag decided to focus its resources on the ill-fated X-Type sedan.

Stories of a new Jaguar sportscar have been around ever since and now fresh comments from Mike O’Driscoll, Jag Managing Director, imply there’s a distinct possibility we’ll see a new sportscar soon. “If we were to do something, it would be a proper sports car priced like a 911. Wouldn’t it be great to launch a sports car at Geneva on the 50th anniversary of the E-type?” O’Driscoll said.

A report in AutoCar hints there’s work being done on what might be called the Jaguar XE. And even better, it looks like Lotus appears to be involved. It seems as though the XE will use a cropped version of the aluminum chassis currently used for the XK. If all goes well (cross your fingers) expect to see a concept version around this time next year.

Source: Edmunds