British car guide WhatCar? has announced its 2008 car of the year awards. The categories range from supermini to performance, and every class in-between. Throughout the results common themes are apparent. No matter what type of vehicle they are looking for, British consumers are in need of everyday practicality along with fuel economy. Practicality comes in the form of tight packages that do not sacrifice storage space or good handling characteristics. Fuel economy comes in the form of small diesel engines powering almost every vehicle on the list. WhatCar? also seems to have a bit of a bias towards makes with British heritage. It named the Jaguar XF 2.7D V6 Luxury their overall 2008 Car of the Year. The Jag was also the winner of the executive car category. They noted that the car’s classic refined Jaguar design mixed with modern details is what won them over.
New Cars
Jaguar’s XKR-S
XKR-S Coupe and Convertible. Only 25 XKR-S Convertibles are scheduled to come to our shores, with an allocation of only 100 Coupes. All have sold out. Fortunately, even though all of the 2012 examples have been sold, this special sports car is a halo vehicle for Jaguar and is scheduled for a three-year production run. Both XKR-S models are propelled by an AJ – Gen III, 5.0-liter DOHC, 32-valve Roots-Type twin-vortex Supercharged V8 engine with spray-guided Direct Injection. The modified V8 engine produces 550 hp in a range from 6,000 to 6,500 rpm, while also generating 502 lb ft of torque from 2,500 to 5,500 rpm. It is positioned longitudinally up front. Both cars sit 10mm lower than the XKR, with increased spring rates fore and aft. Both cars share the same mechanicals and fuel economy. The engine’s driving force […]
Classic Cars
First and Last of the E-Type
Classic and Sports car Magazine reported on the first and last of the fabled E-types recently coming together for the first time ever at Sandown Park in Surrey. The cars in question were 1 VHP, as featured in the October issue of C&SC, the first production right-hand-drive fixed-head coupé commonly known as Chassis Number 1, and HDU 555N, the last S3 V12 to leave the Browns Lane factory. The Sandown event was a collaboration between Jaguar Heritage, Classic Motor Cars of Bridgnorth and Barry Potter Fairs, yet another outing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the landmark British design. More than 4000 visitors to the show also saw other important E-types, including two more from the current issue of C&SC: the famed Lindner-Nocker Lightweight and 1600 RW, the first E-type to be sold. Other highlights included Jag test driver Norman Dewis signing copies […]
Corporate Business
Jaguar’s Quality Rating Cheered
Ford Motor Co.’s Bennie Fowler cheered last week when Jaguar finished in a tie for No. 1 on J.D. Power and Associates’ long-term vehicle dependability study. “I happen to know the guy who was the COO at Jaguar in 2003 when we started making improvements,” said Fowler, who was, indeed, COO of Jaguar in 2003. Today, Fowler is Ford’s group vice president of quality. Back then, Fowler and a team of executives put Ford processes in place at Jaguar to improve quality. Ford sold Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata Group in 2008, but J.D. Power’s dependability study evaluates three-year old, or 2006, models. From Freep.com Staff