New ownership seems to be agreeing with Jaguar. Now that Jaguar is out from under Ford's large shadow, its allowed to expand out into more sports cars. Although many would have like to have seen the very British brand go back into the hands of a British company, Tata seems to be using its deep economical resources to expand its crown jewel marque.

As reported earlier, Jaguar plans to expand its line-up with more two-door cars. First on the list seems to be the coupe and convertible versions of the XF sedan. The XF Roadster will feature a folding fabric roof, along with a slightly shortened wheelbase to improve structural rigidity. The Coupe XF is rumored to be utilizing Jaguar's design strength to create a swoopy competitor to the Audi A5. Both the coupe and roadster will look to the XF sedan for its powersource. This will likely mean a V6 available in Europe, and the 4.2-liter V8 as the base in North America. The cars are expected by around 2010 and should have a price point close to the XF (currently about $50K.)

Audi isn't the only German brand Jaguar is taking aim at. The cat is also focusing on pouncing on the Porsche Boxster and Cayman. Possibly by 2012, a new small budget-minded roadster would appear under the name "F-Type". Its styling should come from the now almost nine-year-old concept design and the new XK/XF brand image. The new droptop would utilize a much-shortened XJ chassis. If this roadster does make it into production, the same rumors say that it is likely a hardtop would soon follow.

Jaguar isn't completely abandoning sports sedans. The 500 hp XFR is set to be revealed at the Detroit Auto Show in January, and a new XJ should arrive by 2010.

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