Jaguar cars

Jaguar Drops XFR-S Teaser No. 2

Jaguar is preparing for a busy time in Los Angeles this week with a number of debuts. One debut, in particular, is getting significant attention because of the way the British automaker has been harking its debut.

Less than a week after dropping the first teaser image of the XFR-S, Jaguar is back with teaser No. 2, showing off the sports sedan’s enormous rear spoiler. Take a closer look at it and you might think that you’ve seen that rear spoiler before. Yup, it certainly looks like the same kind of spoiler that the XKR-S Coupe has on it.

More details will be revealed about the new XFR-S when it takes center stage at the L.A. Auto Show. For now, however, digest the growing notion that the rear spoiler won’t be the only thing similar between the XFR-S and the XKR-S. The word is that the former will also carry a 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 engine that delivers a total of 550 horsepower.

Should that prove to be accurate, we expect nothing but good things from this sports sedan.

Top 5 Most Beautiful Cars Launched in 2012

One of the key selling points to any car’s success is its design. Even if the brand of a car is unknown, with the help of a good design, it can grab positive attention from the most discerning of critics. This focus on beauty is the main reason so many brands invest millions of dollars in design studios.

One of the most important steps toward the success of any project is to get the design right. It should not be pretentious but also should not be too bland. Nowadays, automobile designing is one of the toughest jobs in the industry. People who can draw and have passion for automobiles simply cannot call themselves a designer. It takes a certain skillset and experience to make a mark. The toughest part in designing a vehicle is balancing key elements such as aerodynamics with modern design that pays homage to the brand’s original design language. Take for instance the Jaguar F-Type. It’s a car that, Chief designer Ian Callum says, ushers in a whole new design language for the Leaping Jag while still keeping certain elements of the legendary E-Type alive. Customers of today’s world not only want a head-turning design but also a design that is recognizable.

This year, we have witnessed quite a few cars that have amazed the public through soulful beauty without compromising on aerodynamics and brand image. Here is a list of five cars that we think are the most beautiful cars, launched this year.

2013 Jaguar F-Type Black Pack Edition

We all know that Jaguar will be unveiling the new XFR-S sports sedan next week at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show next to the new F-Type roadster. But, the company now announced that a special "Black Pack" F-Type will also be on display on its stand.

As its name suggests, the new Black pack will add lots of black elements. A distinctive gloss black finish will be added to the alloy wheels, the grille and window surrounds and it will be combined with a limited list of body color options. And, for an even more aggressive look the package will add smoked lights and blacked-out mirrors. The same black treatment will continue on the interior.

The new Black Pack will go on sale in the same time with the F-Type - mid-spring 2013 - and will add an extra $1,600 to the car’s total price. It will be offered for both V6 and V8 engine configurations.

2013 Jaguar XKR-S Nicko McBrain Edition

Just like what Ferrari did for golfer Ian Poulter and musician Eric Clapton, automakers have been known to acquiesce to certain customers who want to build their own one-off customized vehicles.

British automaker Jaguar recently took that step when it built a special edition XKR-S exclusively for Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain. On top of being a sick drummer for one of the world’s most famous heavy metal bands, McBrain is also a noted car enthusiast.

So it wasn’t all that surprising that McBrain decided to have Jaguar commission him with a special edition XKR-S shortly after taking the sports car out for a ride out on a race track. The man knows how to decide quickly, doesn’t he?

At his behest, Jaguar jumped at the opportunity, dressing up McBrain’s XKR-S with an Ultra-Blue exterior paint job to go with a red and black interior that comes complete with Iron Maiden references. The door sills, in particular, were engraved with a "Nicko McBrain" XKR-S" inscription using Iron Maiden’s iconic font style. The same font was also used on the carbon fiber hood louvers where the word "Supercharged" was engraved to.

There doesn’t appear to be any performance modifications on the XKR-S, but McBrain doesn’t appear to mind considering that the Jaguar sports car already comes with a 5.0-liter V8 engine that produces 500 horsepower and 501 lb/ft of torque.

Jaguar XFR-S Teased

Jaguar has just announced its lineup for the upcoming 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, and we have to admit, we like what we see. First, the new F-Type roadster will be making its U.S. debut, which is enough to get us amped up. Now we are learning that an important piece to Jag’s future lineup, the ultra-high-performance Jaguar XFR-S, will be making its world debut in L.A. too.

The XFR-S is the second R-S model in Jaguar’s lineup, following the XKR-S that Jag unveiled at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. No official details have been offered just yet, but it is believed the XFR-S will be powered by the same engine that fuels the XKR-S: a 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 engine that delivers a total of 550 horsepower.

Jaguar is quoted saying: "Making its global debut at the show will be the XFR-S model, the fastest and most powerful saloon Jaguar has ever produced. This is the second model in the ultra-high performance R-S range and builds on the already acclaimed XFR."

That sounds like a pretty awesome Jag to us, so stay tuned for more info. The L.A. Auto Show is just around the corner!

Jaguar already received 2000 pre-orders for the F-Type

The new Jaguar F-Type generated a ton of buzz even before it was officially unveiled in September at the 2012 Paris Auto Show. It is scheduled to go on sale in 2013, but even though its release is still months away, Jaguar has already received a total of 2,000 orders for the F-Type — about a third of the 6,000 to 7,000 units Jaguar plans to develop next year.

According to Jaguar, this will not propel the company back to its impressive 140,000 units it sold in 2007, but it will certainly help it to achieve its future sales target of 10,000 F-Types sold annually by 2014.

In the U.S. market, prices for the F-Type Roadster will range from $69,000 for the base model to upwards of $92,000 for the V8 S version. The F-Type Roadster will have a choice of two engines: a 3.0-liter supercharged V-6, which delivers 340 to 380 horsepower, or a 5.0-liter V-8 engine with 495 horsepower.

Spy Shots: Jaguar XFR-S Shows Off its Big Rear Wing

It’s been a while since we last saw the Jaguar XFR-S testing around the Nurburgring, but it seems that all that waiting was worth it. The sports car has now been spotted while lapping the famous ’Ring, but this time, it’s wearing a massive rear wing at the back. We’re wondering if this is Jaguar’s idea of being discreet or if they just wanted to enjoy a race-track experience.

As you can see, the XFR-S is still camouflaged, meaning that the parts that are covered up are where the biggest changes will appear. The front spoiler will get its own design which won’t look anything like the XF-R or even the XKR-S, but something more in line with the style of the BMW M5. The side sills are also beefier and, together with the wider track and wheels, will give the XFR-S a more powerful look. The rear diffuser is also more prominent than on the XFR and the trunk now has this big rear wing with an integrated third brake light.

Under the hood, we will see the same engine as in the XKR-S: a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 engine that will deliver a total of 550 HP.

2014 Jaguar F-Type Coupe

Not too long ago, Jaguar unveiled the first official details for their F-Type roadster which is set to be announced later in 2012 with sales to begin in mid 2013. While the official details confirm that only a roadster version will be offered, in an interview with AutoExpress, Design Director, Ian Callum, revealed that a coupe version will also be offered in the next 12 to 18 months.

"A coupe version will appear. Buyers in this market tend to keep their cars for 12 to 18 months, then they want something new. We’ll leverage that by offering a coupe. That’s going to be vital to keeping the car’s lifecycle going."

Callum also confirmed that the production version F-Type version would take 95%of its design elements from the C-X16 concept: "Sometimes a production car can be a big disappointment after you’ve seen the concept, but the F-Type will include 95 per cent of the C-X16. I can promise that you won’t be disappointed."

The new Jaguar F-Type Roadster will be powered by a 3.0-liter V6 engine that delivers a total of 250 HP in the normally aspirated version and 375 HP in the supercharged R version. Jaguar has also confirmed that the future F-Type two-seater convertible will be priced under the current XK, or at about $85,000. That would mean the F-Type Coupe would have a similar if not identical engine lineup and will also be in the same price bracket, possibly with a few thousand dollars knocked off.

UPDATE 10/02/2012: Now that we have the official details on the new F-Type Roadster, new sources are reporting that a coupe version will arrive next month at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Stay tuned!(MotorAuthority).

2013 Jaguar F-Type Leaked Online

Two days before the official debut of the 2013 Jaguar F-Type, someone has finally let that luscious and much-anticipated cat out of the bag. Just last week, the first leaked image of the Jaguar was revealed and, now, TeamSpeed has broken the embargo and unveiled the first multiple images of the upcoming sports roadster.

As expected, the next F-Type features a very aggressive look with a number of design elements inspired by the C-X16 Concept. The most obvious, borrowed features are the split air intakes on the front end and the long bonnet.

The 2013 Jaguar F-Type will be offered with a choice of three engines: Jaguar’s all-new 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine with an output of either 340 or 380 HP and the existing supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine for the R version. All engine options will drive the rear wheels through an eight-speed transmission and will be equipped with Stop/Start technology.

Stay tuned for the official debut of the 2013 F-Type on September 27th at the 2012 Paris Auto Show.

Leaked Images of the 2013 Jaguar F-Type Surface

It probably takes a lot of hard work trying to keep a model a secret until its official official launch date. Fortunately for all of us, we have learned that this rarely ever happens as many automakers have all kinds of leaks, including Jaguar and its upcoming F-Type. The first official image of the new F-Type has surfaced on the internet revealing the small roadster in all its glory. Jaguar didn’t have much choice but to admit that this was a real photo and not just another rendering.

The sports cars shown in this image illustrate just how much the new F-Type took from the design of the C-X16 Concept that was unveiled last year at the Frankfurt Motor Show. They include the concept’s split air intakes on the front end and the long bonnet, emitting a sense of power and elegance that we have grown accustomed to from Jaguar. Under the hood, there will be a choice of three engines: a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 engine with an output of either 340 or 380 HP and the existing supercharged 5.0-liter V8 offered for the R Version.

The new Jaguar F-Type will be making its world debut next week at the 2012 Paris Auto Show. Jaguar has confirmed that the future F-Type two-seater convertible will be priced under the current XK, or at about $85,000. That would mean the F-Type Coupe would have a similar if not identical engine lineup and will also be in the same price bracket, possibly with a few thousand dollars knocked off.