Like a leaping cat joining in on the fun of hunting prey, the auto industry's resident feline is getting ready to jump on the hybrid supercar market, and it's got BMW->ke178 in its sights.

Jaguar->ke39 is preparing to challenge the standing big boy of the market, BMW AG, with a hybrid supercar and the BMW 3-Series with an entry level sedan. Ever since Tata took control of both Jaguar and Land Rover->ke46, the former has become aggressive in reinventing their company to become a little less stiff and a little more cutting edge.

"The company now revolves around the JLR unit and not the other way around," said Ashvin Chotai, Managing Director for Intelligence Automotive Asia. "The next challenge for both the brands is to keep the product pipeline going and exploring new product segments."

Tata Motors->ke3001 plans to invest 1.5 billion pounds, or $2.5 billion at the current rates, annually in the development of over 40 new vehicles or upgrades at Jaguar and LandRover over the next five years. From the looks of things, one of Tata Motors' first orders of business is building a hybrid supercar for Jaguar that will roar into the industry, claws out and ready to pounce on the competition.

.