Back in August of last year, we had the first renderings of the 2013 Jaguar XE, the small, all-aluminum sports car aimed square at the Porsche 911. The project was initially shelved because of all the hubbub with staying viable as a carmaker, but now, under Tata ownership, we seem to be back in the game of building cool cars.
The XE was initially reported to feature a retractable hard top eliminating the need for coupe and convertible models, but clearly here we've got a soft top. A modified version of the XF platform was discussed, but the XK elements seen here suggest we're looking at the same platform that already houses a coupe and convertible.
A range of V6 engines are rumored (possibly diesel for everywhere but here) for the base cars while gasoline V8s will highlight the top of the range. Currently, the 2011 Jaguar XK's 5.0-liter V8 makes 385 horsepower, but don't be surprised if there's an XER shortly after the car's launch later this year.
neil_p says:
10:23 AM, 06/22/11
Is this suppose to be cheaper (and therefore more accessable) than the XK / XK-R?
csubowtie says:
12:19 PM, 06/22/11
What's the deal with crazy camo on the fuel filler door? Are they hiding a top secret rivited aluminum look door?
s0seng02 says:
01:02 PM, 06/22/11
really? is it a MX-5 in the 4th picture? Jaguar comparing itself with a Mazda? Not that there is anything wrong with that. MX-5/Miata is a superb sports car. This further raises the bar for MX-5.
mk40 says:
03:11 PM, 06/22/11
Actually the MX-5's design is inspired by British sports cars of the past (listen to the creator of the MX-5 and u will hear him say this)... so no surprise the MX-5 looks like a British roadster like this Jag. that harkens back to some classic British design elements. You've got it backwards.
calspecial68 says:
10:47 PM, 06/22/11
Holy s***, the passenger side of that trunklid is miles off. I know this is only a prototype and all but that is some serious alignment or fitment issue. Hope nothing like that transfers to the production car, would be a shame if it was riddled with poor build quality.
ed341 says:
04:59 AM, 06/23/11
calspecial68 says:
"Holy s***, the passenger side of that trunklid is miles off. I know this is only a prototype and all but that is some serious alignment or fitment issue. Hope nothing like that transfers to the production car, would be a shame if it was riddled with poor build quality."
Please tell me you're joking.
kjgood says:
05:48 AM, 06/23/11
I am a bit surprised. I guess I didn't expect it to look so much like a slightly scaled down version of the current XK/XKR. That isn't (necessarily) a complaint, because I personally really like the basic shape and apparent size of the package. We should be a little careful here, because this does look like it's got a high degree of "cobbled-together early prototype" appearance (hence the funny details and panel mismatches). In fact, I'd speculate this is may be more of a test mule for the platform and mechanicals than necessarily being an early prototype of the final product. So I'm not jumping to any conclusions yet.
lzks says:
06:15 AM, 06/23/11
Oh man, this car looks fantastic already even with all the camo (fuel door too?).
aston_dbs says:
10:42 AM, 06/23/11
ROTFLMAO @calspecial68!!
I don't care what people say, your comment is just too hilarious!!
;-p
bluejuke says:
01:04 PM, 06/23/11
looks more like an xk update... surely the xe will differentiate itself more than that from it's big brother. though i could be wrong as it works for Aston
kjgood says:
05:38 AM, 06/24/11
Just to follow up on my earlier comment about not getting too misled on the looks of this example, several other automotive websites who also caught pix appear to be reporting this as a test mule for the platform/mechanical pieces, as I suggested. They go on to suggest that this prototype was assembled from modified XK bodywork, as indeed it would appear, and that the final version will likely be this approximate size, but will look different. That makes sense to me, because putting out a brand new sports model that remore reflects design direction from years ago isn't what Ian Callum and Jaguar are doing at this time, and wisely too.
lolxd says:
12:46 AM, 06/26/11
It kinda looks like a chopped-off Jaguar XK but I guess it actually is.
They're probably testing the Chassis or trying out a 2 seater configuration for adjustment purposes (take it as Phase 1 of prototyping ;P). Afterall, it's been a while since Jaguar made a 2 seater roadster so they have to build a new one out of their existing lineup.
Front end would be temporary too just for testing purposes. A new front end (or a whole new body) might be added once testing for the "mechanical" components have been finished.
It's been a while now ever since they announced a Porsche Boxster/BMW z4/Mercedes SLK competitor but I guess getting things right takes time. Glad to see they're doing something. I though the whole project was scrapped.
Now show us the X-type replacement prototype ;)