(continued from above)
The XK generation that ceased production in June 2005 was Jaguar's
fastest-selling sports model of all time. The challenge for the team that
designed and engineered the 2007 XK was to produce a model that bettered that
success story. The new XK has been engineered above and beyond the high
expectations that customers rightly have for a Jaguar sports car, a fact made
possible because everything from its advanced aluminum chassis to its
sophisticated transmission and exquisite interior has been designed in pursuit
of a luxurious, advanced and stunning new Jaguar.
The all-new Jaguar XK will be launched in Spring 2006 and will allow Jaguar to
emerge as a world leader in Lightweight Vehicle Technology while retaining its
reputation for beautifully designed and crafted cars.
"The new XK delivers the unique blend of performance, luxury and style that only
a Jaguar can," says Bibiana Boerio, managing director, Jaguar Cars. "And its
beauty is more than skin-deep - this is a sports car with the heart and soul of
every great Jaguar."
A New Design Direction for Jaguar
The all-new XK is visibly more assertive and sportier than the model it
replaces, but in true Jaguar tradition it is also elegant, understated and
mature. In hard-top guise it has classic, ground-hugging Coupe proportions, with
long hood, steeply raked windshield and rear window, arch-filling wheels, and
minimal overhangs. The front-wing power vents are a new Jaguar styling signature
recently seen on the special edition XJ Super V8 Portfolio; the distinctive oval
grille opening, prominent hood power-bulge and practicality-enhancing rear
Liftback all echo the classic E-type, while details like the sweeping front and
rear light shapes and powerful stance catapult Jaguar sports car design firmly
into the 21st century.
Inside the new XK, traditional craftsmanship and contemporary luxury materials,
like finely stitched leather, contrast with a choice of more high-tech trim
surfaces including metallic finishes. The layout is driver-focused and sporty,
with excellent ergonomics and body-hugging seats, set low against the high
waistline to give a strong 'cockpit' feel. With the new XK's longer wheelbase,
wider tracks and taller roofline, the 2+2 layout has significantly more interior
space for front seat occupants than the XK that it replaces.
Jaguar XK Convertible: Review (2/2)
