Car Design News: Jaguar XK in Depth

Page 1: Introduction
Page 2: Design
Page 3: Technology
Page 4: Powertrain
Page 5: Chassis/Dynamics
Page 6: Interior
Page 7: Safety
Page 8: Heritage/Specifications

XK LINEAGE

At Jaguar, XK has always stood for sports car and for Jaguar, sports cars have always been used to push technology forwards. The badge first appeared on the XK120, unveiled at the London Motor Show in 1948. Like the new XK, the very first XK120s had aluminium bodywork and although the production models reverted to steel bodies, they still had abundant performance â€“ mainly thanks to the first appearance in production of the classic Jaguar six-cylinder twin-cam XK engine and retention of lightweight aluminium closure panels. In 1949 the XK120 justified its name, by topping 120mph in an official record run on the Jabbeke motorway in Belgium. Not only was it the fastest sports car of its day, it also started a golden era for Jaguar in sports car racing.

The legendary C-type racer that was developed from the XK120 took the innovations to the next level. In 1951, with a new tubular chassis and a beautifully streamlined aluminium body designed by Jaguarâ€™s aerodynamics specialist Malcolm Sayer, it won the greatest sports car race of them all, the Le Mans 24-Hours. The C-type won again in 1953, after famously introducing disc brakes to motor sport the previous year â€“ a perfect illustration of Jaguar introducing cutting edge technologies in their sports cars, and invariably quoted as one of the greatest examples of â€˜motor racing improving the breedâ€™.

While the XK140 and XK150 followed the XK120 as Jaguarâ€™s mainstream production sports cars, that dual-purpose road/race character started by the C-type evolved into its even more exotic successor, the D-type. The D continued to be based around the brilliant XK engine but now had an aluminium semi-monocoque chassis built on aircraft principles, and even more efficient low-drag aerodynamics, again developed by Sayer. In 1955, 1956 and 1957 the D-types added a stunning Le Mans hat-trick to bring Jaguarâ€™s â€˜first generationâ€™ 24-Hour victory tally to five wins in seven years.

When the E-type stole the show in Geneva in 1961 there was no mistaking that although it was a full-production road car, it was from the same DNA as the D. It was actually the last Jaguar sports car to use the XK engine, but once again it had rewritten the sports car rule book with its stunning looks, its semi-monocoque construction and its astonishing performance-to-price ratio â€“ something else Jaguar had made a speciality of.

When the next XK, the XK8, appeared, in 1996, it reflected the times. It was a very different kind of car â€“ much more grand tourer than classic sports car in the 1950s and 1960s mould, but every inch a Jaguar, and destined to be the fastest selling sports car in Jaguar history. Like its predecessors it was looking forwards, not backwards and made clever use of new technologies to make it quicker, safer, more refined and more efficient. By 2001 it had Jaguarâ€™s A.R.T.S. Adaptive Restraint Technology System and Adaptive Cruise Control; in 2003 it adopted the larger, more powerful 4.2 litre V8, plus the 400bhp supercharged version. It also adopted Jaguarâ€™s class-leading six-speed automatic transmission, Emergency Brake Assist and Dynamic Stability Control. And one more generation of changes in 2004 carried it through to the end of production in May 2005 with its sporting dynamics and stunning looks still giving it a very special appeal.

Now, the all-new XK takes the Jaguar sports car line to another level. It is lighter, faster and better equipped than the model it replaces, with substantial improvements in performance, handling dynamics, braking distances, safety and economy. In looks it pays homage to the legendary Jaguars of the past â€“ the front grille, for example, is a clear evolution of the classic front ends seen on the D-type, E-type and last-generation XK. But beneath that gorgeous skin there has never been a more fitting representation of how Jaguarâ€™s sports cars offer cutting-edge technology to match their unparalleled appearance.