It won't ship until late 2010, but the 2011 Audi A8 looks really good. The all-new fourth-generation A8 full-size luxury sedan has a 372 hp 4.2-liter V-8 with eight-speed transmission under the hood, and all-wheel drive.
This 8-minute video includes driving scenes and exterior shots, plus close-up detail shots.
The $75,000 car will compete with the Mercedes-Benz S-class, Maserati Quattroporte, Lexus LS460, Jaguar XJ/XJL, BMW 7-series.
The Lincoln MKS with an EcoBoost V6 engine is put to the ultimate challenge for speed and handling against four European luxury V8s up Loveland Pass, Colo. The challengers are the Maserati Quattroporte, the Jaguar XF, the BMW 550i, and the Mercedes E550.
Unfortunately, no real details of the challenge, such as fuel economy braking and handling, are released. More details about the challenge can be found at 6versus8.com.
Ahead of its official North American debut at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, Jaguar gave us a look at the new XJ in San Francisco. The new XJ was designed by Ian Callum and is a radical change from the previous body style, which was little changed for 40 years. The new car's look might tweak Jaguar purists, but the lines are modern. In some respects, it resembles the XF. The XJ will be Jaguar's flagship sedan, and the first launch under new owners Tata Motors. The new XJ features some impressive tech, its most over-the-top feature being a virtual instrument cluster.
The 2010 Jaguar XJ starts at $72,500, up more than $6,000 from today's version. Sales of the current XJ have slowed.
(Credit: Automotive News)
After four generations of similarly styled XJs, Jaguar has given its flagship sedan a new look as well as more advanced features and a hefty price increase.
The idea is to try -- yet again -- to compete directly with range-topping German sedans.
The 2010 XJ, with an all-aluminum body, goes on sale in December with a starting price of $72,500 for the standard wheelbase. That is up more than $6,000 from today's car.
The long-wheelbase 2010 XJL will start at $79,500, compared with $69,975 for the current long-wheelbase model. Jaguar says the new one will have equipment levels comparable to the current $76,850 Vanden Plas version, which is being dropped. All prices include shipping.
Great expectations
Jaguar's new XJ will top out at $115,000 for the 510-hp Supersport model, compared with $94,850 for the 2009 Super V-8 version.
Jonathan Rayner, the XJ's global brand manager, says the company expects the car, with its flashy new shape, to compete with not only the Mercedes-Benz S class and BMW 7 series but also the even pricier Porsche Panamera, Bentley and Mas-erati sedans.
The 7 series starts at $81,125 and the S class at $90,225, including shipping.
Dealers say Jaguar aimed the current XJ at the S class, but it has been more like an E-class rival.
Jim Hall, an analyst with 2953 Analytics in suburban Detroit, says Jaguar wants to avoid the reputation of being the discount alternative.
"If you want to play in the Tier 1 luxury segment, you probably don't get your credentials with a low-priced car," Hall says.
The dealers say the XJ's new styling will lure buyers into showrooms. Standard equipment includes a panoramic glass roof; a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster; an eight-inch touch screen for audio, video and climate controls; and a new 5.0-liter V-8 engine that replaces today's 4.2-liter V-8.
A new niche
Ambitions may be high, but the volume targets aren't. For the new XJ, Jaguar expects monthly sales of 800 to 1,000 cars, says Chris Lilley, general manager of product planning for Jaguar Cars North America. Seventy to 80 percent of XJs sold in the United States will be long-wheelbase models, Lilley says.
Sales of the current model have fizzled. Only 810 cars were sold through June. In 2008, Jaguar sold 2,452 XJs, down from 4,474 in 2007. XJ sales peaked in 1998 at 16,642 cars.
Mark Hennessy, owner of two Jaguar stores in Georgia, says the XJ has looked the same for so many generations that it stopped selling and hasn't attracted younger buyers.
"The car and the design had become irrelevant," Hennessy says. "The customer you wanted to appeal to didn't want the product."
(Source: Automotive News)
A huge week of electric car announcements; the new Jaguar XJ reaches for the title of Top Tech Car; GM's out of BK; Dodge saves the Viper; and we take you for a ride in the hottest green car on the planet.
Listen now: Download today's podcast
SHOW NOTES
• New Jaguar XJ launched, dripping with tech
• Best Buy moves hard into electric vehicles
Jaguar launches an updated XJ for the 2010 model year.
(Credit: Jaguar)Today, Jay Leno took the stage in England to introduce the 2010 Jaguar XJ. This model update follows on the successful update of the XK and launch of the XF, completing Jaguar's revamp of its model line-up. In his opening remarks, Leno commented on how it was a Jaguar that first got him into cars, an impressive achievement considering his current car collection.
The new XJ keeps many traditional Jaguar styling cues, such as a wire grille, but its sides come straight down; probably better for aerodynamics, rather than the more torpedo-like shape of older Jags. The roofline also extends back far over the trunk, with small triangular windows behind the main rear side windows. A standard glass top also has two sunroofs, both of which open, for front and rear seats.
Jaguar worked with stereo maker Bowers & Wilkins on the audio systems for the XK and XF, and continues the partnership in the XJ. The stereo for this car uses 1,200 watts of amplification, and includes a media hub with two USB ports for iPods and other sources along with Bluetooth audio streaming.
Instead of traditional analog instruments, the XJ gets a 12.3-inch high-resolution screen for its instrument cluster, with virtual speedometer and tachometer. The center LCD is an 8-inch touch screen for controlling audio, navigation, and the phone system.
The car will be built as a standard XJ and in a long wheelbase model, dubbed the XJL. The base engine for the car is a 5-liter V-8 making 385 horsepower. A supercharged version will also be available with 470 horsepower, and a Supersport model makes 510 horsepower.
The 2010 Jaguar XJ goes on sale in September.
Jaguar is leading the way in lower fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions by using a lighter weight aluminum body shell in the 2010 Jaguar XJ. Designers for the new model talk about why it will outperform previous generations.
To close out my "Tribute to Jaguar" week, I decided to bring a racing video from the good ol' days - and incidentally, it brings me back to the decade I started at this week - the 1980s.
This video features noted race car driver Tom Walkinshaw racing a 1980s Jaguar XJS (with a V12 engine!!!) at Mt. Panorama in Australia. The buzz of the engine is music to my ears, and the commentary ain't bad either. Enjoy and I'll see ya next week!
For whatever it's worth, the new Vin Diesel racing flick Fast and Furious topped the box office charts over the weekend. So, I thought it timely to bring you a drifting video for today's blog. And keeping with the "All About Jaguar" theme for this week, I managed to find a recent online video featuring someone drifting in a Jaguar XJ sedan.
This video apparently comes from Germany, and it features some cool drifting moves in what appears to be a mid-2000's edition of the Jaguar XJ sedan. The soundtrack goes along real well with the video, too. The Jaguar sedan would not be what I'd imagine to be an ideal pick to do some drifting in, but there lots of people who like to modify cars and get creative...so the way I see it, if you can rock it, do your thang baby.
