With the hayfever season...
With the hayfever season in full swing, motorists could be putting themselves and others at risk by travelling under the influence of allergy medication, new research shows.
Based on the aluminium...
Based on the aluminium chassis technology that underpins the recently unveiled XK, the model will be rear-wheel drive and is expected to be powered by a V6 engine coupled to a six-speed manual gearbox.
Thanks to its lightweight bodywork, it will also offer an impressive power-to-weight ratio along with performance to match, as it takes the fight to rivals including BMW"s new Z4 Coup탩 and Porsche"s Cayman. Due to the XK"s construction, the technical challenge of shortening the platform is lessened. Much like Aston Martin"s VH chassis, which allowed the DB9"s underpinnings to be reduced for the new V8 Vantage, Jaguar is able to produce a shorter car without investing millions of pounds in a bespoke design.
Born out of the dormant X600 programme, which included the brilliant F-Type show car, plans for the newcomer are testament to the Coventry firm"s long assertion that there is still a place for a machine like the F-Type. Jaguar bosses have also stated that the marque"s revitalisation, following the closure of the Browns Lane plant, depends on bringing exciting new models to the market. That process has begun with the XK and will continue with the S-Type.
Sources say plans are at an extremely early stage. However, under Ian Callum and advanced design chief Julian Thompson, proposals for how the car could look are currently being developed. Some of the styling features which made the F-Type such a hit with fans of the marque are likely to be kept. But the most significant difference is that the first model will be a coup탩, rather than a cabriolet.
Riding low, the newcomer will take its inspiration from the new XK. The interior, meanwhile, will be much more driver-oriented than that of the XK, which aims to offer greater luxury and space than its competitors in the GT marketplace.
However, despite support for the new baby coup탩, the model is competing for company resources at a time when Jaguar is under huge pressure to refresh the rest of its range, as we report over the page. So no timescale for the baby XK"s development programme has been set in place as yet.