Jaguar 200mph Supercar Rumours Dismissed, New Entry-Level XE Sportscar More Likely

Britain's Autoweek has rebuked stories that claim that Jaguar is working on a 200mph-plus supercar in the mould of the old XJ220. According to AutoWeek, these claims are nothing more than a pie in the sky that will probably never be reached. Instead Jaguar is said to be readying a smaller sports car to be badged the XE.

We know the name XE will feature in Jaguar's future plans because it was patented as C-XE along with C-XJ. Normally the people running the British luxury brand prefix the ultimate car's name with a C when the car first debuts in public as a concept. The 2007 C-XF Concept for instance later became the production XF. Pictures used are those of a rendered XF-based roadster from the WCF files.

The boss of Tata Motors which owns Jaguar, has said that he likes the idea of an entry-level sports car which would afford first-time buyers the opportunity of considering a Jaguar in the mid-end sports segment. The car under discussion would compete in the same league as the Audi TT, BMW Z4 and Mercedes-Benz SLK instead of with a Mazda MX-5 or a Pontiac Solstice. It would hedge the brand against a global credit crunch that in all probability would stifle sales of the bigger, more expensive XK range. Still on the XK, it's said that a 275hp (205kW) turbo diesel version is being prepared for a friendly rivalry with the BMW 635d.

Source: autoweek

Jaguar XF-R is officially the fastest Jaguar ever at 225mph

Jaguar has just announced that their Jaguar XFR prototype is the fastest Jag ever produced. The XFR, a 510 hp supercharged version of the XF, hit 225.675mph (363.188 km/h) at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.

Previously, the fastest Jaguar on record was the XJ220, which climbed to 217 mph (350 km/h) in 1992. At that time, it was also the fastest production car on record, until the McLaren F1 came along in 1994. The McLaren reached 240 mph (386 km/h) at Nardo, the same track where the XJ220 turned out its record.

The XFR is pushed by the all-new third generation of the AJ-V8. Behind the wheel was Paul Gentilozzi, owner of Rocketsports Racing. He won five Trans Am series victories with the XKR from 2001 to 2006.

Modifications to the car were minor, with some aerodynamic work and safety features added to make the car suitable for a Bonneville run. Additional horsepower was gained through a remapped computer, touched up air intakes and exhaust, and retuning the supercharger. The six-speed automatic transmission was untouched, gear ratios left the same, and internal engine components went unaltered.

The new AJ-V8 engine is a 5.0-liter model getting 510PS and 625Nm of torque. The XFR uses the engine to get to 60mph in 4.7 seconds. Top speed of the production model is electronically limited to 155mph. You can push the accelerator down to get from 50 to 70mph in 1.9 seconds.

The Jaguar XFR still has a ways to go to become the fastest production car. That title is held by the Shelby SuperCars' SSC Ultimate Aero TT, which accomplished 256.18 mph (412.28 km/h) on a closed stretch of highway in West Richland, Washington.

Source: Jaguar