Section: Jaguar
Written By: Seyth Miersma
May 13th, 2008 11:00 AM
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Die-cast model makers Minichamps appear to be working on some kind of infant sports car project, as these unbearably cute images have surfaced with the toymaker’s logo affixed. Sure to be a hit with the tween and girlfriend set, (you remember the Muppet Babies phenomenon right?) we’re going to speculate that the new toy cars have bubble-like wheels, and over-sized headlights that look a lot like puppy dog eyes. Enjoy the cute logo gallery below.
+ Jalopnik: Awwww, Brand Logos When They Were Babies
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
Written By: Seyth Miersma
May 7th, 2008 12:30 PM
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It’s not that unusual for us to find the occasional random press release waiting for us in our inbox, once or twelve-times a day, but it fairly rare that we get one quite as entertaining as this number from German tuners Loder.
The company has done a tasteful job kitting out the 2008 Jaguar XF but the real brilliance is in the verbiage it’s chosen to use in its official press release. Rather than spoil it with commentary, we’ll let you enjoy it in its natural state below the jump.
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
April 24th, 2008 11:00 AM
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Ford cleared one major hurdle in completing its sale of Jaguar and Land Rover to Indian automaker Tata on Wednesday, receiving the go-ahead from U.S. government antitrust officials.
Authorities from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said in a notice on Wednesday that they had completed a review of the $2.3 billion dollar deal and had no plans to take actions to block the move.
This latest small victory over the mass of legislative red tape will help to put Tata on a path to be a builder of among the most diverse portfolios of vehicles on the planet. Tata officially announced that it would be buying Land Rover and Jag last month.
A smattering from the future Tata empire in the galleries below.
+ Automotive News: TATA GETS US ANTITRUST OK FOR JAGUAR, LAND ROVER (subscription required)
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
Written By: Seyth Miersma
April 23rd, 2008 1:00 PM
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The new Jaguar XF, a gift from Ford to the luxury carmaker’s next owner, finally cracks the code of a suitable style for future cars from the leaping cat. We take an inside look at Jaguar’s past and present design techniques.
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
April 21st, 2008 8:00 AM
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60-year-old Geoff Polites, CEO of the Jaguar and Land Rover brands, passed away on Saturday in his home country of Australia. Reports indicate that he had been battling a serious illness for two years.
A decades-long veteran of the auto industry, Polites took the helm at Jaguar Land Rover in 2005, helping to steer the brands back to profitability and through their recent sale to Tata Motors. Polites was expected to stay on with the automakers when the sale is finalized in June.
Ford Motor Company’s Alan Mulally called Polites “a real inspiration to us all,” going on to say “His drive and determination, combined with his clear sense of vision for the business, played a huge role in turning round the business at Jaguar Land Rover and returning it to profitability.”
Land Rover’s CFO, David Smith, will take the position of acting CEO until a successor is named at Jaguar Land Rover.
(Click through the jump to read Ford’s press release.)
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
April 3rd, 2008 1:00 PM
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Tata Motors is apparently moving right ahead in its plans for newly acquired Jaguar and Land Rover. The Indian automaker is said to have already green-lighted the funds needed for each brand to start on a new project.
For Jaguar that means that a Porsche 911-fighting sports car could be on its way down the pipe. The car, which is known within the company as either the XE or F-Type, has been a possibility for a while now, but languished under Ford ownership because of its possible competitiveness with Aston Martin.
Land Rover meanwhile is expected to get the go-ahead on its LRX project, with reports specifying that the SUV will be built in the UK. Both projects are tentatively planned to hit the market by around 2012.
(Have a look at the Land Rover LRX in our gallery below.)
+ Autoblog: REPORT: Tata green-lights LRX and Jag sportscar
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
Written By: Winding Road Staff
April 1st, 2008 3:00 PM
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Jaguar and Cadillac have a lot in common and a lot at stake. Do the new XF and CTS have what it takes to bring their companies back up to the world standard?
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
March 26th, 2008 9:00 AM
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After months of speculation, posturing, and negotiation, Ford has confirmed the sale of British brands Jaguar and Land Rover to Indian automaker Tata Motors today.
The much-guessed at final purchase price for the two historic marques has been settled at $2.3 billion, though Ford has agreed to infuse attendant pension funds with an additional $600 million when the deal fully closes early this summer. Regulatory approvals are all that are needed to finalize the sale.
(Click through the jump to read on or on the thumbnails below to look at galleries of the latest Jaguar, Land Rover, and Tata products.)
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Written By: Seyth Miersma
March 14th, 2008 3:00 PM
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While the 2008 Jaguar XF may not make many lists of history’s most beautiful automobiles, the sedan’s looks do seem tailored to suit a wide variety of potential customers. Had Jaguar’s designers gone for something closer to this candy-coated example from Galpin, and we’re guessing that there would be a few less orders in the Jag kitty (no pun intended).
Galpin, which is the largest Jaguar dealership in the U.S. by sales volume, has tuned the XF as if it were targeting a base of 16-year-old customers. While the red-over-black, high-gloss paint job with matching wheels might work well on someone’s beloved custom Impala, it’s rather less convincing on the brand new XF. Thankfully, the cat’s interior has been somewhat preserved, though the upholstery doesn’t survive the red and black treatment either.
Have a look at the Galpin XF in our gallery below and then tell us how you would customize your cat in comments.
+ Rice-Racer Inspired Tuned Jaguar XF by Galpin
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Written By: Dustin P. Walsh
March 5th, 2008 6:00 PM
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Despite earlier reports flying around the blogosphere that Tata Motors would acquire Jaguar and Land Rover, then sell Jag and move LR to India, Ratan Tata maintains that his company will retain the British heritage of the two.
“Our plan would be to retain the image, the touch and the feel of Jaguar and Land Rover. We will not tinker with the brands in any way. They are special global brands and whoever acquires them has a responsibility to nurture them and enable them to prosper,” Tata said at the Geneva Motor Show.
He also said that Tata would not move Jaguar or Land Rover production from the UK, as was speculated and feared by the UK labor unions. He said, “We are conscious that the brands belong to Britain. These brands will continue to belong to Britain.”
Tata also noted that the company would maintain the existing management structure for the brands.
+ Automotive News: Tata will keep Jaguar, Land Rover’s heritage
If you’ve got an idea for Question of the Day, a funny photo for Caption It, or just want to share a news tip, let us know at windingroadtips@gmail.com
Written By: Dustin P. Walsh
March 5th, 2008 9:00 AM
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The National Automobile Dealers Association’s Used Car Guide, reports that luxury segments experienced the highest depreciation rate among the three-year old models in 2007.
Terrence W. Wynne, director of editorial and data services for NADA Used Car Guide, said, “Luxury vehicle owners consistently demonstrate a strong preference for owning the latest new products in this segment. The changing customer preferences and high manufacturer replacement rate effectively accelerates depreciation of these vehicles, deflating the resale performance of previous models and those competitive models late in their life cycle.”
Luxury coupes and sedans held four out of the top ten spots on the list. The Jaguar XJ8 topped the list with a depreciation rate of 25 percent. The Mercedes-Benz CL-Class placed second with a depreciation rate of 22 percent.
(Check out the top 10 list and the press release after the jump)
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Written By: Evan McCausland
March 4th, 2008 3:30 PM
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Although Jaguar showed the XJ and XKR Portfolio models we previously reported on, they managed to keep at least one cat in the bag. The new XKR-S coupe, unveiled this morning at the Geneva Motor Show, surprised many reporters present for its unveiling.
And it’s a good surprise, too; the XKR-S is now the flagship performance model for the Jaguarrange. Although the supercharged 4.2-liter V-8 is identical to that found in the normal XKR and produces the same 420 horsepower and 413 lb-ft of torque, Jaguar’s tuned the car to be a little quicker overall. While the XKR tops out at a programmed 155-mph speed limiter, Jaguar boosts that limit to a whopping 174 mph for the XKR-S. Sure, it’s only a 19-mph bump, but that makes the XKR-S the the fastest production Jaguar since the advent of the XJ220 supercar.
(Click through to read more about the Jaguar XKR-S.)
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