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The Jaguar XF

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The Jaguar XF - 7/3/2008 10:55:10 AM

Patrick

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The Jaguar Concept-XF
The Jaguar brand name has long been associated with luxury and performance, with styling cues coming from generations of refining a vintage look and feel. However, with the recent departure of Jaguar from Ford Motor Company, Jaguar has looked more towards the future with their styling to put a stronger emphasis on performance, but without sacrificing the luxury aspect of the vehicles. The strongest indication of this movement was the release of the Jaguar C-XF at the 2007 Detroit North American International Auto Show. The Concept-XF was very unlike the S-Type which it replaced, as while still a sedan, the 2007 C-XF carries the distinct design flow of a sports coupe. This new look of the coupe shaped sedan has been successfully executed by Mercedes Benz, but the C-XF took it to a whole new level. The most impressive part is that this has been done without sacrificing the interior space that you would expect in a sedan of this size, and under the hood, the C-XF was equipped with a 420 horsepower, supercharged V8 to help back up the sports car look. The car was a hit in Detroit, and the public began to wonder what we would see of the production version, and they didn’t have to wait long as in September of that same year, the 2008 Jaguar XF was made its world debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

The 2008 Jaguar XF
All of the anticipation created by the Concept-XF came to a happy end when the new XF was released to the public, and it did so with rave reviews. The retro look of the Jaguar lineup had become a bit stagnant, and this new entry to the brand was incredibly well received by both long time Jaguar enthusiasts and the younger, more trendy crowd as well. The 2008 XF had many of the same basic lines as the concept, and the only noticeable changes were to the front end of the car. The super-sharp angled headlight lenses of the concept has been removed for larger, more practical assemblies, and along the lower fascia area, there are slightly less aggressive cooling openings. The hood of the production XF does not retain the nostril-like openings found on the C-XF, but the hood does meet the same large chrome mesh grille found on the concept, bearing a large logo also finished in bright chrome. The efforts of the design team were not only to design this car to look great, but also to be aerodynamically superior to other cars in its class. Prior to any wind tunnel testing, the design team used Computational Fluid Dynamics to perfect every aspect of the cars exterior, including the undercarriage. The result is the lowest coefficient of drag of any Jaguar product model ever, including the race-ready XJ220. The CFD designs are obvious in the smoothness of the car, from the fenders flowing up along the sides, over the rear wheels and meeting the low angled roofline, truly giving the XF the shape of a sports coupe. The wrap-around taillight assemblies are connected by chrome trim, which when joined by the massive bright polished exhaust tips really add a touch of class to the rear of the XF. Like many prior Jaguar models, the chrome has been used sparingly, with the sides of the car finished almost entirely in the body color, and just a subtle wrap of chrome around the side windows joins the grille, low vent openings, and rear trim as the only chrome accents on the vehicle, and the bright aluminum alloy wheels finish the car perfectly to embody both a luxury car and sports car in one.

(continued in next post)

< Message edited by Patrick -- 7/3/2008 11:00:42 AM >

Post #: 1

RE: The Jaguar XF - 7/3/2008 10:56:00 AM

Patrick

Posts: 210
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Joined: 3/17/2005
Status: offline

XF Performance
Even though this car has four doors, there was to be no mistake that the 2008 XF was a sports car, and the standard transmission in all of the XF models is a design straight from a race track, with steering wheel mounted shift paddles controlling the sequential 6-speed automatic transmission. Mated to that transmission is one of two engine options with a naturally aspirated V8 offering 300 horsepower in the Luxury and Premium Luxury models, and the Supercharged model comes with a similar 4.2L engine, but thanks to an intercooled supercharger setup this V8 makes 420 horsepower. Speed sensitive rack-and-pinion power steering helps the XF handle the curves, and for helping this sports sedan come to a stop is a set of massive 12.83 or 13.98 inch ventilated front disc brakes in the front and 12.83 inch disc brakes in the rear, with the Supercharged models carrying the larger braking assemblies and all models featuring antilock brakes (ABS) and an electronic parking brake release when the car accelerates in a drive gear.

Jaguar XF Interior
The main focus of the design team of the 2008 XF was the exterior, but nothing is more important than the drivers comfort, especially in a luxury sports model, and the XF is incredibly refined, with cutting edge technology throughout the car, giving it an almost spaceship like feel. This technology begins before you even get in the car, as the Jaguar SmartKey allows the driver to enter the car simply by having the key. There is no button to push; no hole to insert a key; just the SmartKey system unlocking the car right as you pull the handle. Once you climb into the XF, the red Start button glowing on the center console and as you push the button, the car comes to life. The engine omits a soft hum as the JaguarDrive Gear Selector rises out of the shift console, and the 7 inch in-dash screen welcomes you, with all aspects of the interior control integrated into that single touch screen and a small panel below. This area allows you to control the lighting, the navigation, the state of the art premium sound system and the climate controls. When the climate controls are activated, the ducts rotate out of the dash face, which like the center console is finished in brushed aluminum and polished wood. The center console is very high, serving also as the arm rest, and it collides with the dash at an angle that allows all of the controls to be easily within the drivers reach. Heated, power, leather seats are standard, and there is enough room to comfortably seat four adults.

The 2008 Jaguar XF has done exactly what the designers planned, having put a new spin on the look of a performance sports car, while surrounding the driver and passengers in the cutting edge of technology inside and offering the driver enough power and handling to combine the family luxury car with Dad’s sports car. The most impressive part is the price, as the 2008 XF starts at just $49,975 for the Luxury model, $55,975 for the Premium Luxury model, and the XF Supercharged model topping the list at $62,975, making the new Jaguar very competitive in every aspect of it class, including the price. It looks like the Jaguar company is headed in an exciting direction with the new XF, as it has gotten the attention of both the consumers and its peers with the high level of performance, styling, and technology.

< Message edited by Patrick -- 7/3/2008 11:00:13 AM >

(in reply to Patrick)

Post #: 2

RE: The Jaguar XF - 7/10/2008 6:30:35 AM

Dennis