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.

 

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)

 

Good info Patrick..you and Amanda thinking about getting one?

 

Thanks for sharing! : )

 

Nice, but I'm still not warming up to it. S-Type - Much classier. No offence to anyone.

 

The styling of the S Type has become dated. Mind you, many new cars are finally emulating that flank character line (BMW 3 series, Honda, Acura, even Toyota has one) but that is a sure sign that the mid size Jag needed a new look. I can't wait to see how the XJ will look.

Contrary to popular belief, Jaguar styling and engineering has historically been at the forefront of automotive design. The later series of XJ and the S Type lamentably went retro which is contrary to every Jaguar before them.

Now the XF and XK cut new edges in style and driving performance.

 

I always thought that the S-Type was deliberately dated because it was retro. That is what it's entire appeal is for me. If you're an aficionado of Jaguar motoring history the S-Type is a movable feast for the eyes. It's front end is not only evocative of the S-Type of the early 1960's, it is also reminiscent of the Racing C-Types of the early 1950's. The interior is typically Jaguar with tons of burl walnut and leather seating. Whoever designed the S had a deep respect for Jaguar history and it shows. I can't wait to see the new XF as I'm sure it will put a new spin on what it means to be a Jaguar. This should be interesting.

 

I would disagree about the XF and XK being cutting edge design. They were both based on the the chassis of the car they replaced. Plus, I think the styling department tried to hard to emulate Aston Martin. Don't get me wrong, I think they are both pretty cars, but they are copying a design language of another company. I would have more appreciated a transitional design instead of trying to look like an Aston.

 

As an S-Type owner, I'm going to side with my fellow S-Type buds. For me, it is the best combination of the classic Jaguar elements with modern conveniences. You can tell from across the parking lot it is a Jaguar, while the XF resembles a Lexus IS model. It will take me some time to get used to the XF. I will admit the Ecurie Ecosse XF is quite fetching though.

Mike

 

The lead designer on the new XK and XF moels was the same who designed the new Aston Martins. Jaguar brought him over from Aston Martin to help with the new design language for Jaguar. That explains the similarites between Aston Martin and the newer Jags. Just my opinion, I think the new XK and XF are two of the best looking cars on the road. Don't get me wrong, I think the S-Type was a very good looking car and very classy, but the new XF is just drop dead gorgeous.

 

I think only a dealer would be able to help with that.
Re the XF:-
Had a letter from a dealer who I used about 4 years ago for a minor job on my ex X-Type asking if I would like to go to a Golf Course in 2 weeks to test drive the entire XF range!
Places now booked ....cant wait...just hope the sales guy is wearing dark trousers when I get behind the wheel of the 500bhp XFR
................. ....................................... .....

 

The S Type was not a success. The later XJ models were not a success, before the newest one just announced which is pretty good looking.

The reason these cars failed was that there are not enough buyers who actually want retro styling. It hardly ever works.

Ford got Jaguar totally wrong from the beginning and this is why they could not make the company work for them. They thought the marketplace wanted reliable old fashioned looking Jaguars.

Nope, the World bought those cheap and unreliable Jaguars because they were cutting edge cars built on a budget so that real people could afford to buy them. For their time they looked fantastic and unlike anything else on the market at the time or before their time. They also drove very well and very quickly for the time.

The car upon which the later XJ was based was a cutting edge sedan when it was announced in the mid 60's. It was a tired out design by the time Ford bought the company in the 80s. By the late 90's they should have taken the old girl out back and shot her and started fresh. Instead they fixed up the ages old design with a proper trunk and made it all out of aluminum. Imagine where Jaguar would be today had they actually redesigned the car's styling to bring it up to date.

The S Type was intended to evoke the fantastically cheap and fantastically powerful Series II of the late 50s. That was a boneheaded idea. The S Tye was a tiny, heavy car with so so performance except in the "R" version. The trunk space and interior room were hopeless for a car that heavy and that expensive.

Finally, the car that was to make Jaguar a volume producer, the X Type, was designed to look like a 1968 XJ in miniature. It was a pretty car and very competent but it looked like an old fashioned car. Big mistake. With more up to date styling and better build quality the X Type could have taken on the competition and beaten them. The X Type is a superb drive, when it is working properly. It looks like a nanny's car, very pretty but very, very old fashioned looking.

The XF looks a little like an Aston Martin only at the rear as does the XK. This is not a bad thing. If you look at all the competitors "coupe" styled sedans you will find that Jaguar does it best by a considerable margin. It made perfect sense to end the coupe sedan with a real coupe back end. There are sharply defined limits to how you can successfully do the rear end of a coupe styled car and the fact is nobody has done it better than Callum's Aston Martins. To avoid that look in the Jaguar just to avoid being "accused" of copying (his own design!) would be ludicrous.

There are also those who say that the XF looks like a Lexus 450. This would be a bad thing if it were correct. However, the Lexus 450 is ugly and the XF is beautiful. They share a slight similarity in profile, especially around the rear window C pillar. However, the Lexus looks fat and ugly at that point while the XF looks svelte. The rest of the Lexus is just plain ugly.

What Callum has done with the Jaguar line is to bring the cars forcefully up to date so that they lead the pack in performance and styling. To say that the new models are "based upon" the previous models is just stating the obvious and this is true of all major manufacturers. You do not re-invent what already works.

The latest powertrains are as good as or better than anything on the market today. The suspension, steering and brakes are all superior to anything else in the Jag's price range, whatever Road & Track may claim about the truly hideous Cadillac CTS V ( a steel Corvette with back doors). Even the price and quality are class leading and who would have said that was a Jaguar feature?

 

Well said, Jagular

 

XJ a cheap car?????
Mine was GBŁ65,000 new!
PS
Fantastic car!

 

The original XJ, like all Jaguars before it was incredibly cheap compared to the competition.

How much is the comparable BMW or Mercedes Benz?