Saturday, September 19, 2009

Jaguar supercar in the works?

It’s set to be one of the fastest cars ever built, proof that the future of the British motor industry has never been brighter

Jaguar is getting ready to reinvent its stunning XJ220, … likely to make a dramatic appearance at a major international motor show in the next 18 months. [...] The revolutionary sports car is being developed by the firm’s best engineers as a rival to the Audi R8. It’s based on an all-new aluminium chassis, which has been developed using the same know-how behind both the XJ and XK models.

2012 Jaguar XE?

2012 Jaguar XE?

Whether the story is really true or just a fabrication, we cannot overlook the raw beauty captured in this rendering. While it does lean on a few cliches, and we’re unlikely to ever see headlights quite that slim in a production car, the rest of the design is viable and is a fresh, Jaguar-oriented take on the familiar supercar formula.

The classic Jaguar grille is used to great effect, and the undergrille sculpturing of the fascia is very well done. The strongest feature, though, is the side surfacing - the quarter window’s trailing edge scoop that flows forward to meet the widening fender swell creates momentum and character. The rendering is clearly influenced by Audi’s R8, and in a drawing critical details like proportion and tire size can be left to fantasy. But as a conceptual starting point, this here take on a Jaguar mid-engined sports car is a clear winner.