Autocar - First for car news and reviews

Plans for Jaguar’s on-again, off-again two-seater roadster are set to be revived. The car, code-named Jaguar F-type, could be launched in time for an end-of-recession launch in 2011.

The Jaguar F-type, a Porsche Boxster rival, has the enthusiastic backing of group chairman Ratan Tata, who signalled his openness to it last year, even before his acquisition of Jaguar was complete. He believes Jaguar must use image projects like the new roadster to “show a new face” when demand for a new wa...Read the full article

Steve,

 if I didn't know differently I'd say you were moonlighting as Jag's PR boss. By the way we never did bottom out your assertion that JLR were responsible for half of UK automotive sector R&D(http://www.autocar.co.uk/blogs/anythinggoes/archive/2008/12/23/the-case-for-supporting-jlr.aspx). The government's own statistics in this area, compiled in the 'R&D Scoreboard' report, didn't back that up.

Interesting to note that Tata seem to be prepared to invest in new models for Jaguar despite the freefalling new car market. I wonder if in 12 months time, when the full effect of the downturn has really bitten the manufacturers, this will still be the case.

I'll say it before steelester or anyone else does - when's the four-pot diesel coming out?

This is excellent news, and exactly what Jaguar should be doing.

I still firmly believe that Jaguar could become a real rival for BMW, Merc, and Audi.   I'd so like to see a TT rival, and a viable 3 series alternative.

Ian Callum, are you busy?

All sounds good but we have heard it all before and in more "prosperous" times.

It also good to know that Autocar thinks the end of the recession is around 2011. Thank God someone has got a take on this happening! BBC's robert Preston needs to read Autocar for financial predictions!

Looks a bit S2000-esque, although not unattractive.  Not very related to the current design language, which is curious.

*complete tangent alert*

Now that Honda have culled all their RWD activity, JLR and Honda would make good bedfellows now I think about it.  They don't compete and could share expertise.  And muse together on the inaffordability of running an F1 team...

roadtester:

when's the four-pot diesel coming out?

lol. I was actually daydreaming just this morning about what engines they'd put in an f-type - obviously the 3.0 V6 is a given but for a performance version would a V8 be appropriate (in terms of weight)? I wonder if they end up supercharging the V6 (and replace the N/A 4.2 with it). Plea to Jaguar engineers: Eaton have just brought out a much more efficient Roots-type blower (TVS). Audi are using it in the S4 and it's very good - copy them.

Casanova:

JLR and Honda would make good bedfellows

I couldn't agree more - both are innovative engineering led firms but in different disciplines. A tie up might allow Jaguar to close one of its plants as Honda no doubt has spare capacity in their UK plants, and if we're lucky they might give Land Rover some lessons in how to make a reliable car.

I'm I the only one who finds get's a sense of deja vu when all this fluff about new Jaguars is pedalled out? First the XK then the XF and now this F-type were all heralded as being "the new face of Jaguar" and being the "make and break" model that will save the company.

Could it be that this is merely the excitable (or attention-hungry) media exaggerating? I doubt that the XK or XF will be considered as ground-breaking with hindsight as they've been reported.

Go into any foreign newsagent or website and you'll see that the rest of the world simply sees these new Jags as nice sports cars, not world leading masters.

British bias?

Mr Chip:

not world leading masters

I'm not British but I can tell you right now is there a better mid-sized luxury saloon than the 3.0d XF? Name me one?

It's the best-looking, best handling and best riding car in its class, including the BMW 5-series.

And the XK is a simply fabulous GT, more so than a BMW 6-series.

They need this roadster, and perhaps a replacement for the embarassing X-Type (roadtester - that's where a 4-pot could come in, not in an XF).

What this needs is a nice two stroke engine. I believe the Trabant factory is mothballed somewhere or other and could be bought by Tata very quickly. Will the good news at Jaguar ever end, Roadtester ?