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Lotus Engineering and Jaguar have been co-operating on key engineering programmes, including the new front-engined Jaguar XE roadster.

The relationship between two of Britain’s most significant automotive companies has already resulted in Lotus handling gurus helping with one of Jaguar’s recent models.

Experts at Lotus helped Jaguar set up and hone the chassis of the limited-run Jaguar XKR-S coupe, work that also helped Jaguar decide the chassis settings of the new 503bhp XKR.
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All sorts of rumours all over the interweb on this car!

2 things that strike me as important here - how sure is Autocar that this is going to be front engined? (other places guessing at mid engined)

Secondly, where is this going to be pitched, are we talking Boxster rivalling F-Type or Above the XKR as a £100k Ferrari rival? 

All I can say is that I hope the styling is better in real life if its released (the styling on this car shown here is proper dull).......part of me thinks its just PR......"to sell Britishness" i.e. the link to Lotus.....even though JLR is owned by an overseas firm as I think Lotus is still owned by Proton.

Personally I think Jag have lost the plot, one hopes that any chassis would also be used to provide Jag with a small car platform for a small Jag and an "Eco" Jag.......but who knows...maybe its about getting one of the gov. loans i.e. developing light weight cars?? etc.

To me at the moment, they seem to be without direction and flip flopping.....look at Citroen with DS...well priced high sytle/quality cars, that I can see direction and intent...with all these Jag cars floating around on the internet....its PR like crazy.....I have not seen this level of cars coming out of a company and in such a ramdom sector fashion.....it just makes me wonder why.....? its like a show.....for what? and what happened to the landrover LXR.....where's the cohesion.....??....I just do not think their is anyone at the rudder of JLR.......JLR flip flop/flip flop......it was only a few weeks ago they were saying they were skint........yet now we get loads of concepts....very strange indeed. 

It seems to me that Jaguar are now the leaders in aluminium production techniques.   Lotus helped Aston Martin with the Vanquish, but I believe from reports that they took much longer with resulting cost increases to design the chassis for it, and hence why the V-H platform was done in-house.   I may be wrong, this is just from what I've read in the press.

Lotus, however, still seem the most capable in getting a car to handle.

As for outsourcing production for the XE, Jaguar have to be very careful as the car has to be build at least equal to it's German rivals, if not better.   It really should be done in-house, and that level of quality across the board.

The design of any of it's new cars should be class leading for style, reliability and performance.   Even mpg!   Not an easy task, but if it does this, and I believe it can, then Jaguar has a future and will prosper.   But it does need a 3 series rival.

Symanski:

As for outsourcing production for the XE, Jaguar have to be very careful as the car has to be build at least equal to it's German rivals, if not better. 

Actually, Lotus has already built a 'German' car - the Opel Speedster, aka Vauxhall VX220. I don't know what the Germans thought of the quality, though.

Would anyone really buy a tarted up Elise with a Jaguar badge stuck on, it might work for Vauxhall/Opel, but it will not work for Jaguar

Just a quick note about any Jaguar. I own an XF. The  exterior & interior look great but & its a BIG BUT the car is a poorly designed rushed to market nightmare. Over 11 trips to dealers in 4 months to replace the full electronic brain of car, replace the full sunroof unit, fuel cap wont open, sat nav is useless, front seats falling apart & many more issues that even after the repairs the faults are still there so my advice is if you are looking to buy a Jaguar in the future (this is my third) please get a minimum of a weeks test drive because you may come to regret your purchase.

I WILL NEVER BUY A JAGUAR AGAIN BECAUSE THE DEALER & JAG CUSTOMER SERVICE ARE JUST POOR

C'mon Daven, get back to your desk, BMW head office is on the phone...

jmd67 wrote the following post at Feb 07, 2009 1:49 PM:

C'mon Daven, get back to your desk, BMW head office is on the phone...

Ha ha ha! hilarious post. My thought exactly. 

 

 Diesel XK, Please!!

Please tell me this is true, as if someone is capable of genetically linkng the E-type and the Elan Sprint, then in a Dr Who stylee transporting the result forward to the 21st century; I for one would be beating a path to their door with a deposit.  (As would many others).

Trust me on this if nothing else.

I hope that whatever happens, people realise that a modern day Jag E type will have to comply with the world wide legislation and safety requirements that dictate much much more of what goes into a car thesedays than they ever did in the 60's - thus the car will be comparably much heavier and bigger despite claims it would be a small Jag roadster.

I for one hope they have the nerve to produce this car as it'll be a big seller if priced and styled correctly.