Jaguar has been long-defined by the E-type and original XJ. Both cars seem to have hung over the company like a couple of family portraits. For decades, company bosses have seemed unable to allow new models to stray from an obvious family resemblance.
Then again it’s difficult to introduce new design ideas to a brand, especially one with a history as defined and distinctive as Jaguar’s.
Attempts were made. In 1967 Jaguar rolled out the Malcolm Sayer-shaped mid-engined XJ13 prototype racecar. In theory, design ideas from this car should have been fed into future Jaguar sports cars.
Instead we got the uncomfortable XJ-S, with its flat rear screen and flying buttresses, hinting at a mid-mounted engine it didn’t posses.
While the XK8, which replaced the XJ-S, did successfully build a new Jaguar big coupe aesthetic, the company’s saloon cars were still stuck in the design mire, unable to escape from their Mk2 and XJ heritage.
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HiltonH
re: Ghost of the XJ220
I might add that the X-Type's headlamp shapes (and the corresponding shaping of the bonnet) were meant to be a reminder of the DH Comet's engine intake and nacelle shapes.
An X-Type designer told me that....
Orangewheels
re: Ghost of the XJ220
Hi Horse, there's quite a few spitfire/hurricane shapes in Jaguar design - purposefully hidden away in there - or so I was led to believe by some Jaguar UK staff - yes the wood dash on the XK, XJ, -Type S-Type etc wings from above, but also the coupe side windows (wing cross section) and the centre chrome section of the grille on the XK originally seen on the E-Type with the round centre that has the Jaguar growler logo and the thin tapering horizontal bars each side - meant to be a plane flying towards you. (I know it sounds dubious!) even the rev counter needles on the X-Type were meant to look like propellers. Geoff Lawson liked his retro cues a little too much as Jaguar learnt to its cost.
DLO : DayLight Opening - sorry, should have said - trendy designer speak for windows! Used in particular for the shape/height of the combined side glass of cars, (my old design days coming back to haunt me I'm afraid)
Orangewheels.co.uk
horseandcart
re: Ghost of the XJ220
@Orangewheels,
I think you've got hold of the wrong end of the stick on this Spitfire/Jaguar design cues thing. Yes Spitfires were made at a long since gone shadow factory in Castle Bromwich and Jag's main assembly plant is now in Castle Bromwich but other than the so-called Spitfire wing shaped dashboards on the older Jags there is no link, unless I've missed something. And what does 'DLO' mean/stand for by the way?
Orangewheels
re: Ghost of the XJ220
Hilton, I'm not expecting to see any XJ220 styling cues on this, maybe the XE? (a rival magazine seem to think so with their guessed rendering anyway!)
The one thing that strikes me every time I see a 220 is just how low and wide it is - I remember seeing one in a Jaguar showroom next to an XKR, and the XKR looked as if it was on stilts next to the 220.
Jaguar have always struggled with 2 different sets of styling cues - one for the saloons and one for the coupes, I can remember seeing an article about 8 yrs ago in Autocar, (not sure if it was for the X-Type or S-Type) where alternative styling proposals were shown and one was trying to morph the XK lights and oval grille opening onto the saloon car - it just looked a mess.
With the new XJ, I think we will see more of a successful blurring of the two, no doubt thanks to the superior skill of Callum and Julian Thompson (nothing against Geoff Lawson, rest his soul) But I still expect it to be slightly more of a saloon than a 4 seater sports car - the DLO more of a result of the swoopy coupe roof and the high rear more from a desire to finally be able to get a decent amount of luggage into the boot of an XJ for the first time!
The separate rear quarter lights on this test mule might rule out the curvy C-Pillar coupe treatment which was already carried from the XJ220 into the old and new XK to some extent - hence you've already won your bet (The DLO was said to resemble a spitfire wing in cross section, more of Jaguars historic design cues harking from the factory location)
Orangewheels.co.uk
macaroni
re: Ghost of the XJ220
Be prepared for that text then as those spy pics show nothing!
I have a picture of an XJ220 on my calender for this month and it is such a beautiful car. Thus it looks nothing like that plastic clad development mule.
TegTypeR
re: Ghost of the XJ220
I know where you are coming from when I look a the disguise shot, (rear 3/4 view is probably the best for it) but I get the feeling once all that clever cladding has been removed, that illusion will disapear.
It's all about the twisties........
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