Jaguar to build R8 rival

Jaguar has its problems, there is no doubt. Tata is struggling financially with its recently acquired Jaguar / Land Rover set-up, but then virtually every car maker has major problems at the moment. And yes, it has just laid off 450 staff, although this seems to be more about management rationalisation than shedding pure manufacturing jobs.

But the problems will pass. It seems likely that an agreement has already been reached for the UK government to underwrite loans that Tata needs for their UK business, although this is denied. But Jaguar has had a great week on the front that matters – cars!

Will the next Jaguar be based on the F-Type Concept or the R-Coupe Concept?

The launch of what are probably the two best cars from Jaguar in a very, very long time – the Jaguar XKR and the Jaguar XFR – along with news that a slightly modified XFR has just broken the Jaguar speed record (and this a 5 seater saloon car, for goodness sake) has had Jaguar in the headlines. But not just in the headlines. After a period of treading water under Ford’s skirts, the Big Cat is back firing on all cylinders, and the praise from the motoring press is pretty well unanimous – look out the Germans!

And not surprisingly, the rumour-mill is in full swing now it’s clear that Jaguar is on the up. But it’s more than rumour, as Jaguar need to be planning new models if they are going to take on the might of the Germans head-on. And the most likely candidate for a new model is one aimed straight at the Audi R8 and the soon to be here Mercedes SLC Gullwing.

So where does Jaguar start with building such a car. Well, if you listen to Autocar then Jaguar is bringing on the F-Type coupe, which we assume will be based on the F-Type Coupe Concept of a few years ago. But if you listen to AutoExpress then it’s going to be a mid-engined car, perhaps based on the Jaguar R-Coupe Concept from 2001.

But it’s all conjecture – there is nothing concrete, except the knowledge that Jaguar is planning more models. And the fact that Jaguar seems to have been busy recently registering new trademark names in the UK (‘Jaguar XE’ being one of them).

After the XF, the XKR and XFR, we can’t wait!