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In a recent interview with Auto Motor und Sport, Daimler head Dietre Zetsche said he sees a possible future collaboration with Tata Motors on its newly purchased Jaguar and Land Rover brands. Daimler own a 7 percent stake in the Indian company.
“If Ratan Tata and Daimler would address the terms of components to be delivered, we would be open to discussions,” said Zetsche.
We’ve started seeing the 2009 Jaguar XF on the roads and we can say without a doubt that it is definitely a head-turner. InsideLine recently got behind the $62,975 Jaguar XF Supercharged and here is there video review of the fastest kitty in the XF lineup.
Powered by a supercharged 4.2 liter V8 engine the 2009 Jaguar XF Supercharged produces 420-hp with a peak torque of 408 lb-ft. Jaguar says that 0-60 comes in 5.1 seconds, however InsideLine managed to do it in 5.5 seconds (5.0 with 1 foot of rollout). The engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission with Jaguar’s Sequential Shift with steering wheel mounted paddles.
Click through for the video.
Loder1899 is known for tuning FoMoCo owned cars, but even though Jaguar is now owned by Indian company Tata Motors, Loder1899 is continuing to offer Jaguar fans more power and great looks for their kitty.
Loder1899 gives the new Jaguar XF a new body styling kit including a new front spoiler, rear spoiler and a rear apron spoiler increasing the aerodynamics of the body. Power for the 2.7L V6 that originally produces 207-hp has been increased to 249-hp.
Loder1899 also added 21-inch “Hollow Spoke” wheels which we’re not too crazy about.
Click through for more images and the press release.
Loder1899 Jaguar XF:
 
 
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Alfa Romeo has been looking to offer rear-wheel-drive in its lineup for some times now and latest reports say that the Italian company is now in talks with Tata’s Jaguar to borrow its platforms. Alfa is looking to strengthen its image amongst premium German brands such as BMW but still uses front-wheel-drive. However developing a new rear-wheel-drive platform would be too costly for Alfa.
Owner Ratan Tata already has close ties with the Fiat group. The two have deals for engine supplies and Tata also sits on the Fiat board. Sources say that the two are in talks now to share Jaguar’s rear-wheel-drive platforms.
German tuner Arden is currently working on its version of the Jaguar XF. Pricing and technical details have yet to be released but the tuner is teasing us with this teaser image.
According to this image, the Arden Jaguar XF AJ 21 will get a new front grille along with a new front grille with led fog lamps, a new front bumper and side skirts. You can also see the sexy Arden performance wheels.
We’ll bring you more on this kitty as we get it.
2008 Jaguar XF:
 
 
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One of the many challenges the new owner of Lander Rover and Jaguar will face is how to deal with U.S. fuel economy regulations. When FoMoCo bought the two luxury brands, it avoided paying fines because of the rest of Ford’s product lineup that met fuel economy standards.
Now, government data indicates that Jaguar cars and Land Rover SUVs would miss the current standards by several miles per gallon and Tata will be forced to write checks to the federal government for failing to meet those standards.
Industry insiders are saying that Jaguar’s and Land Rover’s future could be bright under Tata’s ownership. Ratan Tata told Automotive News Europe that he will not transfer production of the two British brands from the United Kingdom to low-cost countries.
“Our plan would be to retain the image, the touch and the feel of Jaguar and Land Rover. We will not tinker with the brands in any way,” Tata said at the Geneva Auto Show.
Now that the Jaguar and Land Rover sale is final, Tata has guaranteed at least the next 5 years of existing product plans. The total amount to be paid in cash by Tata Motors for Jaguar Land Rover upon closing will be $2.3 billion. As part of the transaction, FoMoCo will continue to supply Jaguar and Land Rover with powertrains, other vehicle components and a variety of technologies such as environmental and platform technologies. Ford also has committed to provide engineering support, including research and development, plus information technology, accounting and other services.
Here is what AutoWeek expects is coming from Jaguar and Land Rover during the next eight years:
According to a report by Automotive News, FoMoCo has agreed to sell its UK brands Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata Motors for more than $2 billion. A source familiar with the situation said that the deal was signed today and the companies plan to publicly announce the deal tomorrow.
Ford has declined to comment on the deal, saying “our first responsibility is to communicate with our employees.”
Tata will be taking a one-year bridge loan from Citigroup & JPMorgan to fund the purchase of Jaguar & Land Rover from Ford. The three-billion dollars will also help finance the costs associated with launching the Nano, soon to be the most affordable car in the world.
The purchase of Jaguar & Land Rover may yield some unappealing side effects though. Standard & Poor may downgrade Tata from its current BB+ rating due to the increased debt.
Along with the 2009 Jaguar XKR Portfolio, Jaguar announced the fastest production XK to date, the XKR-S. Built on a highly-advanced lightweight aluminum body architecture, the Jaguar XKR-S is powered by the same 420hp 4.2 liter V8 supercharged engine found in the XKR.
However, the engine has been recalibrated allowing the XKR-S to reach a top speed of 174mph, 19mph faster than the XKR. This additional boost performance is made possible by improved aerodynamics and a unique suspension set-up. The engine is mated with the XKR’s six-speed sequential automatic transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifts.
The limited edition coupe will come in Ultimate Black and can be easily identified by the unique XKR-S badge on the back of the car. The exterior has also been subtly enhanced along with new lightweight 20-inch Vortex forged alloy wheels. The car will go on sale in the summer of 2008 with a limited production run of 200 for the European market only.
2009 Jaguar XKR-S Gallery:
 
 
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According to Automotive News Tata Motors will announce its purchase of Jaguar and Land Rover on March 5 or 6. Following talks with trade union leaders last week, the dates have been agreed upon Tata and FoMoCo. National officer of Unite Roger Maddison said that Tata had agreed to meet guarantees sought by workers and leaders.
“Everything seems fine as far as we are concerned; it’s just the lawyers working on it now,” said Maddison.
Global investors aren’t very thrilled about Tata purchasing Jaguar if their move to dump stock is any indication. Tata stock is down 11 percent since being named Ford’s top bidder.
Why the sell off? Well, there appears to be a variety of reasons. Investors cite a range of concerns. One of which is not being able to invest enough to develop in the second-largest growing market in the world, India. Other concerns include poor fit with Tata’s current products and market segments and a potential $5 Billion cost to shut down Jaguar should the idea fail.
Copyright 2008 eGMCarTech. All rights reserved.
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