Your Guide To What Makes Jaguar Shine In 2011

By Author: Stephen Gransville
Total Articles: 8
Comment this article

British car manufacturer Jaguar has come a long way since its beginnings as a maker of motorcycle sidecars in 1922. By 1984 Jaguar was listed on the London Stock Exchange and had earned a place on the FTSE 100 Index, until it was acquired by Ford in 1989.



Today the Jaguar brand is headquartered in Coventry, England but it is now a subsidiary of the Indian company Tata Motors Ltd. and functions as part of the Jaguar Land Rover business.



As an avid fan of this exclusive car brand, I’m always on the lookout for the latest and brightest Jaguar news. The following article will give Jag fans an overview of their top happenings so far this year.



The Geneva Motor Show 2011



This year's most prestigious auto event, The Geneva Motor Show 2011, was held from March 3 – 13. A total of 735,000 visitors and some 10,000 media representatives from across the globe descended on Switzerland to get a taste of the newest and best offerings by the world's premier car manufacturing brands.



Jaguar XKR-S2

...
... br /> Never one to be outshone, Jaguar caused a major stir at the Show by unveiling its fastest and most powerful sports car ever – the XKR-S2 coupe, which boasts a top speed of 300kph.



As the successor to the popular Jaguar XK-E model, the XKR comes complete with a 5.0 litre V8 engine that delivers 550 hp and 680 Nm. This allows the car to accelerate impressively from 0-100 km/h in just 4.2 seconds and from 0-160 km/h in only 8.6 seconds.



The XKR-S also has a revised suspension and a rescheduled ESP for increased performance. Not forgetting the attention to design style which never disappoints Jaguar fans, the car includes a revamped interior that has 16-way adjustable heated sports seats with a memory function to hold both driver and passengers in a luxuriously comfortable grip while they enjoy high speeds.



Jaguar B 99


Also revealed for the first time at this year's Geneva Motor Show was the Jaguar B 99. This stylish car was made by Italian design house Bertone to offer the latest smaller sized Jaguar saloon. It measures more or less the same dimensions of a Mercedes C-Class, but with a lower roofline and a similar three-box silhouette.



The B 99 has been described by Bertone as having a hybrid long-range power system, although Jaguar has yet to release official details on this intriguing aspect of the manufacture.



It features rear-hinged back doors and a striking interior that does away with clutter to display only sleek, pure lines. The Sat Nav screen is hidden from view and the button-count has been minimised. Both the dashboard and the door trims are mostly made from wood.



50 Year Celebration of the Jaguar E-Type



This year marks Jaguar's 50th Anniversary of its famous E-Type series. One of the most classic and desirable cars in automotive history, it was first released in 1961.



Capable of achieving 150mph, but costing a fraction of the price of rivals with similar performance, it was the affordable supercar of its day and became an instant must-have, remaining on sale for a remarkable 14 years. This first E-Type is recognised as such an epic car that it is a permanent exhibit in New York's Museum of Modern Art!



Jaguar will be celebrating this hallmark anniversary year at high-profile motoring events throughout 2011 – in addition to the Geneva Motor Show, the E-Type will move on to celebrate its famous history at Goodwood's Revival, Festival of Speed, the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and the Nurburgring Old Timer Grand Prix, as well as a further range of Jaguar sponsored events worldwide.



Conclusion



The Jaguar news for 2011 described above shows that this iconic car manufacturer continues to make its mark as a top contender in the luxury car marketplace. And here’s wishing the Jag E-Type a very happy birthday!



About the Author: Stephen Gransville is a car enthusiast and writer of Jaguar news.