Autoblog UK

Indian manufacturer Tata Motors Ltd, who bought the legendary British marques Jaguar and Land Rover for 2.4 billion US dollars in 2008, have just announced that they will shut at least one of their factories in England by 2014. The manufacturing plant in Castle Bromwich, where 2,100 workers currently build Jaguars, and the neighbouring former Rover factory in Solihull near Birmingham, where 5,000 are employed in the production of the Land Rover, are under threat. Tata spokesman Paul Chadderton disclosed that 800 new jobs would be created at the Halewood plant near Liverpool to produce the new Range Rover LRX.

The three factories are running at only 60% capacity due to a decline in orders. Since September 2008, around 2,500 employees have already lost their jobs. The final decision as to which factory will close will be taken early next year.

Autoblog's Will Powell reports from the Frankfurt Motor Show

The recently revealed Jaguar XJ has received a positive reception from punters here at the Frankfurt motor show. One static XJ show car takes pride of place on British brand's stand in the central hall, but Jaguar has cleverly been exposing its new luxury large saloon to the public, by ferrying executives around on the road in pre-production prototypes.

Last night, a chauffeur driven XJ was spotted parked proudly outside a well known centre-of-town hotel (the bar of which happened to be full of car hacks), while Jag boss Mike O'Driscoll popped in for a drink.

A Jaguar insider revealed that the prototype fleet of XJs that have been rolled into executive taxi service are actually on their way to the Nurburgring for final testing before the flagship saloon goes on sale next year.

No one was left in any doubt that the Ian Callum styled XJ - with its sleek, long and elegant shape - makes a more positive, eyeball-attracting impression in context on the road than it did on any motorshow stand. We can't wait to see it in showrooms in February next year.

We are prepared to accept that the new Jaguar XJ possesses many fine qualities. Also that this one is powered by an engine that is worthy of the illustrious badge. But we have our doubts about whether it is a Jaguar in the traditional sense of the name. Comparisons with the Maserati Quattroporte are the most flattering words that have come its way. Other commentators sum it up drily in one word: "Volvo"

And it's true: the new XJ is reminiscent of many other cars – but not its own predecessors. This is despite the claim from Ian Callum that the design was inspired by the classic Jaguar models of the past. The rear end looking suspiciously like a fastback with its vertical light clusters does not conform to standard XJ expectations. Whereas the interior shows how the virtues of wooden trim and leather upholstery can be reinterpreted for the 21st century, the classic exterior of earlier XJs seems to have had its day. Their success with the XF seems to have emboldened the Jaguar design team. Perhaps overly so?

Blimey! Don't these designers ever take a break? Fresh from the drawing board, we now have some pictures of the future BMW S.X. This concept car looks expansive and aggressive from the front, and the tail end is reminiscent of the Z4. The side windows have meanwhile shrunk to a narrow slit. Hats off to designer Iulian Bumbu, who already created something of a stir last year with his brutish Lamborghini Insecta.

When the XF concept car first appeared, almost everyone was blown away by the balance and beauty of Jaguar's latest design. Then, with the production model came disappointment – which was almost entirely down to the headlamps. What had happened to the beautiful headlamps in the big cat's design study? The headlamps in the CXF were perfectly formed – so why did we lose them? Was it output power, illumination or some other reason? Later, a completely different explanation occurred to me.

The CXF was just designed to give the public a taste for the final production design. This was the first look at the new shape; it showed what was feasible. In any case, the said lights have now been fitted to the new production XJ. And they look damn good. The front has the aggressive look of a real big cat, a similarity which boosts the marque's image and strengthens brand recognition. And, whilst the front has turned out pretty much according to expectations (after the XF), the rear is a completely new interpretation and has nothing in common with its little brother. The stretched profile is more fastback than coupé. The rear styling is both extravagant and elegant. Vertical light clusters flow upwards, hinting at the line of the rear window, and pillars. A very pleasing design – but not for everybody. Good design should polarise opinion, and the XJ certainly does that. Particularly as the radical break from the style of its predecessors makes the step to the new XJ seem even bigger.

Inside you'll find everything you'd expect in a car of this class: displays that replace analogue instrumentation , polished surfaces and masses of wood veneer. The drive selector in the broad central console is a modified version of that found on the XF. Everything gleams expensively under indirect mood lighting. The finish conveys first-class quality, just as it should in a car like this. The new XJ is a worthy alternative to the established top-flight players. And you don't even have to be much of an individualist.

Here it is – the new big cat. First impressions confirm that Jaguar have taken a giant leap into the 21st century. The front looks fabulous, and when you go round the back, you will barely believe your eyes. The Jaguar XJ is like an untamed beast, poised for attack. Head of Design Ian Callum, who also drew the XF, can be well satisfied with his latest offspring.

The world premiere of the new Jag was compèred by Jay Leno. The American comedian and chat show host, who has a worldwide reputation as an auto freak and collector of classic cars, carried off the occasion with his usual wit and aplomb. According to Leno, the Jaguar is a "sexy car". You can see photos from the launch in the gallery below.

The Jaguar XJ was first launched onto the market in 1968. Now it's not just Jaguar fans who are eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new model. Today, 9th July, the car is being presented to the press and public for the first time. You also have the opportunity to sign a purchase order for delivery in early 2010. The new version has little in common with the typical 1968 Jaguar look, though certain features have been carried across. The new Jag is to have aluminium bodywork, a luxury so far only available from Audi. In a few more hours, all will be revealed...

The Festival of Speed (3rd - 5th July) at Goodwood is to receive a superfast visitor: the record-breaking 'Bonneville' Jaguar XFR. The fastest big cat of all times has been booked as one of the stars of the show and will be appearing in the First Glance category. The modified XFR achieved a stunning maximum speed of 225mph (363km/h) on the Bonneville Flats in Utah. At Goodwood, we will be able to admire a special version in toxic green with graphite highlights. The official name for the colour scheme is, however, 'lime green'. Jaguar are also using the Goodwood Festival to celebrate the history of the marque with the one-off XJ13 prototype and further D-Types and C-Types.

Jaguar announced that during a secret speed trial at the legendary Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, an XFR prototype recorded a stunning top speed of 225.675mph (363.188km/h), making it the fastest Jaguar ever.

The car - powered by the all-new AJ-V8 Gen III engine - beat Jaguar's previous speed record of 217.1mph (349.4 km/h) set in the XJ220 in 1992.* Paul Gentilozzi – the owner of Rocketsports Racing who successfully led the Jaguar XKR to five series victories between 2001 and 2006 in the Trans Am series in the USA - drove the car on the record-breaking run.

Running with minor aerodynamic and safety modifications to meet the requirements for a Bonneville run, the 225mph top speed was achieved with additional horsepower liberated by a remapped ECU, a modified air intake and exhaust system and revised supercharger settings. No internal engine components were changed and the six-speed automatic transmission was standard, including the gear ratios.

Jaguar has also revealed the new XKR and XFR at the 2009 North American International Auto Show - two cars that are true to the heritage of Jaguar's legendary performance, delivering a superb balance of high performance, dynamic ability and refinement.