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Driving Force

Jun 25 2008

Back to: Jaguar's Great Leap Forward

1961 Jaguar XKE
1967 Jaguar 3.8 S
1969 Jaguar XJ6
2004 Jaguar X-Type
2005 Jaguar X-Type Sport model
2008 Jaguar XJ sedan
2008 Jaguar XKR convertible
2009 Jaguar XF
2009 Jaguar XF
2009 Jaguar XF
2009 Jaguar XF
2009 Jaguar XF
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1961 Jaguar XKE
The Jaguar XKE has been displayed by New York’s Museum of Modern Art. The sexy shape was inspired by the C- and D-types that won 24 Hours of Le Mans races in the 1950s; inside was a six-cylinder engine.
1967 Jaguar 3.8 S
The design of this high-performance car inspired the Jaguar S-Type introduced nearly 10 years ago.
1969 Jaguar XJ6
The XJ6 was announced in 1968 and was considered to have a very graceful, yet thoroughly modern, Jag shape. The interior was luxuriously decked out in wood and leather.
2004 Jaguar X-Type
The compact sedan was designed to compete with the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and Audi A4. Built on a European Ford Mondeo platform, the 2004 X-Type costs roughly $30,000, an effort to boost sales; its stodgy design found few buyers.
2005 Jaguar X-Type Sport model
The 2005 Sport model featured half-leather, half-Alcantara seats and a carbon-fiber dash.
2008 Jaguar XJ sedan
First introduced in 1968, the XJ changed relatively little over the years. Jaguar loaded up its biggest, most luxurious sedan with technology and changed the front and rear fascia treatments. But it is still generally seen as a stuffy car.
2008 Jaguar XKR convertible
Fast and expensive (prices started at $92,000), the XKR got strong reviews for handling, but omits details like an iPod connector.
2009 Jaguar XF
The aggressive new design loses the traditional Jaguar grille—and the Jaguar itself, which no longer pounces from the hood.
2009 Jaguar XF
The XF is a tamer version of the C-XF concept car developed under Ford before it sold Jaguar to Tata this year.
2009 Jaguar XF
The transmission selector is set into the car’s console and rises when the car is started.
2009 Jaguar XF
When it senses the key nearby, the Jaguar’s ignition button pulses red.
2009 Jaguar XF
Panels on the dash swivel open to reveal air vents when the car is started.

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