Jaguar XJ Sport and Speed Packs Launches at Dubai International Motor Show

• Two new performance driven option packs for flagship XJ saloon

New interior and exterior Sport Packs include:

• Aerodynamically optimised styling changes to front and rear.

• New 20-inch alloy wheel design.

• Red painted brake callipers with Jaguar script.

• Optional sports seating for front and rear passengers

• Additional interior trim choices mean even greater colour and veneer combinations.

• New Speed Pack - exclusive to supercharged models with exterior Sport Pack - raises the electronically limited top speed from 155mph (250km/h) to 174mph (280km/h).

• Sport and Speed Packs are available in standard and long wheelbase variants.

• XJ awarded International Luxury Car of the Year at the 2011 ICOTY awards.

• The XJ's Advanced Aluminium Architecture offers weight-savings of up to 150kg compared to its competitors.

• Range of engines includes twin-turbocharged V6 diesel, 3.0-litre V6 petrol and naturally aspirated and supercharged petrol V8s.

Jaguar's award-winning flagship XJ saloon - which combines elegance, drama and sporting prowess - is now available with optional Sport and Speed Packs to further emphasise the performance aspect of its character.

With the XJ, Jaguar has created an entirely new template for the luxury performance saloon. The XJ seamlessly blends sporting potential, dynamic driving abilities and luxurious appointments; a class-leading combination that has gathered plaudits worldwide. The Sport and Speed packs further unlock the performance potential of the XJ both aesthetically and dynamically.

The Sport Pack - available throughout the XJ range - comprises a number of exterior and interior design options that clearly underline the assertive side of the car's personality. Externally the appearance of the XJ has been made even more dramatic with the addition of aerodynamically optimised changes to the bodywork and an alloy wheel design specific to the Sport Pack.

The functional aerodynamic changes of the Sport Pack allow supercharged XJ models to be additionally offered with the Speed Pack, which raises the limited top speed from 155mph (250km/h) to 174mph (280km/h).

Design

'The XJ is much more than a limousine. Its power and potential mean it can out-perform many so-called sports cars. The new Sport and Speed Packs allow customers to enhance that sporting dynamism even further and create an XJ that looks as good as it drives.'

Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar Cars

The elegantly integrated design changes that comprise the Sport Pack are not simply cosmetic, they allow Jaguar to offer the Speed Pack option, transforming the supercharged XJ models into the fastest saloons the company has ever built.

The result of extensive research in the wind tunnel and on track, the front of the car gains an aerodynamic splitter beneath the bumper to direct air beneath the car to reduce lift, and at the rear the bootlid lip has been extended to ensure a clean separation of air from the trailing edge of the bodywork. While ensuring optimal stability at high-speed, the Sport Pack maintains the standard XJ's sleek 0.29Cd aerodynamic figure.

These changes have been reinforced with a number of cosmetic additions that clearly distinguish the Sport Pack-equipped cars from other models. The bold Jaguar radiator grille, a key feature in the XJ's assertive face with its strong 'rear view mirror recognition' factor gains a gloss black mesh finish with the same treatment applied to the lower air opening and side vents.

Red painted brake calipers emblazoned with the Jaguar name are mounted behind new 20-inch 'Venom' alloy wheels with a diamond-turned sparkle silver finish to their eye-catching five split-spoke design. Newly designed split twin tailpipes (not available from launch) will leave other drivers in no doubt as to what car has just passed them.

Interior

Reflecting the exterior styling changes and befitting its performance oriented remit, the XJ Sport Pack offers interior changes that give driver and passengers a heightened sense of occasion and an indication of the dynamic abilities available.

The front seats are Jaguar's Performance version, which offer superb support for spirited driving. Trimmed in softgrain leather these offer a huge range of adjustment - including the enlarged side bolsters - to create a perfectly tailored driving position. Active ventilation supplies heated or chilled air as required to each individual front seats. At the driver's feet sit purposeful machined stainless steel pedals engraved with the Jaguar name.

The rear seats have been trimmed to match the front pair and the Sport specification will be offered in two purposeful colourways of Jet over Jet or Jet over Ivory. The eye-catching Piano Black trim that highlights certain touch surfaces in the XJ is contrasted in the Sport specification by subtly applied carbon-fibre highlights.

Performance

'A car capable of 174mph must have certain basic attributes - stability, aerodynamics, prodigious power and as little weight as possible. The XJ is blessed with all these qualities in abundance and with the addition of the Speed Pack it becomes an ever more impressive performance saloon.'

Mike Cross, Chief Engineer, Vehicle Integrity

The XJ benefits from superb aerodynamics and Jaguar's innovative lightweight aluminium architecture to offer weight savings of up to 150kg over its competitors. This offers tangible benefits in terms of economy, emissions, driving dynamics, agility and, of course, performance.

The Sport Pack is available on nearly all engine variants, including the muscular twin-turbo diesel, market-specific 3.0 V6 petrol and naturally-aspirated 5.0-litre AJ-V8 where it serves to emphasise the sporting character and driver involvement that are core strengths of every XJ model.

On supercharged AJ-V8 models, the Sport pack can be combined with the Speed Pack, which raises the electronically limited maximum speed from 155mph (250km/h) to 174mph (280km/h).

With such prodigious power already available from the supercharged petrol engines, no increase was necessary to achieve the higher top speed. The only changes necessary were a recalibrated engine management system, reworked software for the innovative virtual instrument display and adjustment to the tyre pressure monitoring system to take into account the heat generated by sustained high-speed motoring.

by Jaguar

The Jaguar XJ series began in 1968 and has continued in various forms and Series into modern times. The first 'Mark' was introduced in 1968 and continued until 1992. During this time there were three series, Series 1, Series 2, and Series 3. In 1986 Jaguar introduced the Mark II which continued until 2002. During this time there were the XJ40, XJ81, X300, X305, and X308. The Mark III was introduced in 2003.

Sir John William hailed the JX series as 'the finest Jaguar ever.' The 'XJ' designation had been used during the vehicle development as its codename. When the vehicle was introduced, the codename persisted. When introduced it was powered by a six-cylinder engine that came in either 2.8- or 4.2-liter displacement. In 1972 a 5.3-liter V12 unit was introduced with a total of 3,235 examples being produced its introductory year. From 1968 through 1973, Jaguar produced 82,126 examples of the XJ Series I.

The Jaguar XJ Series II, commonly known as the Series II, was introduced in 1973. It brought mild aesthetic improvements over the prior years. One of the more visual indications of a Series II from a Series I was the smaller front grille. A 3.4-liter engine became available in 1975. In total, 91,227 examples of the Series II were produced with 14,226 being outfitted with the 12-cylinder engine. 8378 examples were of the two-door XJ Coupes which were produced from 1975 through 1978.

The Series II vehicles had a reputation for pool build quality which was partly due to outsourced components. The XJC versions were plagued with loud wind noise and water leakage.

A limited number of XJC pillar-less hardtop coupes were produced from 1975 through 1978. These are commonly known as the XJC. Their chassis's were constructed on the short-wheelbase version of the XJ. They came equipped with either the six or twelve-cylinder engine. An extensive amount of labor was required in order to modify the saloon body to create the XJC. The labor-intensive process and high sticker price was part of the reason only 8378 examples were produced.

In 1979 Jaguar unveiled the Series 3 which remained in production until 1992. The famous design studio, Pininfarina, had been tasked with incorporating design enhancements for the long-wheelbase version. The results were stunning.

The Series III was powered by six- and 12-cylinder engines. In the six-cylinder form, the owner could select either the 3.4-liter or 4.2-liter unit. The V12 unit had 5.3-liters in displacement size. The larger six-cylinder engine and the 12-cylinder unit both utilized Bosch fuel injection. The smaller six used carburetors and now offered for sale in the US.

In total, there were 132,952 examples of the Series III produced. A small percentage of those, 10,500, were equipped with the 12-cylinder engine. In 1987 Jaguar ceased production of the Series III XJ with the six-cylinder engines. The Series III with the 12-cylinder power-plant continued until 1992.

The Series III brought with its cruise control and a sunroof as optional equipment. The Vanden Plas option was introduced in 1982 and intended for the US market. This designation indicated the top-of-the-line offering for the Jaguar XJ which included the twelve-cylinder engine and many luxury items as standard equipment.

The Project XJ40 had been in development by British Leyland (Jaguar) since the 1970's. Designs by Pininfarina were submitted but ultimately, Jaguar decided to stick with its internal design studio for their newest creation. There were delays with the project which delayed its introduction. These delay's, which included the unforeseen fuel crisis, meant the Jaguar Mark II XJ40 was unveiled to European markets until 1986. Since its design had been started in the 1970's, it brought with it many controversial designs from that era. The square headlights were one of these antiquated features.

Jaguar offered the XJ40 with only six-cylinder units when first introduced. The 12-cylinder unit's were not ready, thus the continuation of the Series III with the V12 until 1992. In 1989 Ford took over Jaguar. Work began on redesigning the engine bay to accommodate the V12. It would take a few more years of development until the V12 was ready.

In 1993 a twelve-cylinder version of the Mark II was ready for sale. By now, the vehicles were known as XJ81. Production would continue until 1994 of these 6.0-liter four-door saloons. Power was sent to the rear wheels through a GM 4L80E four-speed automatic gearbox with overdrive on the fourth gear.

In 1995 the XJ6, code-named X300 Series, was introduced which used styling cues from the popular Series III cars. There were now four individual headlights, reminiscent of the Series III era. The hood was also very similar to the S3. The work of the newly designs and updated X300 Series cars was done by Geoff Lawson, the head designer for Jaguar. Included in this series was the XJ6, Vanden Plas, XJR, and Daimler. Power was from a 4-liter six-cylinder unit or from the 6-liter 12-cylinder unit. The XJR version featured a supercharger on the six-cylinder unit. This was a radical departure from Jaguar's history, as a supercharger had never been used by the Jaguar Company. Turbochargers were almost as rare in the company's long and prestigious history. The XJ220 is one of the few Jaguars, up to this point, to have been outfitted with a turbocharger.

Though the exterior of the car had received attention, the interior received very few updates.

Production of the XJ6 continued into 1997.

The XJ12 and Daimler Double Six as introduced in 1995 and produced until 1996. It was known under the codename X305. Production of the XJ12 was low with only 3400 examples produced. Though they shared many design features as the X300 Series, there was much to distinguish between the two series. V12 badges were placed on each side of the vehicle's pillar.

The X308 was introduced in 1997 and continued until 2002. Included in this series was the XJ7, JXR, Daimler, and Vanden Plas. The X308 Series brought about an all-new dashboard. The most significant improvement was the use of eight-cylinder engines. They were offered in 3.2-liter and 4.0-liter displacement sizes. The XJR included a five-speed automatic transmission and a supercharger on the 4.0-liter unit which greatly improve the vehicle's performance. The base 4.0-liter produced 290 horsepower while the supercharger version increased output to 370.

In 2002, Jaguar introduced the XJR 100 which was a limited 500 special edition versions of the XJR. They were all painted in black with matching black leather interior. Alloy sport wheels, red stitching in the interior, and maple trim were used exclusively on the XJR 100.

The Mark III was introduced in 2002 and brought about an all-new aluminum lightweight body. These were codenamed the X350. Included in this series was the XJ6, XJ8, XJR, Vanden Plas, Super V8, and Daimler Super Eight. Visually, the vehicle had changed little. The biggest improvements were under the hood and throughout the other mechanical components. The chassis and body were constructed mostly from aluminum with small amounts of steel.

The Super V8 made its debut in 2004. This was a long-wheelbase version of the XJ and is considered the most luxurious and powerful of the series. As such, it is also the most expensive. Under the hood was a 4.2-liter supercharged V8 that produced 400 horsepower. A limited-edition, called the Super V8 Portfolio, was introduced at the 2005 New York Auto Show as a 2006 model. It carried a base price of $115,999. Improvements were more power and luxury enhancements. There were only limited colors offered, either Black Cherry or Winter Gold. Zero-to-sixty took just five seconds.

The Mark III, aka X350, was powered by a 4.2-liter V8 that came in natural aspiration or supercharger. The base engine produced 300 horsepower while the supercharger version raised that figure to 400.

by Dan Vaughan