When you think about it, it almost seems odd that premier British luxury car builder Jaguar has not offered over the top luxury options to its well-heeled buyers. All that ends with the 2013 Jaguar XJ Ultimate, which is essentially the ultimate expression of the XJ, Jaguar’s flagship sedan. Jaguar has essentially taken the top spec XJL Supersport and decided to give the rear seat passengers some extra attention.

It is generally agreed all of us here at The Garage want the seat behind the steering wheel, but the XJ Ultimate’s rear quarters sound particularly enticing. With the Ultimate, Jaguar has ripped out the rear bench seat and replaced it with two tailored bucket seats separated by a leather lined center console. The seats are power adjustable, with ventilation, massage, and lumbar support. Need to get some work done? No problem, as the Ultimate has a solid aluminum table with piano black detailing that rises from the center console. This is augmented by a pair of Apple iPad 3′s with wireless keyboards housed in leather trimmed docks.

Don’t feel like working? No problem, as the 20 speaker surround sound stereo designed by ultra-high end British audio specialists Merdian should satisfy the most discerning audiophile. It goes without saying that both rear passengers are treated to their own screens for movie viewing, with wireless headsets. The XJ Ultimate is also equipped with a champagne chiller, specifically designed to hold a bottle of champagne and kept at an ideal temperature of 47-50 degrees Fahrenheit. On opening the chiller, the bottle of champagne rises to present itself to the passengers. And of course, two bespoke champagne flutes illuminated with ambient lighting complete the package.

The XJ Ultimate is powered by a supercharged V-8 rated at 510hp, paired to an eight-speed automatic. Jaguar claims an impressive 0-60mph in a scant 4.7 seconds. No word if the XJL Supersport’s optional sport package is standard on the Ultimate, which raises top speed to 174mph. Jaguar claims they recalibrated the rear suspension for better comfort without suffering any handling trade-offs.

The 2013 Jaguar XJ Ultimate will be available later this year. Only 30 examples are slated for the US. Each car will be finished in Black Amethyst with unique 20″ alloys and oval polished stainless steel exhaust tips. Price of admission is $155,000USD, a full thirty grand more than a fully optioned XJL Supersport. What price exclusivity? To the Jaguar buyer of means, the XJ Ultimate is just that-entrance to an impossibly small club demanding the ultimate in luxury and performance.

Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertible, Sedan, Jaguar, Luxury

Sometimes we lament the loss of four-door convertible "parade cars." Then we see something like this and we don't miss 'em one bit. Woof.

Based on the Jaguar XJ (the long-wheelbase XJ L, to be specific), Newport Convertible Engineering has produced this four-door cabriolet to some questionable results. Sure, the divisive rear quarters of the sedan have been minimized, if not eliminated, but cutting off the roof in favor of folding soft top is hardly an aesthetic improvement.

Inside Line recently tested one and seemed to have enjoyed the experience, but while NCE's transformation was reportedly the most difficult they've pulled off to date, we'd just as soon keep the roof on and take our iced tea in a Bentley Continental GTC. Especially when the XJ convertible starts out around $130,000.

Newport Convertible Engineering chops the top off the Jaguar XJ originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 15 Aug 2011 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Jaguar

An automaker can't make it in the fringe anymore. Everything's going either upmarket or mainstream, and Jaguar has opted primarily for the latter. The company that not so long ago offered essentially one sedan and one two-door is rapidly expanding to a full lineup. So what's the next step? According to the rumormeisters over at Autocar, it's ditching its current model naming strategy.

According to the UK publication, Jaguar is preparing to jettison nameplates like XJ and XF in favor of a more conventional alphanumeric system like those employed by its German and Japanese rivals. The thinking is that while the faithful know Coventry's naming system, it's not immediately evident to newcomers and outsiders where one model sits in the line-up vis-a-vis the next. Besides, it won't be the first time Jag has slapped alphanumeric badges like XJ8 on the flanks of its cars.

One model could possibly hold out, though, as the C-X75 heads down the road to production. Filling the shoes of the iconic XJ220, the company is reportedly toying with the idea of naming the new supercar XJ330. The original was named for the 220 mph top speed it was aimed to reach (but never did), and the new model is targeted to hit a more realistic 205 mph - or 330 km/h on the metric scale.

Jaguar to ditch current nameplates for alphanumeric badges? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Jaguar

An automaker can't make it in the fringe anymore. Everything's going either upmarket or mainstream, and Jaguar has opted primarily for the latter. The company that not so long ago offered essentially one sedan and one two-door is rapidly expanding to a full lineup. So what's the next step? According to the rumormeisters over at Autocar, it's ditching its current model naming strategy.

According to the UK publication, Jaguar is preparing to jettison nameplates like XJ and XF in favor of a more conventional alphanumeric system like those employed by its German and Japanese rivals. The thinking is that while the faithful know Coventry's naming system, it's not immediately evident to newcomers and outsiders where one model sits in the line-up vis-a-vis the next. Besides, it won't be the first time Jag has slapped alphanumeric badges like XJ8 on the flanks of its cars.

One model could possibly hold out, though, as the C-X75 heads down the road to production. Filling the shoes of the iconic XJ220, the company is reportedly toying with the idea of naming the new supercar XJ330. The original was named for the 220 mph top speed it was aimed to reach (but never did), and the new model is targeted to hit a more realistic 205 mph - or 330 km/h on the metric scale.

Jaguar to ditch current nameplates for alphanumeric badges? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Filed under: Jaguar

An automaker can't make it in the fringe anymore. Everything's going either upmarket or mainstream, and Jaguar has opted primarily for the latter. The company that not so long ago offered essentially one sedan and one two-door is rapidly expanding to a full lineup. So what's the next step? According to the rumormeisters over at Autocar, it's ditching its current model naming strategy.

According to the UK publication, Jaguar is preparing to jettison nameplates like XJ and XF in favor of a more conventional alphanumeric system like those employed by its German and Japanese rivals. The thinking is that while the faithful know Coventry's naming system, it's not immediately evident to newcomers and outsiders where one model sits in the line-up vis-a-vis the next. Besides, it won't be the first time Jag has slapped alphanumeric badges like XJ8 on the flanks of its cars.

One model could possibly hold out, though, as the C-X75 heads down the road to production. Filling the shoes of the iconic XJ220, the company is reportedly toying with the idea of naming the new supercar XJ330. The original was named for the 220 mph top speed it was aimed to reach (but never did), and the new model is targeted to hit a more realistic 205 mph - or 330 km/h on the metric scale.

Jaguar to ditch current nameplates for alphanumeric badges? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Jaguar, UK, Luxury

All Jaguars, whether steel or aluminum, are fashioned in one place: Castle Bromwich in the West Midlands of England. The factory complex originally made RAF Spitfires and Lancaster bombers for World War II service, then was turned over to car production. In the way of Britain's carmaking conglomerates, it produced bodies for brands from Riley to Austin to Morris - when our tour guide started working there in 1966 he was in charge of making Nash Metropolitans.

Jaguar has been the sole occupant since 1977, and consolidated all of its production there in 2005, when its Browns Lane plant was shut. We had a chance to tour the site's C-Block and F-Block recently, where the XJ is assembled and finished. Along the way we came across bodyshells so light they could easily be picked up by one man, a bajillion rivets and miles of adhesive, Ford's gift of reams of data sheets, the shiniest XJ we've ever seen and, of course, signs of Elvis. Have a look at the captioned gallery of high-res photos below to see what's behind the camouflaged red brick walls of Castle Bromwich.

Where big cats are made: A photo tour of Jaguar's Castle Bromwich plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 May 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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