new aluminum XK

[dan carlson]

The new Jaguar XK is the only car besides the new XKR and the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano that weigh less than their predecessors. All three use aluminum as the primary material for their structure.

reposted from the XK8 board...

The 2007 Jaguar XK's grille is inspired by the 1961 Jaguar E-Type.



From top to bottom

D-Type, XJ13, E-Type, 2005 XK8, and 2007 XK



Check this link for the new aluminum Jaguar XK

http://seriouswheels.com/top-2007-Jaguar-XK.htm

I hope someone enters this new XK in sports car racing. X150 is the code name for the new XK.

Thanks to the new vehicle's all-aluminum construction, Jaguar claims an 31% increase in bodyshell stiffness over the previous generation steel-bodied XK. It is also lighter than its predecessor at 3671 lbs.

The new aluminum XK has a more blunt front bumper in order to comply with new european pedestrian safety regulations.

Here is an excerpt from a motorsportscenter.com interview with Henrik Fisker, Aston Martin's Director of Design from 2001 until December of last year.

MotorSportsCenter: Does the V8 Vantage adhere to the new European safety law regarding pedestrians?

Henrik Fisker: The Vantage actually comes out before that law takes effect. Just to give a comment on that - and this is just purely my opinion, not reflecting on Ford Motor Company - but there is a problem today, in my opinion, where you have too many government officials that don't understand the car industry but are making up laws, with good intent, but they end up really lingering the progress of even safety. You are only looking at one aspect; when you force only one aspect on a car, like pedestrian safety, you force the company to spend all their time and resources on that aspect, where if you look at it in a more holistic way - like, for instance, what Volvo has done for years; they have always had an eye on safety. Where does it make the most sense to improve safety? Volvo is the one that came out with a lot of [safety improvements] first, not from government regulations at all. That would be, for me, the better way to do it.

This pedestrian safety restriction, I think, is a waste of opportunity. And it's going to cost a lot of money, and it is money that will be paid for, in the end, by the consumers.

I think there are more innovative ways to deal with [safety]. Maybe some of that will come out; there will be some adjustment - that's my prediction. Unfortunately, we will spend a lot of money in the next few years, but then somebody will realize that maybe that was not the bet ideas, and then there will be some new ideas coming up.

[zach custus]

i've seen one on the road. the exhaust sounded great.