Jaguar Land Rover, new $160 million € in the year 2016 to open R & D centre in the UK

LONDON, Sept 24 Reuters) – British carmaker Jaguar Land Rover on Tuesday said that it is planning a 100 million pound ($160 million) research and development open to create a centre in the United Kingdom in the year 2016 to be the next generation of vehicle technologies.

Based at Warwick University in Central England, innovation campus (NAIC) used national automotive industry to develop new technologies for electric cars and vehicles connections, among other things, said JLR.

The carmaker, owned by India's Tata Motors, said that around 1,000 scientists and engineers would work in the middle. Some 200 JLR researchers and engineers are already located at Warwick University.

JLR is the lead partner in the project and the rest from the Tata Motors European technical centre, Warwick manufacturing group and the Government of higher education funding Council invested £ 50 million in the project.

"This joint research programmes will use the best of UK engineering innovation and with the additional features that you expect, the NAIC gives us the number and selection of new, fresh innovative ideas we patent, and drive to produce in the future significantly increase", said JLRs head of research of Antony Harper.

Construction of the new Center is to begin in September of next year.

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Jaguar F-Type inspired by sleek, 1960s model

Paul A. Eisenstein , The Detroit Bureau – 5 days

Few cars have had a more striking presence – or a longer-term impact – than the legendary Jaguar E-Type. When it first burst onto the automotive scene in 1961 it was hailed as one of the most beautiful cars of all time -- sleek, elegant and in sharp contrast to most of what was rolling off global assembly lines at the time, especially the lumbering finned behemoths from Detroit.

While the British maker has delivered a number of other well-received products during the half-century since, nothing has matched the power of the E-Type. Not until now, anyway. The new Jaguar F-Type that will start reaching U.S. showrooms in the weeks ahead is being hailed as its spiritual successor – in fact, the first true sports car bearing the “Leaper” logo since the original E-Type went out of production in 1974.

For Jaguar, it couldn’t have come along at a better time, admits global brand chief Adrian Hallmark, who suggests “Jaguar without a sports car is as incomplete as Ferrari without a sports car.”

Few manufacturers have had more of a roller-coaster ride than Jaguar since the marque was founded by Sir William Lyons in 1922. Despite its success on the race track and reputation for delivering sensual, elegant designs, it came perilously close to collapse, eventually being gathered up with much of the rest of the British auto industry and nationalized.

In 1989, Ford Motor Co. took control and invested billions to transform Jaguar into the heart of what became the Premier Automotive Group, or PAG, a collection of European – mostly British -- luxury brands that also included Land Rover, Aston Martin and Volvo.

Ford’s appetite for growth was big – perhaps too big. So while several new models, such as the redesigned XJ “saloon,” or sedan, flagship, won kudos, Jaguar also took heat for more flawed offerings like the X-Type. The little four-door was little more than a gussied-up version of a compact Ford offering – at a significantly higher price.

With demand lagging far behind expectations – and with the PAG’s chief sponsor Ford CEO Jacques Nasser, ousted in a boardroom coup -- Jaguar began to languish. By 2007, as new Chief Executive Alan Mulally came aboard, hoping to keep Ford from bankruptcy, it became clear that Jaguar had to go. But would it be tossed on the automotive trash heap along with so many other once-famous car brands or find a new, more dedicated buyer?

The empire struck back. Despite declining sales, Ford agreed to sell the once-proud symbol of U.K. manufacturing prowess to one of the most powerful conglomerates in the old British Commonwealth. Along with Land Rover, Jaguar was, in 2008, part of the ambitious, Indian-based Tata Motors, sold for about $3 billion, or less than half what Ford had paid for the original two.

There were plenty of skeptics who believed Tata had still overpaid. Jaguar continued a desperate slide, especially after the weak reception of the latest XJ.

Land Rover, on the other hand, has been delivering its strongest showing ever, thanks to the new Evoq and other offerings – the latest Range Rover remake already all but sold out. That has encouraged the Indian parent to loosen the purse strings for both makers, according to Ralf Speth, the German executive overseeing the joint JLR operations.

The latest updates from Jaguar have been more carefully targeted to the image one might expect of the luxury brand. They’ve recognized what brand boss Hallmark describes as the “three pillars” that Jaguar must rest upon:

- Innovative and “seductive” design that is “the most appealing” in any segment the maker competes;

- A truly connected feel between driver, car and the road;

- Serious power and performance.

Notably, Jaguar has recently doubled the number of its R-line high-performance models, such as the 550-horsepower XJR that debuted earlier this month at the New York International Auto Show and the “track-focused” $174,000 XKR-S GT -- of which just 30 will be made.

Jaguar has added a range of new powertrains, including a new V-6 line, and the all-wheel-drive offerings desperately needed in snowbelt states, such as the New York region, where luxury brands without all-wheel-drive have had little traction in recent years.

For the first quarter of 2013, the payoff has been a 34 percent jump in sales in the U.S., the British marque’s largest national market – albeit off some truly lamentable numbers last year.

Jaguar won’t say what their sales targets are for the new F-Type, though Speth and other officials insist they won’t need huge numbers to generate a profit. But while some black ink would be helpful, what the new sports car really has to do is to “give us that continuity, that recognition” that will put Jaguar back on the global luxury car map, contends Ian Callum, its chief designer.

There are, of course, a lot more offerings to compete with than back in the 1960s. But given the throngs of potential buyers who have been checking out the F-Type, whether online or on this year’s auto show circuit, the new sports car already appears to be doing that job.

Copyright © 2009-2013, The Detroit Bureau

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Jaguar, exposed once almost extinct, claws

It is 50 years of the Jaguar E-type revolutionizing automotive design, and now the British automaker is things shake again with the announcement that it his widely acclaimed C-X is withdrawn 75 concept car in production.

First, Jaguar said they had no formal plans for striking supercar, officials that his on last autumn Paris Motor Show debut, but they switched course reflects that the prototype has received the strong reaction from the public. It will join now 40 other new products, variants of existing models and large technology programmes of Jaguar and his siblings brand, Land Rover planned.

"People expect Jaguar innovators are - d. h. If Jaguar is at its best", Jaguar said global brand Director Adrian hallmark. "No other vehicle will mean renewed confidence and excellence in technological innovation better Jaguar as this."

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The 2-seater - the Jaguar plans only build 150 at 700,000 pounds sterling per piece (about $1.2 million at current prices) - developed together with racing Williams F1. A plug-in hybrid drive - used the C-X 75, but it is not an other Chevrolet Volt. While there are more than 30 miles per get free of charge, also starts from 0 to 60 in less than 3 seconds, he reached a top speed of more than 200 mph.

The main difference between the show-car and the production version of the C-X 75 is the use of a relatively conventional combustion engine back-up power, instead of twin micro turbines, offer technology not yet ready for the road, be officials according to Jaguar.

The timing of the announcement of C-X 75 Jaguar is a much-needed boost. Two years ago, Ford sold the automaker of to ambitious Indian automaker Tata Motors. Ford own ambitions for JAG for massive increases in revenue once called, but these plans came to nothing, especially on defective products such as the compact X-type. In fact, they were two-door versions of the mainstream Ford models.

The price for getting things right, decided Ford, JAG and Land Rover sell to recognize. Tata, in turn is betting it can its new Marques to global take - and improve the design and technology of its more modest Indian product lines.

Among the many Jaguars in the development of Hallmark cards confirms, is a new entry-luxury model. Name it a replacement for the unloved X-type, however. This model was, Hallmark, emblematic of the many errors, which almost completely destroyed Jaguar. The new small car, to follow others, together with all must deliver the look, feel and performance, which the brand suits stressed that British-born Executive.

Again and again in the compact market - dominated long BMW 3-series - Hallmark cards is added much. This segment is"massive" and "the most important piece," Jaguar planned product development could be effort, he said. A sedan is a new platform, but Jaguar "like to do several body styles," Hallmark cards indicated.

The question of what else comes from Jaguar, Hallmark struck a high end crossover, targeting as BMW X 5 and Audi's Q7, the development, while a small crossover is also a strong possibility. The strategy as Jaguar is a clear shift has clear controlled long nothing truck-like, what does this part of the market with Land Rover.

"Just because we are part of the Jaguar/Land Rover does not mean, that we look at crossovers, cannot", the trademark, said that the British automaker in October last year after a brief stint with the reborn Saab joined.

"We do not overlap," echo Dr. Ralf Speth, Jaguar Land Rover CEO, in a separate interview. Is "distinct DNA", which sold confuse customers crossovers of the two trade marks is - can keep separate showrooms.

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Hallmark also suggested that while Jaguar, under the current range, will fall "we can also [Advanced] about where we are now."

In particular the 41 new programmes - with the C-X 75 added - contain important new drives. That's tough new mileage substantially, taking into account and emission standards are used in the United States, Europe and other parts of the world. Expect super car, only one of several shows how advanced electric propulsion systems to be although Speth warned that neither Jaguar Land Rover are ready to commit, a pure battery electric vehicle. More diesel engines are also in the works.

While Jaguar could have an unlimited budget, it is in a better position than it was three years ago. "It of survival is gone to unbridled ambition in three years," said hallmark.

Thus, the ambitious product range of Jaguar/Land Rover finance Tata is a global bond, set with j.p. Morgan Chase, Citigroup, Credit Suisse Group and Standard Chartered PLC, to manage the business. While the British operations, now in the black are operating offset would help the bonds that financed the cost of $2.3 billion acquisition and free up Tata's more for research and development.

At one point, former Ford CEO Jacques Nasser created plans to Jaguar sales to 200,000 per year and beyond. Today, however, it is hardly at the 50,000 mark. More on a stage could transform the automaker from niche player to something with his German rival the product offensive. "We are not a million Jaguars a year, will sell", shows Hallmark card.

"But we large repeatedly want to sell" the current figures, he added quickly. "Much more than it is today."

© 2011 msnbc.com.  Reprints

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