+ Click to Enlarge MASTERPIECE FROM JAGUAR: This is the Jaguar C-XF concept just revealed by the Big Cat brand - there can be no doubt that it is one of the most beautiful cars anybody, anywhere, has yet built.

January 3, 2007
By Les Stephenson

"Great Jaguars turn heads in the street. They make people stop and pay attention. They evoke instant desire. That's what the C-XF does and that's what the next generation of Jaguars will do." - Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar Cars Listen to the podcast.

He's talking about the C-XF concept car that, Jaguar hopes, indicates the arrival of a new era for the brand. It's a stunning, four-door sports sedan that, its designers say, "blends design purity with unmistakable dynamism".

Some of those designers are from the teams that produced the award-winning Jaguar XK sports GT range in 2005 – led, of course, by Jaguar's design director Ian Callum and head of advanced design Julian Thomson. They've built the C-XF as a precursor to cars that will become recognised for ground-breaking looks and innovative interiors.

"The C-XF – and the future generations of sports saloons it signals – reaffirms the direction Jaguar is taking," said Jaguar's MD Bibiana Boerio. "When we launched the XK series we talked about a product-led company transformation. We promised that new Jaguars would be , fast, glamorous, beautiful and evocative.

"The new XK delivered and the C-XF proves that the same values - and more - are coming in Jaguar sedans."

Callum added: "The design of C-XF is about more than just performance and power – it also succeeds in blending many of Jaguar's unique heritage styling cues.

"Throughout its history Jaguar has created some of the most striking, modern and beautiful sports sedans imaginable and our objective with the C-XF was to recognise that.

"The C-XF's design team took inspiration from some of William Lyons' greatest cars, including the 1950 Mark VII and 1959 Mark 2 sedans. Their flowing lines were influenced by some of the great sporting Jaguars of the era, such as the XK120.

"Jaguars should be perceived as cool cars and cool cars attract interesting, edgy people. The next generations of Jaguars will do just that."

The C-XF leads with a grille recessed into its nose – Callum describes is as looking like the air intake of a jet engine that "serves as a reminder of the powerful 4.2-litre, supercharged V8 behind it".

The headlights have, he adds, "evolved" the familiar double-headlight styling into a slim wedge "and between them a blue streak of light reveals an almost cat-like iris". The leaping Jaguar – the company calls it "the leaper" – logo has been etched below the lenses, on the door sills and even in the tread of the Pirelli tyres that wrap the 21" aluminium rims.

Further sporting lines are accentuated by the muscular bonnet and the side power vents that, Jaguar says, "have a functional white ceramic finish".

Tailored performance

From behind, the C-XF has been designed to look the part of the wide and powerful car that it is; thee theme is emphasised by a large air diffuser that helps lower air pressure below the car and assist with tyre grip.

Callum says the concept's cabin is "one of the most exciting interiors Jaguar has ever done". The emphasis, Jaguar says, is on tailored performance rather than luxury – the point is made with a look at the light, sculpted, leather-clad, front bucket seats.

Two more cater for rear passengers and between them all runs a tall transmission tunnel though the focal point of the cabin is a sweeping, brushed-aluminium fascia wrapping around the cabin in what its designers call "a dynamic linear graphic that instils a sense of velocity".

Sections of the doors and transmission tunnel have been clothed in poplar wood that has been scorched to "a rich satin feel". It was the work of an artist called Clive Sheridan.

"These unusual finishes allow us to explore new ideas and themes," explained Alister Whelan, one of the designers responsible for the C-XF's interior. "Jaguar is recognised for tailoring cars in wood and leather but we have turned that on its head by treating these traditional materials in an unusual and contemporary fashion to get beautiful textures and grains."

Good golly, Miss Molly...

Even simply starting the car's engine is an experience, Callum says. "Sink into the driver's seat and a jewel-like 'Power' button pulses on the centre console – its rhythm representing the 'heartbeat' of the car. Press it and beneath your hand concentric aluminium rings spiral downwards to allow the new, circular JaguarDrive Selector to nestle directly in your palm.

"Then, as the engine starts, a beam of blue light radiates from the centre of the instrument panel, chases its way around the cabin and finally envelopes the rear seats. Overhead, an electro-luminescent panel spanning the entire roof lining bathes the interior in a muted blue light

"Outside, a burst of blue light from the grille marks the moment the car's engine fires."

...it's the house of blue light

"We want Jaguars to feel like they are coming alive when you start them," Whelan added. "The starting sequence achieves this through the combination of movement and light, creating a sense of theatre and delight.

"It's a development of the ambient illumination we introduced on the R-D6 concept car and the best example yet of how you can create a mood within a car."

There's more high-tech gimmickry… a series of systems called JaguarSense seems to figure out what the occupant needs. It's a prototype system that uses four sensors in the doors to, for instance, react to the sweep of a hand over them. Instantly hidden door releases motor outwards ready to be used.

A fifth sensor, in the facia, responds to the proximity of a hand to reveal an infotainment screen that flush within the aluminium front panel. The sequence continues with the centre section of the fascia rotating 90 degrees to display a Dual View screen capable of projecting two images to the driver and passenger simultaneously.

For example, the driver can view satnav while the passenger watches a DVD movie.

Prime examples

Air vents are hidden until required, there are "floating" gearshift paddles, the main instruments bring to mind the artificial horizon used on an aircraft's instrument panel. Even the dials have motors: should the driver select "sport" mode on the gearshifter the rev counter will move to become the most prominent item.

All of these features are prime examples of how the introduction of new technologies can be implemented by blending simplicity of design with practical innovation – and more importantly they give an early preview of what lies ahead for Jaguar customers.

The blown, 4.2-litre V8 has been tuned to give more than 300kW and 500Nm of torque – the latter from very low revs – and hooked to a six-speed auto/manual sequential transmission. If the C-XF were a production car, Jaguar says, it would reach an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h or an unrestricted speed of close to 300km/h.

Technology first

The usual rat's nest of wiring under the bonnet has been encased, Jaguar says, in "a unique carbon-fibre wiring loom that is not only beautiful but also extremely functional".

The C-XF claims to be the first car to use Beru F1 System's unique "wire in composite" technology completely encloses all wiring in a carbon-fibre sleeve, protecting it from damage and also improving durability, packaging, weight and aesthetics.

It's a system that could, in due course, find its way into F1 racing and even the aerospace industry – which puts Jaguar's concept way, way ahead.

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