Jaguar unveiled a special edition of the XKR at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show.

Part of the company’s 75th anniversary celebrations, the Special Edition model is a combination of two option packs, the Speed Pack and the Black Pack.

As its name implies, the Speed Pack gives the XKR a speed upgrade to a maximum of 174 mph from the standard model’s relatively pedestrian 155 mph.

The Black Pack adds styling options such as a new front and rear spoiler, gloss black 20-inch Kalimnos wheels, red calipers and black trim on the front grille, side vents and around the windows. Jaguar also offers a special decal, though for some reason, it was not included on the display model.

We’ll have more details as the show continues.

Gallery: Jaguar XKR Special Edition

In an effort to reduce production costs and simplify the overall manufacturing and R&D process, Jaguar Land Rover is looking to move from its current setup of six platforms to just two. How is this possible, you might be asking yourself, especially looking at the varied models the company now produces, from the Jaguar XK luxury sports car, to the simply massive Range Rover.

According to a report by AutoCar, it wont be all that difficult and just because there will be only two platforms, it still doesn’t mean most vehicles will ride on exactly the same architecture. In fact, it will be quite the opposite, with JLR using platforms that can be adapted for different sized vehicles with different purposes. The first platform will be a steel structure and will be offered in three lengths for the Freelander range, while a new aluminum platform will underpin the XJ and XF as well as the Range Rover. A thinner version of this aluminum structure will then be used for the XK as well as a new XE roadster model.

[Source: AutoCar]

At the upcoming Geneva Auto Show, Jaguar will unveil a new Special Edition version of the XKR. Technically, the Special Edition model is a combination of two new option packs, the Speed Pack and the Black Pack.

The Speed Pack is quite simple, raising the top speed of the 510-hp supercharged V8 from 155 mph to a more frightening 174 mph. The Black Pack is essentially a new styling option and includes new front and rear spoilers, a new rear lip spoiler, 20-inch gloss-black Kalimnos wheels with red brake calipers and black trim for the window surrounds, front grilles and side vents. Jag will even offer an XKR decal for the side of the car. Inside, all Black Pack models will get charcoal leather with a variety of stitching choices, as well as three interior trim options Dark Oak, Dark Mesh Aluminum and Piano Black. Outside, all Black Pack models will be available in three paint colors: Ultimate Black, Polaris White or Salsa Red.

Pricing for the packages has not yet been released, but we should have more for you when Jaguar gives the Special Edition XKR its official debut at the Geneva Auto Show on March 2nd.

Click here for AutoGuide’s live 2010 Geneva Auto Show coverage starting Monday, March 1st.

GALLERY: Jaguar XKR Special Edition

Official release after the jump:

Jaguar Land Rover owner Tata Motorsw says it will close either a Jaguar or Land Rover factory in England by 2014. The decision as to which of the company’s three U.K. plants will be shuddered has not yet been made, but Tata has said which two are on the chopping block.

The first candidate is the Jaguar facility in Castle Bromwich and the second is a Land Rover facility in Solihull. The plan is to consolidate the two facilities over the next five years, with a decision being made in the next 12 to 18 months. Currently JLR (Jaguar Land Rover) employs 5,000 staff in Solihull, 2,000 in Castle Bromwich and 1,800 at the Halewood plant (pictured above) in northwestern England. There is no word on how many jobs will be cut, but Tata did say that800 additional jobs will be created in Halewood when production starts on a new small crossover based on the LRX Concept.

JLR suffered considerable losses during the recent economic downturn, with reduced demand meaning that JLR production facilities were only working at 60 percent capacity. So far, in order to meet the decreased demand the automaker has cut production by over 100,000 units while cutting 25,000 jobs.

[Source: Automotive News]

In front of a select audience, Jaguar took the wraps off its Limo-Green Concept, a hybrid version of the company’s newly-released 2010 XJ flagship. The car will appear at the Frankfurt Auto Show starting tomorrow (September 15th).

Powered by a 145kw (195hp) and 295 ft-lb electric motor and a 1.2-liter gasoline engine (developed by Lotus), the car is capable of 30 miles under pure electric power before the gasoline engine kicks in to provide an extended range of 600 miles. Jaguar says the car is rated at 57 mpg and a top speed of 112 mph.

The Limo-Green is more than just a fanciful concept car, however, and Jaguar says it will begin testing a production model next year. Anthony Harper, head of research at Jaguar Land Rover, told the U.K.’s AutoCar that Jaguar originally began testing this Range Extender engine in the previous XJ but decided to switch to the new chassis when it debuted just a few months back.

Jaguar won’t set a date for when the Limo-Green Concept could see production and did warn that it could be a while as the parts involved are still prohibitively expensive and not quite up to Jaguar standards yet.

[Source: AutoCar]

While the real stars of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance are the vintage autos, the Concept Lawn is a special place where future show-stoppers are put on display. While some of the models are actually concepts, many are rare coachbuilt models and a few are full-production cars.

In the concept category there was the luxury convertible plug-in hybrid, the Fisker Sunset, as well as the absolutely stunning Infiniti Essence Concept - a hybrid in it’s own right, making 600hp thanks to a 440hp twin-turbo direct-injection 3.7-liter V6 and a 160hp electric motor.

Included in the list of Coachbuilt creations was the edgy Corvette ZR1-based Stile Bertone Mantide. This is no kit car, however, as the vehicle was designed by Jason Castriota, the man who also penned the Pininfarina P4/5. Plus, it weights 220 lbs less than the ZR1 for even more performance.

Also on display was the Devon GTX (pictured above), arguably the arch-nemesis of the Mantide, as it is based on the Dodge Viper. With a more shapely body than the Mantide, the 650hp GTX is scheduled to attempt to set a new fastest lap time at the Nürburgring. No doubt there’s some ego involved in this announcement as Devon attempted to buy Viper from Chrysler but the deal was never completed.

In the production category cars ranged from the reasonably well priced (Lotus Evora) to the ridiculous (Bugatti Sang Bleu). The four-seater Lotus is scheduled to be released early next year, while the ultra-limited edition Bugatti is based on the convertible Grand Sport model. Other production or near production models included the Spyker C8 Aileron Spyder, V-10 powered Audi R8, the 750hp carbon-chassis Aston Martin One-77, a Morgan, the all-new 510hp 2010 Jaguar XJL Supersport, the Mercedes-McLaren SLR Stirling Moss and the Rolls-Royce EX200, aka, the Ghost. And who could forget the misplaced SMS 570X Dodge Challenger.

GALLERY: Pebble Beach Concept Lawn

Jaguar’s new XJ flagship made its U.S. debut today during the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, with pricing announced for the first time. Introductory XJ models will start at $72,500 with the high-powered XJL Supersport listing at a substantial $115,00.

All XJ models are powered by a version of Jaguar’s new 5.0-liter direct-injection V8 engine, with the standard XJ putting out 385hp and 380 ft-lbs of torque. Opting for an extended wheelbase model (XJL) will up the base price to $79,500.

XJ Supercharged models, which make 470hp and 424 ft-lbs of torque, will retail for $87,500, with extended wheelbase models just $3,000 more.

As for the top-level XJ Supersport, it starts at $112,000 and adds $3,000 for the extended wheelbase model. Impressively, this model makes 510hp and 461 ft-lbs of torque from a more potent supercharged 5.0 V8, helping it to hit 60 mph in 4.7 seconds.

Acceleration for all models is up significantly over the outgoing model with Supercharged models making 18 percent more power and the base engine making the largest improvement with 28 percent more power. Also helping acceleration is a sophisticated all-aluminum chassis, ensuring that the XJ is at least 300 lbs lighter than competitors from BMW and Mercedes.

And make no mistake, the 2010 Jaguar, currently reserved for the straw-hat type, is now aimed squarely at a wider (and younger) market, a part of a new move by its Indian owner Tata Motors to increase market share and product volumes.

GALLERY: 2010 Jaguar XJ

The acquisition of Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) by Tata Motors Ltd. from Ford continues to hurt the Indian automaker as the two British brands recorded a combined net loss of $1.11 billion in 2008.

As a sign of the troubled economic times, in 2007 the two automakers managed a total net profit of roughly one billion dollars.

Tata has worked hard to cut costs across the board and has introduced several new models which it hopes will boost sales, especially now that the auto-sector (and the economy) seems poised for recovery. New models include the significantly revised 2010 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport as well as the LR4 (pictured above). And in the Jaguar division JLR recently lunched a new flagship XJ, which leaves behind the traditional Jaguar design for a more broad-based look that the automaker hopes will help it compete with higher-volume German rivals.

In order to keep operations running in the short term Tata is currently working out a loan agreement with the British government, the value of which is reportedly worth around $290 million. The money is all but guaranteed, however, the British government would like a short 6-month term to re-pay the loan, whereas Tata is asking for 12 months. The British government is also seeking a spot on Tata’s board, to ensure its money is being spent wisely.

[Source: Automotive News]

Jaguar is set to unveil its new 2010 XJ model later today, but in case you can’t wait (which we suspect you can’t) take a gander at these photos of the new flagship saloon which have leaked out.

As the pictures show, the new car certainly is a big change from the classic XJ stylings of the past several decades. And what’s underneath is equally as different. To help make the new flagship a more dynamic performer, the XJ will make use of a lightweight aluminum chassis.

Power will come from a selection of engines, including a 275hp 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel, a 5.0-liter V8 and a range-topping supercharged 5.0-liter V8 with at least 510hp.

GALLERY: 2010 Jaguar XJ

[Source: WorldCarFans]

Last week we brought you news of a one-off lime green Jaguar XKR that the British automaker was set to debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. As promised, the car did make an appearance and run the historic Goodwood Hillclimb and now we have all the details (as well as a full gallery of juicy photos) to share.

Under the lime-green hood, output from the XKR’s supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine was further enhanced from 510hp to 530hp. Torque climbed even more rapidly from 461 ft-lbs to an impressive 516 ft-lbs, enabling a 0-60 mph run of just 4.6 seconds!

Additionally, the Goodwood Special XKR sports a set of dark-colored 21-inch wheels with a lowered ride height and dark “satin graphite” paint for the mirrors, window surrounds, grilles and headlight casings.

“The XKR ‘Goodwood Special’ has been developed as a one-off to explore the harder side of the XKR’s character and allow our engineering team to explore some performance boundaries,” said Mike O’Driscoll, Managing Director, Jaguar Cars. “The Festival of Speed gives us the opportunity to have fun in a high performance car without all the practical and legal requirements of driving on the road getting in the way!”

Along with the Goodwood Special XKR, Jaguar also ran several other vehicles at the hillclimb, including the a 1957 Le Mans winning long-nose D-type, a Le Mans-winning Jaguar C-Type, the one-of-one Jaguar XJ13 race car and the 225mph Bonneville XFR.

GALLERY: 2010 Jaguar Goodwood Special XKR

[Source: Carscoop]