Jaguar F-Type News

Jaguar has given its gorgeous F-Type sports car range a mid-life nip-tuck, adding two new variants, tweaking styling and boosting equipment, ahead of its Australian showroom debut in June.

The days of bargain-basement XF Jaguars are over.

In a year when the overall car market shrank, all but a handful of prestige brands increased sales. Buyers don't just want a good car; they want others to see they have one, helping everyone from Maserati to Mercedes-Benz post gains.The trend is accelerating and a steady stream of new models in 2015 only adds to the impetus. CarsGuide looks at what's in store for the premium players this year.It isn't hard to foresee the popularity of the 4C two-seat coupe when it hits showrooms next month. This baby supercar uses a carbon-fibre tub, mid-engine layout and minimalist interior to present a modern incarnation of a stripped-down racer. Pricing will be $80,000-$100,000. The soft-top Spider is due in October. The Alfa Giulietta also gets an update.A steady new model rollout starts in February with the arrival of the TT coupe for just under $80,000. It will be joined by the soft-top roadster midyear and the TT S performance model in August or September. The plug-in petrol-electric A3 e-tron five-door hatch is due in May with an expected price of $60,000, with the Q7 large SUV due late in the year. Updates or variants include the A6/A7, RS6/RS7, A1, RS3 and Q3/RSQ3.New metal is in short supply at the British brand but two models will join the line-up, starting with the Vantage S Roadster at a shade under $420,000. If that isn't exclusive enough, consider the $500,000 Vanquish Carbon using the same V12 but with eight forward ratios in place of the Vantage's seven.BENTLEYChauffeurs will going cap-in-hand to buyers of the Mulsanne Speed for the chance to steer the best Bentley ever. A twin-turbo V8 cranks out 1100Nm - only the Bugatti Veyron can torque itself up as a more powerful production model - to push the 2.7-tonne limo into triple figures in 4.9 seconds. Pricing has yet to be set but if you have to ask, you can't afford it.There's a lot of product in the pipeline this year but only one all-new car. The X1 will switch to front-wheel drive when the second-generation model arrives in the third quarter. The X1 will look more mini-SUV than compact wagon, aligning it with the X3 and X5. Top-end versions will be all-wheel drive. Updates and new variants include the 2 Series convertible, X5M/X6M, 6 Series/X6, 3 Series, X4 M40i and X5 e-Drive.The 458 range has a Speciale A due next month. The 499 examples of the alloy hardtop model are already sold, meaning the $635,000 two-seater is likely to be a smart investment. Keep an eye on the classifieds.The struggle to be a serious prestige player continues for Infiniti with a major model overhaul due in 2016. A refreshed Q70 flagship is due midyear with a nip-and-tuck for the bumpers, updated interior trim and more safety software.The transition from niche player to prestige powerhouse is predicated on the XE sedan being a genuine rival for the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and BMW C-Class. Specs indicate the engines are up to the job, so it comes down to how well it can be priced in Australia. There will be updates for the F-Type coupe and convertible and XF sedan.Styling that echoes the Evoque and a premium interior mark the Discovery Sport, debuting in May. Essentially a replacement for the Freelander, the Sport is a serious off-roader with 600mm wading depth and four-wheel drive. Also expect a Range Rover Sport SVR, Range Rover hybrid and updated Evoque.A compact performance sedan, the RC F will cost $133,500, making it a 'budget' alternative to the Germans. The naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 isn't quite on par with the Euro competition but neither is the price. The GS F mid-sized sedan will use the same engine and is due later in the year, price undisclosed. The NX200 will get a new turbo engine.No new news is still good news for Lotus aspirants. An automatic Exige - the brand's first self-shifter - is due in the second quarter. Expect to pay around $9000 for the clutch-less version, putting the price above $135,000. An updated Evora should land late with less weight and improved interior.An 'affordable' McLaren is due late in the year with an entry level Sport model priced at more than $300,000. That puts it in the higher echelons of Porsche 911 territory - but still well below typical McLaren prices.Australia's top-selling prestige brand rolls out a range of new toys this year to expand its appeal. The action starts with the AMG GT and C63 AMG in the second quarter, both using a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8. Skip ahead to Q3 and there's the new GLE (formerly known as the ML) and GLE coupe SUVs, followed by the CLA Shooting Brake and the much-needed GLC compact SUV. Other updates or variants include the S63 coupe, CLS, B-Class and S500 coupe.The action starts with an entry-level five-door Mini Cooper One at $25,600 in February. It is powered by a three-cylinder engine with 75kW/180Nm. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the John Cooper Works three-door hatch, which will be the Mini with the most mumbo ever when it arrives midyear at an estimated $48,000.There's plenty to whet the appetite for performance enthusiasts, even if it is all clad in existing bodywork. The base V6 and performance GTS Cayenne SUV models are due next month, followed by the Turbo S midyear. An update of the 911 should make it before Christmas and Santa may deliver the new GT4 Cayman at the same time.The XC90 large SUV is due midyear with prices starting from about $90,000. A more affordable alternative will be the V60 Cross Country due late in the year from $65,000. The elevated version of the V60 wagon will be sold in FWD and AWD guise.

Jaguar F-Type all-wheel drive confirmed

New S-Class Coupe to make Australian debut at Motorclassica, along with appearances from Maserati, Jaguar, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin and Lotus.Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Building will play host to Motorclassica this weekend, as over 500 cars and motorcycles fill the world-heritage listed building and its surrounding grounds.Celebrating classic cars and bikes, Motorclassica started as a concourse event but has since grown to become a motor show-style exhibition which has attracted attention from several iconic sports car marques.Among the classic cars at this year's event will be new models from Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Porsche, Maserati, Alfa Romeo, Aston Martin, Lotus, Caterham and Morgan.Each of these brands have rich histories, and Motorclassica gives manufacturers a platform to build on this heritage with their latest models.S-Class Coupe will be available with a number of powertrains, including the 430kW/900Nm AMG 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8Mercedes-Benz was the first contemporary manufacturer to debut a new model at Motorclassica last year, and will use this year's event to reveal its new S-Class Coupe to an Australian audience for the first time.The new model is Mercedes' flagship luxury coupe, replacing the CL-Class range, and will rival the Bentley Continental when it goes on sale locally in the first quarter of next year.Though Australian specifications are still unconfirmed, the S-Class Coupe will be available with a number of powertrains, including the 430kW/900Nm AMG 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 aboard the S63 performance flagship.Maserati will celebrate 100 years in the automotive business at this year's show and is expected to be represented strongly with iconic past models. The Italian marque's new Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans will also be on display, along with the Gran Turismo and Gran Cabrio two-door models.Jaguar will showcase its F-Type R Coupe, the firm's most powerful production model ever, while fellow British brand Aston Martin will have a Vanquish and V8 Vantage on display.Lotus will also show a pair of mid-engine Exige S sports cars, one hardtop and one roadster.The show will also celebrate 50 years of the Ford Mustang with a special display featuring the most desirable and classic Pony cars, although the new 2015 model due to go on sale in Australia next year won't make the show.Motorclassica 2014 will run between October 24-26 at Melbourne's Royal Exhibition Building.

The classic Jaguar D-Type makes a comeback.

Images of first Special Ops Jaguar model appear ahead of global Goodwood unveiling.

The eagerly anticipated Jaguar sports car – which has revived fresh interest in the brand -- will arrive in three versions: the $119,900 F-Type, the $152,300 F-Type S and the top-spec $219,600 F-Type R.The three variants share an all-aluminium construction aimed at trimming weight to aid in dynamic handling, and two engines with two levels of tune on the lower one.That entry level mill is 3.0-litre supercharged V6, with outputs of 250kW/450Nm for the F-Type and 280kW/460Nm for the F-Type S, while the range topping F-Type R is powered by a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 developing 404kW/680Nm and promising a 100km/h time of 4.2-seconds and a top speed of 300km/h.That entry level mill is 3.0-litre supercharged V6, with outputs of 250kW/450Nm for the F-Type and 280kW/460Nm for the F-Type S, while the range topping F-Type R is powered by a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 developing 404kW/680Nm and promising a 100km/h time of 4.2-seconds and a top speed of 300km/h."The F-TYPE Coupé provides its driver with a unique sports car experience. It combines seductive design with cutting-edge technology and performance which is truly breathtaking. Engaging, precise, intuitive and alive - it is the definitive sports Coupé," Jaguar Land Rover group marketing director Phil Popham says in the press statement.Carsguide's test drives of the coupe suggest that Jaguar is on the money with their aims, and there's likely to be a queue of buyers keen to get their hands on one. As an extra attractant, the F-Type price includes free servicing for the first three years or 100,000km (whichever comes first).2014 Jaguar F-Type Australian pricesJaguar F-Type $119,900Jaguar F-Type S  $152,300Jaguar F-Type R  $219,600This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Jaguar will be keeping an eye on the sales response to Porsche's new 911 Targa, with a suggestion a similar approach could be added to the F-Type line-up. Jaguar head of design, Ian Callum, told British site Auto Express an F-Type Targa is under consideration as a third model and that sketches had already been made.“We're considering it, but it’s not definite,” Callum is cited as saying, adding that sales volume for the British brand could be a barrier to a successful business case. “The issue with the Targa is volume. If you think of Porsche, 10 per cent of its cars are Targa, 10 per cent of ours is less than theirs. You have to work out the business case but we have considered it, it’s not decided yet.”Callum has previously revealed that a shooting brake was another iteration under consideration when the F-Type was being developed, however the chances of seeing another version of any kind may be pushed back until Jaguar clears some other projects off the to-do list. The design chief confirmed to Auto Express that work was currently under way on "three or four" vehicles, with a small sedan likely to be next, followed by the production version of the C-X17 SUV.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott

Transformers Super Bowl adParamount pictures is using the 2014 Super Bowl to give us our first taste of the upcoming film Transformers: Age of Extinction. The upcoming fourth instalment of the Transformers franchise brings a new cast led by Mark Wahlberg, and new Tranformers too in the form of Dinobots. Seinfeld reunion Super Bowl adWe last saw Jerry Seinfeld during a Super Bowl battling Jay Leno for Honda NSX keys, but now Seinfeld’s web series ‘Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee’ is doing well enough to warrant its own Big Game ad. Now into its third season, the Super Bowl ad for the show sees Jerry Seinfeld and Jason Alexander reprising their roles of Jerry and George from Seinfeld’s classic 90s sitcom.Jeep Cherokee Super Bowl adJeep is pretty keen to show off its new Cherokee SUV’s adventure potential, so has created this Big Game ad to tickle at your outdoor heartstrings. Despite its fundamentally road-going Dodge Dart/Alfa Romeo Giulietta-based underpinnings, Jeep’s Super Bowl ad reckons the new Cherokee is the cure for restlessness, and prepared for whatever’s on the other side of the horizon. Bruce Willis Honda Super Bowl adTough guy Willis is doing duty for Honda’s Super Bowl commercial, highlighting that the Japanese carmaker builds more cars with top safety ratings in America than any other brand. To underscore his point, Willis emphasises the importance of the people around you. Friends, family, loved ones, "everyone you care about". They’re not test dummies, he points out. So he wants you to give them a hug. Right now ... go on. Bob Dylan Super Bowl adOf all the superstars that would seem an unlikely bet to ever advertise cars, iconic musician Bob Dylan would be the unlikeliest. And yet here he is for the Chrysler 200 sedan at the 2014 Super Bowl, his gravelly tones singing about how well America builds cars, providing a soundtrack for a cavalcade of glorious stars-and-stripes imagery.Maserati Super Bowl debut Maserati has showcased the launch of the four-door Ghibli sedan with a debut appearance in the world’s biggest advertising slot – the Super Bowl. The footage stars 10-year-old Academy Award-nominated child actress Quvenzhane Wallis from 12 Years A Slave, directed in this piece by David Gordon Green. Ford Super Bowl ad Twice as GoodLongtime stalwart of The Daily Show and Saturday Night Live, comedian Rob Riggle is performing a bit of transformational magic for Ford during the Super Bowl. The key ad showcases the Ford Fusion sedan, claiming to have double the fuel economy of the average vehicle.That's the take-off point to a series of magical morphs that show just having the Fusion in your driveway can do wonders for house and yard -- not to forget your wardrobe and pets. Riggle ultimately upgrades himself to Hollywood heartthrob James Franco, and the whole shebang should help put you in the mood for the Fusion's arrival in Australia next year, badged as the 2015 Mondeo mid-sizer.Jaguar teases first Super Bowl ‘bad boy’ adJaguar's first Super Bowl teaser shows they've got some top-shelf baddies lined up as part of the 'British Villains' theme to sell the F-Type Coupe. First off the leash is screen and theatre legend Ben Kingsley -- with a shelf of Oscar, Grammy, BAFTA, Golden Globe and SAG awards, but most recently seen as the Mandarin in Iron Man 3. VW teases Super Bowl ad with Carmen ElectraVolkswagen hits all the memes in engineering an algorithm for the perfect Game Day commercial. And apparently, the algorithm requires the integration of glamour model/actress Carmen Electra, puppies, babies, some twerking, a Wang Chung soundtrack and ... well, you've probably seen every highlight of every other ad.Danica Patrick gets buff for Super Bowl adIt wouldn't be the Super Bowl without an ad featuring race driver Danica Patrick touting for website hosters GoDaddy -- who also sponsored her Nascar Nationwide Series campaign for JR Motorsports. The Game Day commercial shows a lot of Patrick's body sporting a set of pumped muscles that almost shame the bodybuilders racing her to a tanning salon.Toyota taps Muppets and Terry Crews for Super BowlThe Toyota Highlander -- sold here as the Kluger -- has a strong family focus, and the car giant will underscore that by starring the Muppets in its Super Bowl commercial. The teaser video gives a glimpse, with a supporting role from former footballer and lately actor Terry Crews (The Newsroom and Arrested Development). 2015 Hyundai Genesis Super Bowl adThe 'Dad's Sixth Sense' ad shows the parent rescuing his son from a series of falls and mishaps from infancy onwards -- but then the Genesis' auto braking saving him from a crash when he's distracted by a pretty girl during a driving lesson.Audi unleashes mongrel for Super BowlAudi has created a miniature mongrel with a savage streak for their Super Bowl ad. The footage shows a couple trying to choose between a chihuahua and a doberman as a pet, and deciding to breed them together as a -- wait for it -- doberhuahua.VW channels Victoria’s Secret for Super BowlVolkswagen is aiming to tout durability and reliability in its Super Bowl, which features a father telling his daughter that every time a VW hits 100,000 miles (160,000km) an engineer back in Germany sprouts wings. While the appendages might usually be better worn by the Victoria's Secret 'Angel' models, the addition of the wings offers the opportunity for a few sight gags.Jaguar Super Bowl with Tom HiddlestonIt's good to be bad, Jaguar claims. And the luxury brand is pushing that theme for their Super Bowl ads, featuring a line-up of British villains. We've already seen Ben Kingsley in the main teaser, and now we get Tom Hiddleston in a second spot. Most recently seen playing Loki in the films Thor, The Avengers, and Thor: The Dark World.Jaguar full Super Bowl adContinuing the bad boy theme to showcase the F-Type Coupe, Jaguar has revealed the full 60-second commercial that will screen at the Super Bowl. Shot in a mock thriller style, with moody lighting and all the super-villain props of planes, attractive assistants -- and of course the F-Type -- the ad takes a tongue-in-cheek approach, and comes off being very engaging as a result.Terry Crews disturbs with shirtless Super Bowl teaserGet ready to see a whole lot more of actor Terry Crews than you ever bargained for. The latest teaser for Toyota's Super Bowl ad shows the sports star turned movie star without a shirt and demonstrating muscle control with his pecs in time to the cheesy jingle.Big Bang Theory star in Hyundai Super Bowl adThe theme for the Hyundai Elantra Super Bowl commercial is 'Nice' and actor Johnny Galecki is almost typecast in it, after playing nice guys on both The Big Bang Theory (Leonard) and Roseanne (David). In the footage, Galecki tries to chat up a woman who pulls up beside him in a matching Elantra, pointing out all the nice features of the car -- and getting some nice brush-offs in return.Kia plugs into The Matrix for 2014 Super BowlThe 60-second commercial, scheduled to run during the 2014 Super Bowl prime advertising slot, will see Fishburne as Morpheus offering the 'red vs blue' choice. In the movie it was red and blue pills, one of which would let you stumble on in an illusory world while the other would awaken you to reality. For the Super Bowl ad, promoting the Kia K900 flagship launching in overseas markets, Morpheus offers people the chance to choose either a red or blue key.Toyota full Super Bowl adToyota is aiming for catchy family fun with its 60-second Super Bowl, in which actor Terry Crews is piloting his new Highlander -- sold here as the Kluger -- along a remote highway, when he stops to help out after spotting a broken-down, brightly painted bus. Within seconds, his SUV is crammed with Muppets: Animal stuffing his drum kit into the cargo area and Dr Teeth hijacking the driver's seat to steer off into a series of adventures, all singing an annoyingly catchy jingle perfectly designed to stick itself limpet-like to the viewer's brain.Chevrolet Super Bowl ad is all bullIn the ad, titled Romance, we get to meet "a man ... a man and his truck ... and a very eligible bachelor" who just happens to be a prize bull. It goes on in the vein of "bated breath and lonely hearts" -- you get the picture -- as the driver hauls his new bull through the US landscape with Hot Chocolate's 'You Sexy Thing' in the background.The ad that shocked the Super BowlCreated for the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) as part of its Zero Fatalities campaign, The Twist starts off with an image of a young boy curled up in a car seat, and a voiceover that starts off "Sam looks like he's sleeping..." but as the camera zooms out we see that he's been killed in a car crash, not by the crash itself but by being unbuckled and flying into the back of the seat in front of him. M&M's Super Bowl adConfectionary brand M&M’s has also delivered a Super Bowl treat this week, with a new ad for the colourful button-shaped candies. Yellow – the peanut M&M character – is unknowingly taken captive by Russian underworld types, in the boot of an oh-so Russian baddie black S-Class Mercedes-Benz.