Jaguar XK 2006 News

So when Shell Australia's new boss Ann Pickard came to Australia, she had more trouble buying a car than expected. The US-born business dynamo, described by Fortune Magazine as "the bravest woman in oil and one of the 50 most powerful women in business" was vice-president of the company's operation in south-Saharan Africa, based in Lagos, Nigeria. "I had a Land Cruiser for the five-and-a-half years I was there," Pickard says. "So when I got the chance to move to Australia, I decided to treat myself to something a little more to my liking. I opted for a Jaguar XKR, and since I would be based in Perth, sought out the local Jag agents." She phoned to order the car but didn't get past reception. "I said 'hello, I'm Ann Pickard from Nigeria' and the next thing I heard was a click as the line went dead," she says. It happened several times before the proverbial penny dropped, so she resorted to email. Even that took some convincing - and fortunately someone at the Perth premium car dealership took it seriously. Pickard got her car, but that wasn't the end of her dramas. The long-awaited Jag was soon stolen - something that never happened to her in Nigeria - but it was found again only hours later, and life for Pickard purrs on.

The XK was not only crowned Car of the Year but also GT of the Year and follows awards as Auto Express Car of the Year, UK TV Peoples Car of the Year and Scottish Car of the Year.The awards presented by BBC Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson were:Dream Car: Brash, ostentatious and incredibly loud, the Lamborghini Gallardo Spyder is a proper supercar.SUV: The Land Rover Freelander 2 is more sophisticated and comfortable than ever, and it still rules the off-road roost.Small Car: It's not easy to tell apart from its predecessor, but the new Mini Cooper S is the most fun car we've driven this year.Supercar: Blisteringly fast but beautifully behaved on the road, the Ferrari 599 GTB is a near-perfect supercar.Roadster: We knew Mazda would do a good job with the MX-5 RC. But we didn't expect it to be even better than the soft-top.GT: Stunning to behold and great to drive, the Jaguar XK stirs the soul like no other GT out there.Coupe: The Audi TT has always been a looker, but now it has the performance to match.Big Car: A sport-flavoured MPV? It sounds improbable, but the Ford S-Max somehow adds up.Family Car: Citroen's brilliantly original C4 Picasso is clever enough to keep the whole family entertained.

Car makers are following in the footsteps of Mercedes-Benz and Lexus by putting folding metal hard-tops within the reach of more car buyers than ever before.It's a case of Viva la France in this instance, as Renault and Peugeot have folding metal hardtops starting well under the $50,000 mark, with the Pug 307CC Sport the only transgressor at $55,000.The rest of the Peugeot drop-top range – the two 206CC models and the 307CC Dynamic – will feature on the Peugeot display at Wayville, giving wind in the hair motoring with French fl air for a $32,990 starting price.The base 206CC is powered by a 1.6-litre engine – there's a two-litre model as well – and it's only got decent room for two people, although it offi cially seats four. The 206 is nearing the end of its model life so stay tuned for a drop-top 207.The 307CC offers a little more room for the rearseat occupants, although it uses similar drivetrains. Holden might be sourcing its light and small car entrants from Korea, but its fashionable two-seater drop-top is still from Europe. The two-seater is keenly priced and, while only available in manual, will get plenty of attention from new car buyers. Holden's present Astra has a soft-top but expect the next one to follow in the Tigra's tyre tracks, although it's no sure thing for Australia.Mitsubishi will be showing something close to its drop-top contender, the Colt coupe-cabriolet, which has started production in Italy.The folding metal hardtop is built from the Colt fi ve-door platform and rather than the three-door, the 2+2 convertible will join a revamped Mitsubishi light car range.But don't think the rag-top has gone the way of the dodo – anything but.The reigning Wheels Car of the Year is Mazda's new MX-5, which retained its manual folding soft-top for the sake of saving weight.BMW's 6-Series drop-top might cost more than $200,000 but that pricetag buys a soft-top, albeit one that is well-insulated. The company's Z4 has retained a rag-top, as has the BMWowned Mini range.Chrysler's Crossfire – a feature of the brand's stand at this year's show – also has a rag-top.Volvo's new open-topped star, the C70, has ditched the cloth roof for a solid top, while the Lexus SC430 has offered buyers of the brand the security of a metal roof with wind-in-hair enjoyment since its inception.Bentley and Lamborghini will be wellrepresented in the megabuck drop-top realm with cloth lids, as will the all-new Jaguar XK convertible.

At $1.3 million the V12 Pagani Zonda roadster, pictured, one of the most expensive cars to be revealed in Queensland, will roar to life among close to 20 environmentally friendly diesel and hybrid (petrol/electric) examples.Queensland's annual motoring extravaganza has drawn a record number of cars making their Australian or Queensland debuts which reflects the buoyant state of the local new car market.More than 216,000 (22 per cent of the national market) new vehicles were purchased in Queensland last year, with the Sunshine State leading the way in growth.What has also helped build the imposing list of Motor Show exhibits is the scheduling of the show a month later than normal because it swapped dates with Melbourne which avoided clashing with the Commonwealth Games."Visitors this year will see more than 50 cars that either are just released or still to be released, while there are quite a few more they may never see on the roads, such as the Holden Efijy concept or ultra-rare exotics like the Pagani Zonda," Chris Beecham, chairman of the motor show organising committee said."By putting on their best displays the companies are acknowledging the growing influence of Queensland car buyers."From the industry's viewpoint, the show provides a strong kick-start to the sales year."Also competing for exotic bragging rights will be Ferrari's 612 Scaglietti and F430, the $650,000 Bentley Azure convertible, Maserati GranSport Spyder, the Lamborghini Gallardo Roadster and Murcielago, Jaguar XK convertible and Australia's 300km/h Redback Spyder which is featured on the cover of the motor show program in The Courier-Mail today.The Porsche range returns after several years which features the all-new Cayman S coupe which sits between the Boxster and the 911.The traditional display of motorcycles will have a spectacular star, with predictions the "Croc Chopper", being custom-built on a special show stand, could fetch up to $120,000 when it is auctioned on the final night for the Royal Children's Hospital Foundation charity.Fuel-efficient, environment-friendly cars will appear in record numbers.Lexus debuts Australia's first luxury sedan with petrol-electric hybrid power, the 450H, and Honda with an all-new Civic hybrid.The latest examples of clean, powerful and economical turbocharged diesel engines will be displayed by traditionally sporty brands BMW, Alfa Romeo and Jaguar.Citroen, Peugeot, Audi, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, Mazda and Holden will show "oil-burners".An added attraction will be the staging of the official V8 Supercars championship launch featuring all cars, drivers and transporters at South Bank from 10am-2pm on Saturday.Both Little Stanley St and Glenelg St, just outside the motor show, will be closed for the free event.While the V8 launch only runs on one day the motor show continues until Saturday week.

The high-octane Car-nival, planned to coincide with the opening of the Brisbane International Motor Show, will be the first of its type in the River City and will officially launch the 2006 V8 Supercar Championship Series.All 31 drivers, 20 team cars and 15 25m "B-Double" transporters will be on display.A similar gathering in Sydney last year attracted up to 15,000 rev-heads.Former series champion and Team Betta Electrical driver Craig Lowndes said while the popularity of the sport was growing, combining the events was a chance to extend the base. There are up to four million V8 fans in Australia."We think this will get the awareness out to a wider group of people and not just bashing the heads of those who are already converted," Lownes said.The list of motor show cars ranges from the $13,000 Holden Barina to the Pagani Zonda two-seat roadster, priced at $1.3 million.Motor Show organising committee chairman Chris Beecham said two Australian vehicles — the 300km/h Redback Spyder coupe and the $120,000 Croc Chopper custom motorcycle — were also expected to draw the crowds."It's the exotic cars people love to see, they come for those, having a once-a-year opportunity to compare everything under one roof. We proved that with last year's show, when we had a fantastic list of exotics and a record 128,000 visitors," Beecham said.Visitors to the show will be the first to see a record line-up of more than 50 new cars making their Queensland debuts.Manufacturers with models making their debuts include Alfa Romeo, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ford, Holden and Lamborghini.Fiat returns after a long absence with the Grande Punto, Jaguar debuts its XK roadster and Mazda shows its MX-Crossport concept car.The tally of new models not seen before in Queensland is believed to be the biggest since the annual motor show launched in 1962, according to Beecham."There will be cars people have never seen before and might never see again except in a magazine, plus an unprecedented opportunity to see more than 50 of the absolute latest cars at least double what we've had in recent years — even before they appear in the showrooms."With around 40 car and motorcycle brands on show, Mr Beecham said the greater commitment of manufacturers and importers was warranted by the growing stature of the Queensland motor industry."Queenslanders bought around 22 per cent of all new vehicles last year, a record 216,000 units, and it's predicted our market will eventually surpass Victoria's," he said."The Queensland motor industry comprises more than 10,000 businesses, which employ around 70,000 people. What you'll see at the motor show will be not only fabulous cars but also a vital sign of our industry's strength."The Brisbane International Motor Show, founded in 1962, is organised by the Australian Automobile Dealers Association (Queensland), a division of the Motor Trades Association-Queensland.

The Jaguar XK coupe and convertible are set for a mid-year arrival in Australia. Jaguar Australia managing director David Blackhall said the all-aluminium XK convertible would be priced at $221,900 and the coupe at $199,990. The Jaguars will have the same slick ZF six-speed gearboxes featured in some of the Ford BF Falcon and SY Territory range. Blackhall also announced that the first Jaguar diesel, the S-Type twin-turbo 2.7-litre four-cylinder, will arrive in April and cost $101,490. It will also feature at the Brisbane show. "There has been growth in demand for diesel in Australia," Blackhall said. The S-Type diesel is part of an expanded range of diesels which Jag will bring into Australia. The diesel sits on 18-inch wheels and has 153kW of power but, more importantly, offers a prodigious 435Nm of torque.