Anxious can be a term used to describe the atmosphere formed by the new ownership of Jaguar in 2008. The market wondered what will Jaguar be like under Tata Motors’ helm, and Tata proved that it has plans to keep the brand running smoothly against its competitions.
Every car manufacturer got a fair share of the knockout punch of the recent recession. Jaguar, like other car makers, plans to get up on its feet by next year. Jaguar plans to do it by launching a roadster.
Previously, Tata Motors insiders confirmed that a roadster is on their design boards and is on early stages of development. Reports confirmed that the production of the car will miss its original due date set for 2011. The extra time buys time for Jaguar to inject to the market a plug-in hybrid variant of the roadster. The powerplant of this unit will be a combination of a 3-cylinder gas engine and an electric motor dependent on lithium ion battery packs.
The British government has extended its help to Jaguar so it can develop new technologies which focus on lower emission and higher fuel efficiency. There is also news that Jaguar is planning to make a hybrid for the upcoming XJ saloon flagship.
According to The Jaguar Blog, the new roadster is expected to have the V8 5.0L powertrain under its hood. The basic set up boasts of an output of 385hp while the top of the line engine has superchargers that help boost the power to 510hp. If Bentley is looking into snapping in their V6 3.0L diesel engine into the roadster, it will still be a very fun ride that outputs 272hp.
The new roadster will carry the XE labeling with Jaguar recently registering C-XE with the Intellectual Property Office. It is a clear sign that a concept car is well on its way.