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Jaguar confirms XE reveal for September 8

Jaguar has a whole raft of new products in the pipeline, from the long-awaited replacement for the XF mid-size sedan and a likely XJ-based replacement for the XK coupe and convertible to the production version of its C-X17 crossover concept. But arguably the most important will be the all-new XE, a compact sports sedan pointed squarely at the BMW 3 Series - a market segment which Jaguar last nipped at with the regrettable X-Type, one which it is now committed to tackling head on.
The British automaker has been trickling out a steady stream of details on its upcoming XE, from the initial announcement in March to the reveal of the disguised prototype in May and most recently the details released just last week of the new Ingenium engine family that will provide its motivation. Now Jaguar has confirmed the XE reveal timeframe and some more salient details of its chassis.
Set to be unveiled in London on September 8, the XE will reach European showrooms in 2015 and our shores in 2016. That's when buyers will be able to get their hands on what Jaguar is already characterizing as "a true driver's car; one that redefines the concept of the sports sedan."

Jaguar Land Rover in talks for Southern US factory

Jaguar Land Rover is getting serious about global expansion, and that means it can't only build its vehicles in the UK anymore. The British automaker is cutting the ribbon at its new plant in China tomorrow, marking the opening of its first factory outside the UK. In 2016, it will open another factory in Brazil. But the latest intel has it that JLR is looking into a US factory, as well.
The report, which comes to us from the Sunday Times by way of Automotive News Europe, indicates that the company is evaluating locations for a North American factory, with options centering around Southern right-to-work states like South Carolina, where BMW operates its plant in Spartanburg and a wide array of other automotive operations are based as well. The JLR plant would reportedly ramp up to a capacity of 200,000 units per year.
In related news, while that new plant JLR is inaugurating in Changshu, China, is initially slated to produce the Range Rover Evoque, it is also expected to start building the new Discovery Sport as well - just like the Halewood plant in the UK that has handled Evoque assembly from the start and which just built its first Discovery Sport, as well.

Jaguar to finish building six remaining Lightweight E-Types

Back in February of 1963, Jaguar set about making a small run of lightweight E-Types. It recrafted the bodywork out of aluminum, shoehorned in a 3.8-liter straight-six with an aluminum block, stripped out the interior, removed the chrome trim and fitted lighter-weight side windows. The result was a 250-pound reduction in curb weight and a commensurate increase in performance, especially evident on the race track. The company originally set about building 18 examples, but only managed 12. The remaining six were allocated chassis numbers, but were never built. That is, until now.
Fifty years since the last of the original 12 lightweight E-Types were completed, Jaguar has announced that it is preparing to resume production and complete the final six examples. The company has assigned its top craftsmen to the job, who will build the half-dozen continuation Lightweights to the same exact specifications as the original dozen. Former sister-company and perennial arch-rival Aston Martin undertook a similar task (or at least authorized Zagato to do so) when it sanctioned four continuation examples of the original DB4 GT Zagato based on original chassis numbers in 1988, and another two based on original body shells and stock DB4 chassis in 1992.
Jaguar has not yet announced pricing and availability for the continuation Lightweights, but the first old-is-new example is set to debut this summer, whereupon Coventry will release further details. You can bet, though, that each one will be snapped up rather quick at just about any price the British automaker cares to put on them.