Jaguar at the London motor show 2008

Published: 23 July 2008 Updated: 26 January 2015

London motor show video

After the spate of new Jaguars of late, not to mention a takeover, it should come as no surprise that Jag didn’t have much to shout about at the London motor show.

What’s new on Jaguar’s London motor show stand?

Don’t get too excited, but there’s the XK60 – a special anniversary version of the non-supercharged sports car, designed to celebrate six decades of the XK. It’s basically five grand’s worth of body kit and a chrome gearlever surround for the same money as a regular model.

CAR’s Jaguar highlight

The £79,995 XKR-S takes pride of place on the stand, and deservedly so. The aerodynamic body kit designed to help the car’s handling at its new 175mph top speed looks great. All 50 of this year’s allocation have sold out and cars will be appearing on the road very soon.

What were they thinking?

Someone needs to give Jaguar a bit of guidance on its stand design. There were too many muted colours and – check out our photos – with its star car in black, the stand was a very sombre affair.

In a nutshell

Considering Jaguar is one of a handful of home-grown badges that are still made in the UK, it’s a shame they didn’t put more effort into the British show.

Click here to go to CAR’s London motor show A-Z homepage

CAR reader reports

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And now read CAR reader reporter Jacomoseven’s review of the Jaguar stand. Be sure to ‘Add your comment’ afterwards and rate their efforts

What surprised me most on the Jaguar stand?

Surprisingly low-key presence from Jaguar, with no press conference or other show razzmatazz on press day. You might have expected the new owners to make a big deal of their first London show, but apparently it’s not the Tata way.

Forget the PR spin: What’s the real story?

It would be nice to know a little more about what Tata have planned for the future, but the PR I spoke to on the stand was resolutely tight-lipped. And this might well be a very good thing – Jaguar has suffered badly in the past from setting very bold targets that it has then struggled to match (remember the F1 fiasco?). Tata’s quieter approach might well be the best thing to happen to the brand in a very long time.

Reader verdict

The stand is worth a visit just to have a play in the XF cabin, if you haven’t sat in one before. Its design might be a little controversial, but seeing the XF alongside Jaguar’s other cars only confirms that it represents the company’s future.

Click here to go to CAR’s London motor show A-Z homepage

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