James Bond will drive the Jaguar XF in the next 007 feature film, according to a report by Bond fansite MI6. Ford has a three-film, $100 million contract for product placements in the Bond movies, and has used the last two films to showcase its Aston Martin sports cars.

With Ford likely to sell Aston Martin to another company in the coming months, it will turn to Jaguar for the next Bond car. The Jag of choice will be the forthcoming XF sedan, according to the report. Ford previewed the car with the C-XF concept this week in Detroit. Testing of production prototypes has already begun, and the XF should be in showrooms by the time Bond 22 (working title) is in theaters (mid to late 2008).

We hate it when this happens.

Remember that beautiful Jaguar C-XF concept featured on our Jan. 8 cover (Sexy Kitty!) and named our Editors’ Choice Best in Show car from the North American International Show (see page 18)? Well, if you happen to be in Detroit for the public days (ending Jan. 21), don’t go looking for this S-Type replacement on the Jag stand—or anywhere else in Detroit, for that matter.

Jaguar officials, for reasons we’re not sure we completely understand and we’re quite sure we don’t like, pulled this favorite out of the Detroit show after press week in the Motor City—and prior to the general public getting to drool over it. We hear it’s headed first to Miami, as part of an eight-city tour before returning to the United Kingdom in early February. If we hear more about the car’s public appearance schedule, we’ll post it on autoweek.com.

Jaguar is planning two supercharged versions of the forthcoming XF saloon, in a break from a tradition in which the blown engine is usually reserved for a single, high-performance ‘R’ derivative.

At launch at September’s Frankfurt motor show, the S-type replacement will be announced with a 420bhp 4.2-litre supercharged engine, but it won’t wear an ‘R’ badge and will go without the more extreme wheel/tyre combos, body kit and tuned chassis expected of an R-badged Jag.

The first XF to get the full ‘R’ badge will appear in early 2010, when a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 is launched.

This British-designed engine, Jaguar’s biggest-ever V8, has direct injection and is all new, borrowing only basic design concepts from the venerable AJ-V8, first launched in the 1996 XK8.

The supercharged 4.2 and XF-R will be offered together in the model line-up, a decision likely to be popular in the US and UK. Some diesel-dominated European markets are likely to drop the regular 4.2-litre supercharged model.

Jaguar has launched a new appearance package for XK buyers seeking a "more distinctive" look. The "Exterior Styling Pack," which debuts in March, mimics design cues already available in kits for the X- and S-Type.

The new XK Exterior Styling Pack consists of a front valance, rear valance, upper and lower mesh grilles in a choice of bright or black finish, sill appliqués as well as new exhaust tailpipe finishers, giving the vehicle an "aura of self-confidence."

Jaguar Design Director, Ian Callum said: "We have designed a range of accessory products to visually emphasise the stance and presence of the XK. The enhancements we have made for the XK Exterior Styling Pack give the car an even more stylish and purposeful look by deliberately lowering the visual stance of the car and creating exciting new elements that work with the elegant profile of XK."

The Exterior Styling Package can be retro-fitted to all non-supercharged new XKs from launch.

The new Cat is almost out of the bag! But if you want to know exactly what Jaguar's XF will look like, you won't have to wait any longer.

The XF is just as rakish as the concept from Detroit, the C-XF, with a short front overhang, sweeping roofline and high tail


Thanks to inside information, Auto Express can reveal that the showroom version of the much anticipated replacement for the brand's S-Type is every bit as head-turning as the scene-stealing concept displayed at January's Detroit Motor Show.

Our images, based on details from sources within the British company, provide the clearest glimpse yet of the BMW 5-Series rival's styling, ahead of its world debut at the Frankfurt exhibition in September. But that's not all. We also have the first spy pictures of the XF, which we've scooped undergoing testing near Jaguar's headquarters in the Midlands.

Despite its disguise, the prototype shows all the key styling details that make the newcomer such a striking machine. And if you compare it with the car in our main image, you can clearly see the low nose, dominated by a bold square grille and finished off by twin-lamp headlights.

The XF is just as rakish as the concept from Detroit, the C-XF, with a short front overhang, sweeping roofline and high tail. What's more, fans will be pleased to see that neat details such as the chrome-trimmed side air intakes and super-bright LED tail-lights have also been carried over. In fact, the only real styling changes between the C-XF and the showroom-ready XF are a slightly taller roofline, to provide more headroom, and simpler bumpers - which have brought about the loss of the show model's chrome front spats and rear venturi tunnels. Conventional door handles are also fitted in place of the Detroit car's touch-sensitive system.

It all adds up to a stunning look. And the design not only banishes the S-Type's retro styling to the past; it also takes Jaguar forward. That's because the XF's shape, particularly the front end, will feature on all of the manufacturer's future cars, giving a whole new generation of customers fresh incentive to sign a cheque for a Jaguar. And big leaps have been made inside, too.

While the new car is based on the same platform as the current S-Type, a widened track and increased wheel-base mean its cabin will have more space for passengers and luggage.

The XF will also be the first model in the range to feature Jaguar's new interior design. The centrepiece of this is a bold aluminium facia, which carries on the extensive use of the material on the body - the doors, wings, bonnet and bootlid are all made of it.

The lightweight metal is combined with carbon fibre, leather and wood trim to give the cabin a sporty and modern feel. There will be deep bucket seats, while on the dash, the aircraft-inspired dials of the C-XF are expected to make an appearance.

Starting the XF will provide owners with a real sense of occasion, too, as they use a bright red 'power' button located on the transmission tunnel. Under the bonnet, buyers will be offered a wide range of engines, and this is set to be boosted by an all- new top-of-the-range 5.0-litre supercharged V8, which is due in 2009.

Until then, entry-level models will get a 3.0-litre V6 or the company's 2.7-litre twin-turbodiesel. Also available will be a 3.6-litre diesel V8 and the legendary blown 4.2-litre petrol V8 that's found in the current XKR.

Spies have captured the first photos of a production Jaguar XF in full showroom trim. The car is partially covered by a large cloth, but many details of the car's exterior are visible for the first time ever.

Elements of the C-XF concept are clearly in play on XF but the aggression level seems to have been toned down on the production model in some instances.

The production XF's fender vent is much more consistent with Jaguar's current line-up. The vent revealed on this prototype looks like it was taken directly from the current XK.

How closely the XF mimics the concept's front design will make or break the XF. Previous shots show the "blades" that bisect the concept's outer air-intakes are more uniform on the XF, with a less pronounced flare as they wrap toward the front fenders. The lower central air-intake also mimics the concept, but the look isn't quite as cohesive on the production XF.

Official photos will be released in the coming weeks, and more revealing spy shots are likely to arrive before that time. The XF will go on sale later this year in some markets, and early next year in others. It will be offered with a V8, supercharged V8, and "R" supercharged V8, according to various sources. Speculative horsepower ratings are 300, 420, and 500, respectively.