Aston’s sidelined little brother’s all grown up and ready for action
Brothers will do anything for each other. Especially when their parents tell them they have to. And brothers are exactly what Jaguar and Aston Martin became when Ford bought the two erstwhile independent British automakers in the early 1990s.
Self-proclaimed “purists” may have at first bemoaned and balked at the sale of two of their most treasured, authentically British brands to the American auto giant, but the truth that all must concede by now is that Ford’s guardianship could not have come at a better time for either Jaguar or Aston Martin. The former had long since lost touch with the values that put it on the map, resorting to the production of staid, antiquated vehicles mired by poor build quality and unable to stand up to the competition from Germany and, to an increasing extent, Japan as well. Meanwhile Aston Martin had also, in the words of the Righteous Brothers, “lost that lovin’ feeling”, its sublime classics giving way to engorged luxury muscle cars that lacked the finesse and appeal of their predecessors. Both Jaguar and Aston Martin needed revival, but neither had the funds – or, some would say, the vision – to make it happen. Ford, as time would reveal, had both.
The trouble was that the two stoic auto marques overlapped too much, both producing uniquely British sportscars and luxury sedans (more so in Jaguar’s case but part of Aston’s legacy as well) with similar appeal. The issue became increasingly relevant across the industry as large automotive groups began acquiring smaller carmakers like so many collectibles. Ford’s Italian rival Fiat, for example, faced the same issue in positioning Maserati, which it had acquired around the same time as Ford did Jag and Aston, against its premier asset and longtime rival Ferrari. Both Ford and Fiat arrived at the same conclusion: namely, that some distance was needed between two former rivals if they were to survive and thrive under the same roof. But neither Ferrari nor Aston Martin could be taken much higher than the stratospheric market position they already occupied. In fact Aston would need to broaden its client base in order to prove financially viable, and that would mean Jaguar would have to make some room.
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Specifications (2010 Jaguar XKR):
Price Range (coupe – convertible est. MSRP): $104,000 – $111,000
Body Type: 2-door coupe or convertible
Layout: front engine, RWD
Engine: 510-bhp, 461 lb-ft of torque, 5.0L, 32-valve, DOHC, VVT, DI, supercharged V8
Transmission: 6-spd auto w/ manual-mode
Brakes (front/rear): disc/disc, ABS, BA
External Dimensions (L/W/H/WB): 4,791 / 2,070 / 1,322 / 2,752 mm (188.6 / 81.4 /52.0 / 108.3/ in)
Wheels: 19-in aluminum alloy (opt. 20-in aluminum alloy)
Curb Weight: 1,665 - 1,705 kg (3,814 - 3,924 lbs)
Seating Capacity: 4 (2+2)
Cargo Volume (trunk cpe / conv. with top up / top down / down with run-flat): 300 / 283 / 201 / 229 L (10.6 / 10.0 / 7.1 / 8.1 cu ft)
Fuel Economy: TBA
Warranty (mo/km): 48 / 80,000 comprehensive
Direct Competitors: Aston Martin V8 Vantage, BMW M6, Maserati GranTurismo, Mercedes-Benz SL55 AMG, Porsche 911 Turbo
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