Jaguar At The 2005 Geneva Motor Show

Jaguar’s Advanced Lightweight Coupe makes its European debut as one of the star attractions at the 2005 Geneva Motor Show - and shares centre stage with two other sports cars in a striking display of Jaguar’s sporting lineage.

The Advanced Lightweight Coupe looks boldly into Jaguar’s future, but the marque’s present and past are represented in an equally exciting fashion with the new special edition XK 4.2-S and the actual E-TYPE that was famously presented to the world at the Salon in 1961.

Advanced Lightweight Coupe

The Advanced Lightweight Coupe heralds new generations of Jaguar sports cars and sports saloons, as Jaguar Chairman and CEO, Joe Greenwell, explains:

"The Advanced Lightweight Coupe represents the very essence of Jaguar, its heart and soul. If you want to know what lies ahead for us, what direction we will take - this is Jaguar’s answer."

Created by Jaguar’s advanced design team under Design Director Ian Callum, this high-performance show car is indicative of more than just the company’s evolving design direction; the Advanced Lightweight Coupe is a rallying call for a company whose reputation is founded on beautiful, dynamic sports cars - and exactly the sort of car that a revitalised Jaguar will build.

Combining stunning design with advanced lightweight construction technologies, the Advanced Lightweight Coupe represents true sporting luxury in an exciting, high performance package.

XK 4.2-S Special Edition

The new 4.2-S special editions - represented in Geneva by an XKR Convertible - mark another advance for the Jaguar XK and confirm there has never been a better time to buy one of these highly desirable sports cars.

"All Jaguars are special, but the XK has always had its own unique attraction," comments Jaguar managing director, Bibiana Boerio. "As well as being a truly beautiful car, the fact that we have progressively updated the technologies and specifications makes it all the more desirable."

The 4.2-S model range is available as either a coupe or convertible, with a choice of two V8 engines – one of them supercharged - that will power all versions to an electronically limited top speed of 155mph. The XKR supercharged coupe model will reach 60mph in just 5.2 seconds, the normally aspirated XK8 coupe takes just 0.9 seconds longer (6.1 seconds).

Encompassing all the styling features introduced last year to give the XK a bolder, even more sporting appearance, the 4.2-S package also upgrades the cabin with a compelling blend of visual changes and an increased level of specification that sees many premium features (such as Bluetooth wireless telephone communications and an eight-speaker Premium sound system) becoming standard equipment.

The E-TYPE

This year the Geneva Salon celebrates its 75th show and 100th year anniversary and the Jaguar E-TYPE is the perfect car to mark the occasion - especially as the very car that was presented at the Show in 1961 now returns to Jaguar stand.

The E-TYPE was an immediate sensation. Its simple, flowing lines and long, purposeful bonnet captured the glamour, dynamism and optimism of Britain in the early 1960s - and of course symbolised Jaguar's approach to building beautiful, fast cars.

"The E-TYPE is a very special car," explains Design Director Ian Callum. "Its lines are unashamedly geometrical and still remarkably contemporary yet it possesses a sensuality and litheness that is unmistakably Jaguar. It was a source of great inspiration when we began work on our next generation of sports cars."

Jaguar’s saloon and estate car ranges are of course also represented at Geneva, with an XJR, S-TYPE R and 4.2SE and an X-TYPE Sport Estate all on the stand. All Jaguar diesels are moving to Euro IV emissions compliance and the first EU4 model - the new X-TYPE 2.0 Diesel - is available to buy now with prices starting from £20,995.