Jaguar XFR 2010

The new Jaguar XFR sedan is so powerful that, slightly modified to improve aerodynamics, it reached 225.675 mph on the Bonneville Salt Flats. That makes the 2010 XFR the fastest production Jaguar in history, surpassing even the exotic XJ220 mid-engine supercar, named in the early 1990s for its target top speed.

The XFR is the ultra-high performance version of Jaguar's standard XF sedan, which was widely greeted as the best all-new Jaguar in years when it debuted in 2008. The 2010 XF retails for $52,000 or $57,000 for the XF Premium model. Jaguar says the 2010 XFR will have an MSRP of $80,000 when it hits the roads this summer.

The 2010 XFR will be available for order in February 2009, with the first deliveries expected this summer. Its purpose is straightforward: To give Jaguar a true luxury sedan with the performance of an exotic sports car and a no-excuses competitor for sedans such as the Audi RS6, BMW M5, and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG.

The primary distinctions between the XFR and other XF sedans are mechanical, and largely under the hood:

The XFR will be powered by a new engine displacing 5.0 liters and sharing nothing with its 4.2-liter predecessor except its V8 configuration. Jaguar's AJ-V8 Gen III engine employs a host of updated technologies to improve fuel efficiency and decrease emissions, including high-pressure direct fuel injection. The company claims that, as the new V8 is rolled out across its lineup, it will deliver more power and performance in all models but also better fuel economy.

In the 2010 XFR, the 5.0-liter V8 is also supercharged, generating an impressive 510 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque.

The XF's standard six-speed automatic transmission, one of the best currently available in luxury sedans, is beefed up to handle the XFR's mega-torque. It's also tuned for sportier shift response, and equipped with steering-wheel levers for manual shifting. An electronically controlled limited-slip differential completes the XFR's power-delivery package.

The results, according to Jaguar, are impressive. The XFR will travel from 0 to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds, or the same acceleration time Porsche reports for its 911 sports car. Perhaps more impressively, the XFR will accelerate from 50 to 70 miles per hour in 1.9 seconds, useful when entering an interstate highway, among other things. Jaguar predicts combined City/Highway mileage of 23 mpg. Top speed is governed at 155 mph.

The XFR suspension will be tuned for sharper handling than that of other XF models, with rock-solid high-speed stability. Yet thanks to Jaguar's new Adaptive Dynamics suspension system, ride quality should not suffer substantially. Jaguar claims Adaptive Dynamics has more computing power and considerably quicker response time than its previous CATS adaptive suspension system. The XFR will come standard with 20-inch alloy wheels and performance tires.

As you might anticipate, the XFR will be styled to look more blatantly racy than the other XFs. Changes include hood louvers, door-sill extensions, twin-dual tailpipe outlets and a trunk-lid spoiler. Yet the R's most visible distinction is its bolder, heavier chrome mesh grille.

Inside, the XFR will come standard with heavily bolstered sport seats that are adjustable 18 ways and embossed with an R logo. The leather interior will be offered in Warm Charcoal, Warm Charcoal/Red, Warm Charcoal/London Tan, and Ivory. The standard trim is Dark Oak. New safety options include a radar-based Blind Spot Monitor and a back-up camera with guidance lines.

The XF Premium and Portfolio models will be powered by the new 5.0-liter V8 minus the supercharger, delivering 379 horsepower with combined City/Highway mileage projected at 25 mpg. The standard XF continues with the previous generation, 300-hp 4.2-liter V8.


On Sale: Summer 2009
Expected Pricing: $80,000

Bentley Continental GTC Speed 2010

The fastest, most luxurious Bentley convertible ever produced goes on sale this summer with the introduction of the Bentley Continental GTC Speed.

Bentley calls the GTC Speed the ultimate in performance and refinement. This 2+2 convertible will complete the Bentley Speed lineup when it debuts in the summer of 2009, joining the Continental Flying Spur Speed sedan and the GT Speed coupe. The Speed lineup, inspired by the Bentleys that established the company's reputation racing at Le Mans in the late 1920s, is aimed at younger buyers than those loyal to the stately Bentley Arnage sedan.

It isn't clear exactly how young a buyer might be able to afford the Continental GTC Speed, which should retail at $230,000 or so, but enthusiasts have been known to form groups to buy these cars. In any case, Bentley has always been oriented around speed and it's worth noting that the organization devoted to the marquee is known as the Bentley Drivers Club.

The Bentley Continental GTC Speed will be distinguished from the standard GTC convertible by its dark tinted grille and 20-inch wheels, featuring a unique dual-thin spoke design and ultra high-performance Pirelli PZero tires. The Speed has a lower ride height, larger dual exhaust tips and a rear lip spoiler. Both GTCs will feature a revised nose for 2010, with a squarer, more upright grille in the classic Bentley mode, as well as larger lower air intakes and chrome headlight bezels.

Like the other Speed models, the GTC Speed will be equipped with an upgraded version of Bentley's twin-turbo, 6.0-liter W12 engine. This W configuration uses four banks of three cylinders, as opposed to two banks of six in a V12. It generates 600 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque, or 48 hp and 74 lb-ft more than the standard GTC. The Speed shares the GTC's six-speed ZF automatic transmission and full-time all-wheel drive.

The result of the horsepower upgrade is Bentley's most powerful (and fastest) convertible to date. The company promises 0-60 mph sprints in 4.5 seconds and a top speed of 195 mph with the retracting roof open. If that isn't fast enough, the GTC Speed will reach 200 mph with its roof closed.

The GTC Speed's body will sit lower to the ground than the standard convertible's will, by a fraction of an inch. It's electronically controlled automatic suspension will be tuned to more aggressively dampen body movement, usually referred to as roll and pitch. Its stability control system will allow the tires to slide a bit more before the electronics intervene in an effort to straighten the car's trajectory, just in case the Speed owner wants to try his or her car on a track.

Inside, the GTC Speed's machined aluminum trim and diamond-quilted leather ooze magnificence, as one expects in all Bentleys. Yet in the Speed, the bespoke quality is less overtly luxurious, perhaps more purposeful. The Speed also adds drilled alloy pedals and polished, model-specific door sills.

2010 Bentley Continental convertibles will be offered with two new options. Carbon-ceramic brakes trim weight and improve fade resistance, and Bentley claims they are the largest on any passenger car in the world. A new Adaptive Cruise Control system will use long-range radar to manage speed, controlling both brakes and throttle to maintain a driver-determined time gap between the GTC and cars ahead.

In the stratosphere of automobile prices, $20,000 or so may not mean much. The Continental GT Speed, introduced in 2007, quickly began outselling the less expensive, standard GT coupe. The same may apply with the convertibles.

The 2009 Continental GTC retails at $204,000, including destination and gas-guzzler tax. Factoring in the price increase from the standard GT coupe to the GT Speed, we're guessing about $230,000 for the 2010 GTC Speed. That's our guess. Actual retail prices are expected be announced closer to the on-sale date.


On Sale: Summer 2009
Expected Pricing: $230,000

Buick LaCrosse 2010

When the all-new 2010 Buick LaCrosse goes on sale this summer it will be more stylish and luxurious.

The LaCrosse, you may or may not recall, is a midsize sedan. Launched as a 2005 model, we liked it. And the new design is part of a plan by General Motors to revamp the Buick lineup much as it successfully did with the Cadillac lineup. The change to the Buick line started with the Enclave midsize crossover SUV, a vehicle that impressed us greatly.

Part of the GM's goal is to win younger, more affluent buyers for the Buick brand. The new LaCrosse was created with great attention to detail, craftsmanship and advanced technology, says Buick, and it builds on the success of Enclave and serves as the next step in Buick's renaissance.

The 2010 LaCrosse is built on the next generation of GM's global midsize car architecture, formerly known as Epsilon. The Buick LaCrosse is the first domestic car on the new platform, so it doesn't share with the Saturn Aura or Chevrolet Malibu, as you might suspect. Overseas, the Opel Insignia, which recently won the European Car of the Year award, uses the same architecture.

The new LaCrosse was developed globally. The architecture was designed in Europe, the interior styled in China, and the body design and vehicle integration completed in the United States. Compared to the outgoing model, the 2010 LaCrosse is about an inch shorter with a wheelbase that is 1.2 inches longer. This moves the wheels farther to the corners and results in a more athletic stance. The exterior styling employs cues of the Buick Invicta concept car shown at the Beijing auto show in China in 2008. The sculpted sides and waterfall grille are influenced by the Enclave.

Buick says the new LaCrosse will be the quietest Buick yet thanks to Quiet Tuning, which involves acoustic laminated glass, triple-sealed doors, liquid-sealed sound deadening, and special designs for the suspension bushings, engine cradle and mounts, and steering and induction systems.

The 2010 Buick LaCrosse will be offered in CX, CXL, and sporty CXS models. The V8-powered Super model will not return.

All models will use direct-injected V6 engines. Standard in the CX and CXL will be a new 3.0-liter V6 that will find its way into several other GM vehicles. In the LaCrosse, it will make 255 horsepower and 211 pound-feet of torque, and Buick estimates fuel economy ratings of 18 mpg city and 27 mpg highway.

The CXS model will come with GM's proven 3.6-liter V6, which will produce 280 horsepower and 261 pound-feet of torque in the 2010 LaCrosse. Buick estimates fuel economy numbers of 17/26 mpg for the CXS and says it will be capable of reaching 60 mph in less than seven seconds. Both engines will use a six-speed automatic transmission, and the CXS will have a manual shiftgate.

Front-wheel drive will be standard. The CXL model will also be available with an all-wheel-drive system with an electronic rear limited-slip differential that can send power side-to-side along the rear axle, which is a sophisticated setup.

CX models will have cloth seats and 17-inch wheels, while CXLs will be get leather upholstery, 18-inch wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control and fog lights. The CXS will heated and cooled seats and chrome-plated 18-inch wheels with optional 19s. Also standard on CXS will be a real-time damping system with three settings to adjust ride quality, as well as steering, throttle, and all-wheel-drive system calibrations.

That sounds all sounds very good. We loved the handling of the outgoing LaCrosse but thought the ride quality was a little choppy on rough metro freeways.

Inside, the 2010 LaCrosse will be more pleasant than the outgoing model, with real wood trim, blue-lit instrumentation and ambient lighting, and stitched leather trim on the dash. Other available features will include Bluetooth connectivity, a USB audio interface, a rearview camera, adaptive headlights, a head's up display, and GM's new Side Blind Zone alert system.

Pricing hasn't been announced, but we expect the LaCrosse to increase from its mid $20,000s starting price given the added features and interior quality.


On Sale: Summer 2009
Expected Pricing: Low $30,000s

Jaguar XK 2010

If there's a car that defines the Jaguar brand, it is the Jaguar XK. The next generation of the XK coupe and convertible is expected to arrive this summer. Jaguar says the XK coupe will retail for $83,000, while the convertible will have an MSRP of $89,000. The high-performance Jaguar XKR coupe will retail for $96,000, while the XKR convertible will be priced at $102,000.

Jaguar is calling the 2010 XK all-new, but in spirit and execution it looks familiar. And that's a good thing. Rather than a hard-edged sports car, the Jaguar XK has been more of a beautiful, lush, well-appointed grand touring car. The new XK coupes and convertibles don't change that but appear to be a bit faster, more polished, more efficient, and better looking than ever.

Nothing defines the XK more readily than its slinky styling, and the new ones should not disappoint. The 2010 XK models are clearly an evolution of the current car, with familiar proportions and similar profiles. Changes are most obvious in front, with a larger mesh grille below the bumper and a more prominently defined front lip spoiler. In back, the jewel-like LED taillights and rear bumper spoiler have bit more pizzazz. In total, the new XK is a hint flashier than the current car but just as pretty, and it still looks fast even when it's sitting still.

The XK features aluminum construction. Its body/chassis combination is formed from aluminum tubes and panels, glued and welded together like a commercial jet. Jaguar claims the XK has the lightest shell and the most torsional stiffness in its class. That means that it requires less energy to move, yet remains more resistant to bending or twisting over big bumps and bad surfaces, even in open-top form. Those are the ingredients of better handling, a smoother ride, and a more refined road feel.

Inside, the next XK features the disappearing, radial gear selector introduced in the Jaguar XF sedan. It'll come standard with keyless starting and an array of trim choices: wool carpet, Rich Oak, Burr Walnut, Dark Oak, Knurled Aluminum, Dark Mesh Aluminum.

Under the hood, the XK models get a new generation of V8s that are considerably more powerful than those they replace. Jaguar's so-called AJ-V8 Gen III applies a host of updated technologies to decrease both emissions and fuel consumption and to extend maintenance intervals. The 5.0-liter V8 in the XK Portfolio delivers 385 horsepower, or 85 more than the 4.2-liter V8 its replaces. The supercharged version in the 2010 XKR produces 510 horsepower, up 90 compared to the current model.

The 2010 Jaguar XKs will continue with ZF's six-speed automatic transmission, which is widely used by luxury car builders for its pleasing operation and excellent performance. All will be equipped with steering-wheel levers for manual shifting, though the transmission in the sport-oriented XKR will be tuned for faster, more aggressive shifts.

Jaguar claims 0 to 60-mph times of 4.6 seconds for the XKR and 5.2 seconds for the XK Portfolio. Jaguar also predicts a slight increase in EPA mileage rating for both cars.

The 2010 XKs will be equipped with a new adaptive suspension system that Jaguar calls Adaptive Dynamics. Such suspensions are intended to better balance sharp, precise handling with a smooth, comfortable ride by electronically varying the rate at which the shock absorbers dampen road shocks, depending on conditions and the driver's demands. Jaguar says its Adaptive Dynamics has more computing power and considerably quicker response time than its previous CATS adaptive suspension system.

Neither the new XK Portfolio nor the XKR are expected in showrooms before June, but Jaguar dealers will gladly take your order now. Both models will come standard with 19-inch wheels: The Portfolio with all-season rubber and the XKR with summer performance tires.


On Sale: Summer 2009
Expected Pricing: $83,000-$102,000