Ian Callum on Jaguar's formidable new super-saloon and why the firm needs a sports carJaguar has created a formidable machine that can do what no other saloon car can do with the new XFR-S, according to Jaguar design director Ian Callum.
Callum believes that the 542bhp XFR-S, unveiled at this weeks Los Angeles motor show, is the latest model that can help transform Jaguars gentle gentlemans car image. This is something thats changing rapidly, and the XFR-S is as sporty as a Jaguar saloon can get, he told Autocar at the LA motor show.
The XFR-S starred alongside the new F-type, which was making its North America debut at the LA show.
Callum said one of the biggest things to emerge since the F-type was revealed in September at the Paris motor show was the love for the Jaguar brand.
Jaguar was slipping away to some, but theres a huge love for it, said Callum. The F-type justifies the rest of the brand. As we had no race or sports car, people were asking what we stood for.
We had performance cars but no sports car. Thats Jaguars natural place and now we have it, we can spell it out. Jaguar is not complete without a sports car. Its the crux of the brand and the drive of it.
Callum wouldnt be drawn on a launch date for a coupe version of the F-type, but said it was a model he was looking forward to and one that would stay true to the C-X16 concept from 2011.
