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22 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday May 3, 2006 Jaguar XK: A tradition of excellence The king of the driving jungle holds court By Bill McLauchlan Carguide Magazine At Jaguar, XK has always stood for sports car and for the illustrious British automaker, its sports cars have always been used to push technology forwards. The badge first appeared on the XK120, unveilled at the London Motor Show in 1948. Like today's all-new XK, the very first XK120s had aluminum bodywork and although later the production models quickly reverted to steel bodies, they still had abundant performance -- mainly thanks to the first appearance in production of the classic 6-cylinder twin-cam XK engine and retention of lightweight aluminum body panels. In 1949 the XK120 justified its name by topping 193 km/h (120 mph) in an official record run on the Jabbeke motorway in Belgium. Not only was it the fastest sports car of its day, it also started a golden era for Jaguar in sports car racing. The legendary C-Type racer that was developed from the production XK120 took the innovations to the next level. In 1951, with a new tubular chassis and a beautifully streamlined aluminum body designed by Jaguar's aerodynamics specialist, Malcolm Sayer, it won the greatest sports car race of them all -- France's Le Mans 24-Hours endurance test. The C-Type won again in 1953, after famously introducing disc brakes to motorsport the previous year -- often cited as one of the greatest examples of `motor racing improving the breed'. While the XK140 and XK150 followed the XK120 as Jaguar's mainstream production models, that dual-purpose road/race character started by the C-Type evolved into its even more exotic successor, the D-Type. The D-Type continued to be based around the brilliant XK engine, but now had an aluminum semi-monocoque chassis built on aircraft principles and even more efficient low-drag aerodynamics, again developed by Sayer. In 1955, 1956 and 1957, the D-Types added a stunning Le Mans hat-trick to bring Jaguar's `first generation' 24-Hour victory tally to five wins in seven years. When the E-Type stole the show in Geneva in 1961, there was no mistaking that although it was a full-production road car, its DNA was distinctly traceable to the D. It was actually the last Jaguar sports car to use the XK engine, but once again it rewrote the sports car rule book with its stunning looks, semi-monocoque construction and an astonishing performance-to-price ratio. When the next XK, the XK8, appeared in 1996, it reflected the times. It was a very different kind of car -- much more grand tourer than a classic sports car in the 1950s and '60s mould, but every inch a Jaguar and destined to be the fastest selling sports car in Jaguar history. Like its predecessors it looked forwards, not backwards and made clever use of new technologies to make it quicker, safer, more refined and more efficient. By 2001 it had Jaguar's Adaptive Restraint Technology System (A.R.T.S.) and Adaptive Cruise Control; in 2003 it adopted the larger, more powerful 4.2-litre V8, plus the 400 horsepower supercharged version. It also adopted a 6-speed automatic transmission, Emergency Brake Assist and Dynamic Stability Control. One more generation of changes in 2004 carried it through to the end of production in 2005, with its sporting dynamics and stunning looks still giving it a very special appeal. Now, the all-new XK takes the Jaguar sports car line to another level. It is lighter, faster and better equipped than the model it replaces, with substantial improvements in performance, handling dynamics, braking distances, safety and economy. In looks it pays homage to the legendary Jaguars of the past -- the front grille, for example, is a clear evolution of the classic front ends seen on the D-Type, E-Type and last-generation XK. But beneath that gorgeous skin there has never been a more fitting representation of how Jaguar's XK sports cars offer exceptional technology and performance to match their unparalleled appearance. Oak-land Ford Lincoln The 2006 ESCAPE HYBRID... Earth's First and O Only Full Hybrid SUV. Qualifies for $2000 Gas Tax Rebate! 570 TRAFALGAR ROAD, OAKVILLE · AT THE QEW · WWW.OAKLANDFORDLINCOLN.CA 1-866-398-4270