Jaguar’s beauties born from a rich history
Design strengths emphasized
floating roof appearance resulting from the blacked out roof pillars, to the vehicles’ upright posture — equal metal to glass proportions. It was clear throughout the seminar the company was looking at a fresh approach to the main tenets of the brand’s appeal, functionality, sustainability, luxury and, the latest facet, brand flexibility. Although Range Rover was born from Land Land Rover and Jaguar haven’t forgotten their history, but both are taking a fresh approach to their brands. Prior to the Los Angeles Auto Show, Jaguar Land Rover held a seminar to review and provide insights into two of its 2013 models, the new Range Rover and Jaguar F-Type.
Gerry McGovern, design director for Land Rover covered the evolution of the famed Range Rover — an expensive yet utilitarian and spartan vehicle introduced in 1970, through to the latest fourth-generation model.
Several things have become synonymous with Range Rover design, the Rover, their brand images were intertwined around a core of functionality.
The appearance and subsequent success of the Evoque has illustrated what customers consider to be a Range Rover, which is allowing some latitude in the most recent designs.
The newest Range Rover is a markedly different looking vehicle than its predecessors. Some features of the Evoque appear in its sheet metal and carry over nicely. The roofline now has a noticeable taper and the 5050 split of glass to metal has now tipped to smaller greenhouses. Adding to the sleeker shape the raked windshield forms a line down to the centre of the front wheel, giving the front section a more aggressive look.
“Every line has a reason for being,” McGovern says. For example, the side gill vents on the door, which were purely decorative, were supposed to have been a functional element. When no longer needed, engineers removed them from the design. McGovern retained them, explaining they now anchor the aluminum inserts placed on the doors.
Ian Callum, head of design for Jaguar, followed with his tale of having to live up to the image of an iconic car. With the launch of its new F-Type, Jaguar has chosen to draw obvious comparisons to one of the most revered cars ever made, the legendary E-Type. For goodness sake, even Enzo Ferrari proclaimed it to be the most beautiful car ever made.
Jaguar’s styling focus has always been about getting the vehicle’s proportions just right. Callum’s team focused on wrapping the exterior sheet metal as tightly around the mechanicals as possible. In his words, “There shouldn’t be any fresh air under there unless it’s needed.”
The new F-Type looks decidedly modern and while not an homage to the XKE, there are unmistakable references to it and more current Jaguar offerings. Tata, the current owner of Jaguar, stressed the need for the classical treatment of design.
The F-Type was designed for street presence and Callum pointed out several features that contributed to its appeal. Vented slats in the front valance begin a line that then flows up over the wheel arches and into the smooth door panels. The line then transitions into a second crease that flows to the rear quarter panels and eventually drops off the back end of the vehicle. The rear overhang was tucked back in, which separates the trunk from the bumper.
The sheet metal of the FType was described as lithe. It certainly seems appropriate.