According to the latest reports, it appears that Jaguar Land Rover is co-developing a micro gas turbine in order to charge batteries in hybrid cars on the move.

The system, dubbed Ultra Lightweight Range Extender (ULRE), is developed by companies with government backing. The axial-flow gas turbine engine is developed by Bladon Jets, a company based in Isle of Man, and coupled to a high-speed generator using technology developed by UK firm SR Drives. What Jaguar Land Rover wants is to apply this technology on its upcoming hybrid electric vehicles and it seems that this axail-flow technology will enable them to produce highly efficient and small gas turbine engines.

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Tags:car news, Hybrid cars, Jaguar, jaguar land rover micro gas turbine, Land Rover
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A 340 million pound ($458 million) loan has been granted to Tata Motors’ Jaguar Land Rover unit, marking the last major element of Tata Motors’ funding plan. Tata Motors said that the loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB) will aid the company in developing micro and full hybrid drivetrains.

The loan will also fund research into more energy efficient car bodies for Jaguar Land Rover. The EIB, the EU’s finance arm, granted the eight-year amortizing loan under the European Clean Transport Facility. In a statement, Tata Motors vice chairman Ravi Kant said that this will support the progress of turnaround in Jaguar Land Rover’s business in challenging market conditions, alongside cost cutting measures, increase of volumes and the improved margins strategy currently being implemented by Jaguar Land Rover. Tata said the EIB loan is part of the carmaker’s efforts to strengthen the group’s balance sheet. Tata Motors secured more than 500 million pounds of funding for Jaguar Land Rover from the international finance market in 2009.

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Tags:car news, jaguar land rover loan, jaguar loan, land rover loan
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Ralf Speth has been appointed as CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, replacing David Smith, who resigned in January. Speth, a former BMW AG and Ford Motor Co. executive, has accumulated 22 years experience in the industry.

At BMW, his last job was vice president of Land Rover when BMW owned the brand. Speth had also been the director of production, quality and planning for Ford’s Premier Automotive Group (PAG) when BMW sold Land Rover to Ford in 2000. Most recently, he had headed global operations at Germany industrial gases and engineering company Linde Group. At BMW, PAG and Linde, Speth worked closely with current Linde Chairman Wolfgang Reitzle, who was formerly BMW’s No. 2. Reitzle also headed PAG overseeing the Volvo, Jaguar, and Land Rover marques between 1999 and 2002. Speth will report directly to former General Motors Co. European head, Carl-Peter Forster, who earlier this week was appointed as group CEO of Tata Motors, which bought Jaguar Land Rover from Ford in 2008.

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Tags:Jaguar, Land Rover, ralf spetch, ralf spetch jaguar land rover ceo
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From using six platforms, Jaguar Land Rover plans to just use two, including a platform shared between the Range Rover and Jaguar XJ. Creating a Range Rover out of the same structure that underpins the new XJ saloon requires only limited and inexpensive modifications.

The floor and front crash structure will be unchanged but the Range Rover version will receive a taller front bulkhead and a modified rear bulkhead, which will accommodate folding rear seats. The XJ’s front strut towers are cast in one piece and bonded and riveted to the front chassis legs. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:car news, Jaguar, range rover, range rover jaguar share platforms
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Jaguar revealed today its latest evolution of its supercharged 2011 Jaguar XKR coupe which promises to deliver a significantly raised maximum speed – up to 174mph from 155mph – and bold styling changes. Set to make its official debut in March at the Geneva Motor Show, the new car showcases to two new optional performance and styling packs – Speed Pack and Black Pack – a premiere to the XK range for the 2011 Model Year. Now let’s talk a little about these packages. The Speed Pack extends the top speed of the car from 155mph (250km/h) to an electronically limited 174mph (280km/h) thanks to a unique engine and transmission recalibration. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:2010 geneva motor show, 2011 jaguar xkr speed pack, 2011 xkr black pack, car news, Geneva Motor Show, Jaguar
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Global sales for Tata Motors Ltd., India’s largest vehicles maker, in January almost doubled to 85,714 units, compared to sales from a year earlier. Included in this figure were the sales of UK-based luxury brands Jaguar and Land Rover that nearly tripled in January to 16,269 units from a year ago. The increase is partially attributed to the weak unit sales in January 2009 during the height of the global financial crisis. Meanwhile, Tata Motors’ domestic sales, including trucks, buses and cars, rose 77%.

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Tags:car news, jaguar sales, land rover sales, tata motors january sales
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The revisions to the Jaguar XF range are bound to excite driving enthusiasts. A 271bhp Diesel S model with part XFR styling has been created. Also, a lower entry-level price for the range has been introduced.

Priced from £38,475, the Diesel S now has an XFR derived interior as standard. As part of a ‘Dynamics Pack’, it also gets the Adaptive Dynamics system, currently available on the XFR and XK range as an option. Adaptive Dynamics makes an analysis of the chassis movement and steering inputs 500 times a second and with this information, it adapts the suspension. Continued after the jump!

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Tags:2010 jaguar xf diesel s, 2010 xf diesel s, car news, Jaguar
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Jaguar Land Rover has denied reports that the launch of the Jaguar XJ has been delayed. According to the schedule, the first cars will be delivered in April. However, rumors have appeared, suggesting that production delays would push this date back.

The departure of Jaguar Land Rover boss David Smith only added to the speculations. A JLR spokesman assured Autocar that it is on schedule with the Jaguar XJ and that it is about to start shipping the cars out to its overseas markets. He said further that the cars will be in the dealerships as planned.

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Tags:2010 jaguar xj launch, car news, Jaguar
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The CEO of Jaguar Land Rover, David Smith, is leaving the company. In a statement, JLR said that it would like to thank Smith for “his efforts in the role and for his service to Jaguar and Land Rover over many years.”

The British luxury carmaker said that a successor will soon be announced but before then, Ravi Kant, managing director of JLR owner Tata Motors, will assume Smith’s responsibilities. The 48-year-old Smith, an Englishman, was appointed as CEO of JLR in 2008 after Tata bought the maker of sports cars and SUVs from Ford Motor Co. It was in 1983 that Smith joined Ford where he served as a finance and strategy expert for Ford of Europe and its Premier Automotive Group.

Tags:car news, david smith jaguar ceo, Jaguar, jaguar land rover ceo, Land Rover
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Slated to go on sale in April is the new Jaguar XJ range, with its top-of-the-line model to be priced from £53,775. The model will be sold with the 3.0 diesel in Luxury trim, the 5.0 V8 and the Supersport.

These models will be available as a long-wheelbase car. The long-wheelbase diesel is priced from £56,685, while the V8 costs from £64,355. Two Supersport models will be available — the regular car costs £87,455, while the long-wheelbase raises the price to £90,455. This is considered expensive by anybody’s standards but it’s still a lot cheaper than the long-wheelbase Mercedes-Benz S-class, the 600L, which costs from £106,960. With this pricing range, the new XJR would be likely reach a price of more than £100,000, making it the most expensive Jaguar since the XJ220. Photo gallery after the jump!

Tags:2010 jaguar xj price, 2010 xj uk pricing, car news, Jaguar
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