THE TATA XJR?

Consider it a safe assumption that you'll never see an XJR, XK, or XF rebadged as a Tata. Reports are also pushing speculation into safe assumptions that Tata is about to land Jaguar and Land Rover for $2,000,000,000, however.

Time the purchase of Ford Motor Company's remaining British outposts with the debut of a $2,500 People's Car, too. Then again, the Tata Group also owns hotels with rates as high as $2,795 per night in Mumbai, charter planes for Bollywood stars, and high-end jewellery stores, in addition to Tetley Tea, Tata AIG Life, Tata Cummins, and Tata McGraw Hill. Head honcho Ratan Tata says that when a company is bought by the Tata Group, things remain the same, "except now it's owned by someone in India".

If Tata truly is successful in this purchase, we should hear by the end of 2007. Another Indian company, Mahindra & Mahindra, was a bidder for Jaguar, along with One Equity Partners.

For Jaguar bosses, the worst part of the news is the extra 1,000 miles in their commute to company headquarters. India is a lot farther away than Michigan.

CAR AND DRIVER ANNOUNCES 10BEST FOR 2009

From the time he was knee high to a grasshopper - whatever that means - The Good Car Guy has been a faithful believer in Car & Driver's 10Best. That's part of the reason why GoodCarBadCar.net's The Good 12 is modeled after C/D's 10 Best; with realistic cars (under $71K this year) that can be recommended year-after-year if they remain better than the opposition. Don't believe that GoodCarBadCar.net will always be in firm agreement with C/D's editors.

This year Car & Driver named two domestics to its 10Best list. Added to that were four from Europe and four from Japan. The list is below with a sentence from Car&Driver and an additional thought from The Good Car Guy. Keep in mind, The Good 12 v2.0 begins revealing itself on the eighth of December.

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BMW 3-Series: "Is this perfection? History has shown that there’s always room for improvement. But even so, in our view, no current family of cars comes closer to that elusive target." 

TGCG: No argument here.

Cadillac CTS & CTS-V: "Cadillac has created many memorable cars. This one is unforgettable." 

TGCG: Stretching only slightly less, I'd say that the CTS is memorable, the V version unforgettable.

Chevrolet Corvette: "... the standard Corvette coupe and convertible continue to deliver a level of performance and style that’s unbeatable for the money." 

TGCG: Indeed, it is the ZR1 and Z06 that show what tremendous value the regular 'Vette represents, even Chevrolet can't make its own car look overpriced.

Honda Accord: "It’s equally clear that the Accord has evolved steadily to maintain its position as a mainstream pacesetter."

TGCG: Contrary for the sake of being contrary, the thought that at some point Honda may need to revolutionize the Accord rather than simply evolve their midsize car can't help making a nest in my brain; not because Honda will need to but because I want them to. The Accord was a Good 12-winner last year.

Honda Fit: "If there’s a better combination of thrift, practicality, and fun-to-drive, we haven’t seen it yet."

TGCG: In last year's Good 12, regarding the old Fit, " The Fit possesses sharp steering, a snickety-snick gearshift or even a 5-speed automatic, and remarkable economy."

Infiniti G37: "We're not immune to the appeal of more power, of course, but there's more to the G's story than increased muscle."

TGCG: The G was a winner at GCBC last year, too. Competition has stiffened, however, even as the G improved.

Jaguar XF: "As pleasant as it is to behold, the XF’s most compelling attribute is outstanding dynamics."

TGCG: Only the letdown from the C-XF concept that led up to the XF keeps it from attaining glory at GoodCarBadCar.net.

Mazda MX-5 Miata: "... the steering provides that rare sense of connection that makes the car an extension of the driver's will."

TGCG: Yet, not as much of an extension as it once was. It is not the Miata's downfall - no not at all -  just a small discouraging factor that makes me wonder why C/D infuses such exaggeration. 

Porsche Boxster/Cayman: "Neither of these mechanically identical mid-engined cousins can be called inexpensive."

TGCG: A problem, is it not? The Boxster is so deserving, the Cayman incredible but undeserving. So much more money for slightly better handling and the loss of drop-top ability?

Volkswagen GTI: "As an added bonus, GTI ownership includes an exceptionally high practicality factor."

TGCG: The GTI isn't special because its fun... for a hatchback. It is fun first and foremost; its hatchbackness secondary.

WORLD CAR NEWS BY NUMBERS

90: Percentage of commitment General Motors was lending the Volt plug-in hybrid concept, says Bob Lutz

100: Percentage of commitment GM now feels toward the Volt, if Bob Lutz's phrase, "totally committed" is to be understood as 100%

40-45: Miles of electric-only drive the Volt will be tested with in early 2008, although Lutz now says the production car will not look anything like the original concept was a "cruel disappointment" in the wind tunnel

49,975: Base price, in the US market and in USD, of the Jaguar XF


62,975: Base price of the supercharged Jaguar XF

300: Horsepower developed by the 4.2L V8 in the base XF

420: Horsepower developed by the supercharged 4.2L V8 in the XF

1181: Cost, in $, you'll pay for every tenth of a second saved in the charge to 0-60mph, upon choosing the supercharged XF rather than the naturally-aspirated version


11: Extra inches in the wheelbase of Hyundai's Genesis Coupe concept as compared with the current Tiburon

2: Driven wheels in the Genesis Coupe and Tiburon, although the driven wheels in the Genesis are at the rear end of the car

4: Cylinders under the hood of the production version of the Genesis Coupe, although the 4-cylinder engine will likely be turbocharged and produce substantially more power than the current Tiburon V6

300: Horsepower produced by the V6 up-option engine in the production Genesis coupe

8: Cylinders available in the production version of the Genesis sedan

IS JAGUAR XF A LETDOWN AFTER THE C-XF CONCEPT?

Don't even mention it. It's a well-known fact that the discussion on whether or not the Jaguar XF lives up to the C-XF concept has ended. Most agreed that the XF didn't fulfill the promise of dynamism seen in the C-XF, but that once seen on the road, the XF had serious presence anyway. By Jaguar's standards, the XF has been a success in much of the world.

But yesterday morning in routine exploring, tiny picture of the C-XF scrolled across The Good Car Guy's screen. What was that, a limited edition; hardcore; extra-sporting; extra-expensive XF Supercharged? Oh right - sucky. That's just the precursor to the XF, the spectacular C-XF concept.

Since The Good Car Guy's own disappointment was rekindled, let's rekindle your's, shall we? In b&w, you have the wonderful concept. In colour, the XF. Don't tell me the XF looks like an old Ford Taurus from the front or a new Ford Mondeo from the back. Don't bother with the "generic" labels. The XF is good-looking and some would argue that it's also a better driving tool with a better interior than the competition provides. However, seen in the C-XF's light, the XF comes off all mournful.

THE NEW JAGUAR XF?

Actually, this camoflauged Jaguar isn't the next XF, but it is a car which Jaguar should have done differently from the beginning. By 2007, years before that really, the S-Type drove pleasantly and had engines capable of stirring the performance pot. But the retro looks were not favoured by enough buyers.

These pictures prove that to be the case. Although this is just an office prank, it is nevertheless very interesting the vehicle which was chosen to be covered up by post-it notes. The email I received titled it thus: "Somewhere there's a very unhappy office manager with nothing left in the annual supplies budget."

GET YOUR LOTUS ELISE AS A VAUXHALL WITH A JAGUAR V8

No, it may not be the normal route to a high-performance Lotus, but Caral, a British tuner, will get some attention with its V8-powered Vauxhall VX220. Indeed, it'll no longer be a VX220 but a V8XS.

See, when Lotus introduced the Elise Part Deux, General Motors' UK subsidiary decided it would like a version for itself. With a hefty restyling, a (slight) softening and a turn towards all-rounder, the Vauxhall VX220 was born. As was the Opel Speedster. 

It became apparent, however, that if people wanted a Lotus they were more than willing to pay a little more for... a Lotus. And they did. GM stopped its deal with the sportscar maker and Lotus became the only badge on the front of the Elise.

Although Lotus hasn't been building any cars for Vauxhall or Opel in quite a while, that isn't stopping Caral from getting hold of performance lovers who want their lovingly cared for VX to be stepped up a notch. Caral wanted to begin fitting a longitudnally-mounted GM V6 at first but has moved past that. For a car that originally powered up to the tune of 147 or 200 horsepower, the 450-bhp supercharged Jaguar V8 must be quite a thrill.

No doubt Caral puts in quite a bit of labour to jam a 4.2L V8 in the midst of a very tiny roadster. Nevertheless, they figure the job can typically be done for less than £30,000. The process includes the addition of a roof air intake, a six-speed gearbox, and a wheelbase lengthening for a very Audi R8-like effect.

JAGUAR XF RECALL AFFECTS 7918 IN AMERICA

The brand new 2009 Jaguar XF, famed replacement for the S-Type, is being recalled because of faulty seat belts. It all has to do with a poorly rotating d-ring in the rear seatbelt assembly, and of course, dealers want to take care of the problem for 7,918 XF owners involved.

Jaguar is available at 1-800-452-4827; the Recall is beginning about now; and before I hear anything about poor British quality, remember two things: the XF is an absolute belter of a beauty in person and it was developed under American control and owned by a company in a former British colony. Oh, and a third thing: Jaguar was recently ranked tenth in J.D. Power's 3-year dependability study. 

TOP 5 MOST LEASED VEHICLES IN AMERICA

In order to better understand the current state of affairs in the automotive leasing domain, check this morning's earlier post from GoodCarBadCar.net. If you want to know, and of course you do want to know, which vehicles are leased the most often this year in America, keep reading.

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#10 - Jaguar XJ: 65.8% of customers leased

#9 - BMW X3: 67.3% of customers leased

#8 - Audi A4: 68% of customers leased

#7 - BMW 6-Series: 68.6% of customers leased

#6 - Land Rover Range Rover: 69.6% of customers leased

#5 - Mercedes-Benz E-Class: 70% 

The E-Class has a base price of $52,775 for a powerful V6 with a 7-speed automatic. With similar financial scenarios, a 36-month lease would save you close to $100 per month compared with a 60-month purchase.

#4 - BMW Z4: 70.7% 

Achieving close to 30mpg in a BMW roadster ain't shabby. This $36,700 car was a styling controversy when introduced but, says BMW, can be leased for $379 a month over 36 months.

#3 - Audi A6: 74.1% 

Priced at $42,950, the A6 sedan is a capable beauty that performs in most categories at or near the top of the class. That doesn't mean it sells with the worldwide force of the E-Class or BMW 5-Series, but Audi is a successful company, thanks in no small part to the A6.

#2 - Saab 9-7X: 82.2%

As AutoEnergy put it, the 9-7X is about as Scandinavian as apple pie and ice cream. Think American at its core. GMC and Chevrolet will sell you less luxurious-but-otherwise-identical vehicles in their showrooms, but if you insist.... the 9-7X starts at $41,145. Presently, it's possible that leasing a 9-7X would cost you more because of heavy incentives on the purchasing side. 

#1 - BMW 7-Series: 85.3% 

If you can find $1009 every month for the next 36 months, BMW wants to put you in a "well-equipped" (read: basic) 7-Series. That nets you the strange iDrive system, a wild V8, and abundant luxury features. Only 15% of 7-Series customers take it any other way.

WHAT'S NOT SELLING IN AMERICA?

Trucks and SUVs aren't the only vehicle categories suffering as a result of high gas prices and a slowing economy. Find the common link between the vehicles listed below, and you'll catch the drift. BusinessWeek.com lists these vehicles as "beautiful" and "doomed" and quotes one Porsche executive who is worried that, apart from buyers avoiding less useful cars because of fuel costs; they might also start worrying about what their neighbours think. 

Apparently, there's not that many buyers who want to look extra-flashy when people all around are losing their jobs. It's interesting to note that, for most of the vehicles Numbered out below, the sales struggles have been going on for the duration of 2008 but clearly worsened in May. Indication? The news ain't changin'. Depressingly then, here are some of your likely favourites - all of which are struggling to find buyers in 2008.

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16.2 - percentage drop in sales of the BMW 6-series so far in 2008 compared with the first five months of 2007

13.7 - percentage drop in sales of the BMW Z4 so far in 2008

228 - actual fewer sales of the Cadillac XLR so far this year, down from 839 for the first five months of 2007 to 611 this year, a 27.2% fall

2,904 - total May sales of the Chevrolet Corvette, down 396 from May of 2007

31.6 - percentage drop in sales of the Ford Mustang so far this year

2,149 - sales of the Jaguar XK in the first five months of 2007, 39.2% higher than the January-May period of this year

629 - actual drop in sales for the Bad 8 member, Lexus' SC430, so far this year, from 1,705 to 1,076

33.3 - percentage drop in sales for the Mercedes-Benz CLK in May of 2008 compared with May of 2007

59.6 - percentage drop in sales for the Mercedes-Benz SLK in May of this year compared with May of '07

37.7 - percentage drop in sales for the Nissan 350Z so far this year

2,003 - actual drop in sales over the first five months of 2008 compared with '07 for the Pontiac Solstice, down to 5,193 for the year

32.3 - percentage drop in sales so far this year for the Porsche 911

JAGUAR IN THE PHILIPPINES

Pleasantly surprised - that's what you'd call Jaguar's Filipino representatives. The Philippines are suffering from a very localized version of the worldwide food crisis. Rice shortages have curtailed spending; something that affects luxury goods sellers more than anybody else. But what's happened to Jaguar?

Well, to be true, the numbers are small. The percentages, however, are huge. Sales targets for the first quarter of 2008 were exceeded by over 40%. Before the formal launch of the XF, Jaguar's Philippines outpost sold six of the cars. 

Not only is Jaguar selling more XFs in the southeast-Asian country than anticipated, they're also selling an inordinately high amount of the hot varieties. Says the local Jaguar chairman: "It’s like the buyers are thinking, it’s expensive in the first place, so why not go all the way?" 

This rebound from nine years of lackluster S-Type sales has hoisted the Philippines to a high point in Asian-Pacific sales for the British (Indian-owned) luxury car manufacturer. Only Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia buy more Jags in the region.

LAND OF OWNERSHIP: BRITISH BADGES

Brits still tighten the lugnuts and stitch the leather. The pride is still resident in the United Kingdom. In some ways, so much has changed. Viewed another way, the story hasn't been altered.

Lotus. Aston Martin. Bentley. Rolls-Royce. Rover. Jaguar. Land Rover. These are the most prominent automotive badges that Britain exports in 2008. In most cases, "export" is even the proper terms, as mentioned in line one of this post. The difference now is simply the Indian influence that wasn't present previously.

Interestingly, the new owner of Jaguar and Land Rover, Tata Motors, held some sway in Britain before. Rover sold its own version of the Tata Indica. Rover and Land Rover are terribly separate now, but use of the term ironic is awfully appropriate.

Rover's pieces are in Chinese hands. Of course, it was British at its beginning and the rights to its name are now in Tata's hands. Yes, it strikes as obvious that a country that was once in British hands now holds not just one, but three of the UK's most famous automotive fixtures. Even Honda (Japan) once held some measure of control over Rover, long before Germany's BMW had complete control and botched the whole shebang. 

Asia and Germany are in quite the battle to dominate the British brand marketplace, come to think of it. Lotus is a member of Proton's little empire. That'd be Proton, the Malaysian manufacturer of the Satria, which has been showcased here on GoodCarBadCar. Land Rover and Jaguar were bought for a tidy sum by a massive Indian conglomerate. Rolls-Royce and Bentley were caught in the midst of a humourous German battle. BMW owns the former (as well as Mini); Volkswagen the latter. Oh, and don't forget that Aston Martin is heavily backed by a group of Kuwaiti investors. 

Where does that leave American involvement? After Ford Motor Company's recent dismissal of Jaguar and Land Rover and last year's dropping of Aston Martin, major American shareholding is considered a thing of the past with equally large British motor companies. General Motors and Lotus? Nope. Not anymore. 

$2.7B + $2.5B = $2.3B? FORD SELLS UP

It's official....aly depressing for Ford's accountants. Tata, a gigantic Indian industrial conglomerate, has purchased two historic and evocative British automotive brands from Ford Motor Company.

Ford paid $2,500,000,000 for Jaguar back in 1989. Ford paid $2,700,000,000 for Land Rover in 2000. With an approximate inflation adjustment, Ford's $2.5B into Jaguar works out to around $4.3B now, and the $2.7B it cost Ford to snag Land Rover from BMW works out to about $3.3B now. Ish.

See previous posts on the matter here

So if you want to make Ford look really, really, really bad, figure the math like this: Ford paid $7,600,000,000 for Jaguar and Land Rover and sold the two as a set for $2,300,000,000. Ford's beancounters say, "Umph!" Ratan Tata says, "Result."

Ford is even going to contribute $600,000,000 to employee pension funds. Thankfully, Tata is leaning towards maintaining the current workforce level in the UK of 15,300 workers. 

As of 9:17am EST, Ford's "Global Sites" still included Jaguar and Land Rover. Who knows, they could be there for a while. Awkward. 

IS IT JUST ME....?

Is it just me, or are the comparisons below completely unflattering?  Does the Lexus GS angle dethrone the Jaguar XF from its lofty perch? An Infiniti EX from the rear 3/4 is just a jacked-up Subaru Impreza?Which car comes out worse for wear, the Renault Vel Satis or Lincoln MKT?  

Apologies for the design-heavy content on GoodCarBadCar today. Ha, who cares - we all love the good, the bad, and the ugly.  

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