I recently saw the new 2006 Jaguar XK testing at Nuremberg race track in Germany and the serious supercharged V8 version was lapping quicker than the M5, 911 and forthcoming Masser coupe. The car was undergoing cooling tests and although the whole of the front of the car was disguised, the position of the cooling vents and grill suggested that the new cat may look similar to the recent concept model.
The light-weight cat, which has employed similar aluminium floor-pan systems akin to its more expensive brother, Aston Martin, also appeared to have a very meaty V8 burble. One engineer's hand gesticulation seemed to indicate 500-bhp in what is undoubtedly a lighter car. There also appeared to be more room inside the car too, a criticism levelled at the cat, though the vast array of computer equipment inside hid so much of the dashboard and gave nothing away in terms of interior trim styling.
Rumors also suggest that the car will only be available with Aston's 6-speed semi-auto transaxel (rear transmission) regardless of model when it arrives at the Geneva show in 2006. What is certain, although a pure Jaguar, it will have a more modern feel in terms of drive & style and even the base model will get a 350-bhp 4.3-litre V8 as standard.