Jaguar Designer: "Don't Blame Me"
In an interview with Automotive News, Jaguar designer, Ian Callum, has blamed regulations for the way the new XK8 looks.
Although a handsome car, nobody claims the XK8 is another E-Type. Ian Callum says the huge number of modern safety regulations are to blame. One example is a US regulation about the height of the header rail above the windscreen. This is designed to protect occupants not wearing a seatbelt (one may ask why anyone cares about people too dumb to wear a seatbelt, but that is a different question). Apparently this rule makes the car 20 mm taller than it would otherwise be - and precisely the same height as the Mercedes SL. Another issue is the new European pedestrian safety regulations which mean the bonnet must be 70mm above the top of the engine - again making the car less sleek than the designers wanted.
Ian Callum says coupes from all manufacturers are now going to look pretty similar because they all have to meet the same rules.
Source: Verdict on Cars