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6 years ago

The PERFORMANCE Issue

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ALL IN ONE READY TO

ALL IN ONE READY TO TEST: The XE’s front face, seen here with the smart chrome-grilled Portfolio option, is bold, purposeful and dynamic 18 j THE PERFORMANCE ISSUE

A NORMAL DAY AT JAGUAR’S TESTING SITE MIGHT SEE 200 VEHICLE TECHNICIANS VISIT. TODAY IT PLAYS HOST TO OUR EXCLUSIVE XE PHOTOSHOOT Not just anyone can visit Jaguar Land Rover’s massive, but massivelysecret Gaydon vehicle testing facility. The 670-acre (2.71 sq km) Warwickshire site, set deep within the beautiful English countryside, needs various passes and special nods and checks from the right security guards before anyone is allowed access to where some of the world’s best vehicles are tested on some of the world’s best – and worst – road surfaces to check they’re up to being badged a Jaguar or Land Rover. According to proving ground engineer Dave Hudson, a day in the life of the former Royal Air Force base-turnedtesting site might normally see up to 200 vehicle technicians and engineers visit its various specialist areas, from the 80-metre diameter steering circle (see previous pages) to the four-lane, 3.7-mile (6km) high-speed circuit. Today, on a quiet summer Sunday, it’s playing host to our exclusive photoshoot of the new Jaguar XE using two of only four photo-ready pre-production XE models currently available anywhere on the planet (124 less-finished camouflaged ones are being put through their paces all over the world, whether speed trials at the Nurburgring or heat testing in Death Valley). Indeed, due to the super-early access, some of the cars’ details – like parts of the front and rear lights – aren’t yet exactly what you’ll be able to buy in the showrooms from next spring. But as they’re piloted around the track by our professional test drivers, before pulling up a few metres away to prepare for another shooting angle, both undoubt edly look stunning, whether in chrome-grilled Portfolio trim on the Ammonite Grey car or the sportier black-mesh fronted Italian Racing Red S model. The secret behind the XE’s great proportions is that the compact sports saloon is based on an all-new lightweight aluminium vehicle architecture conceived by both engineers and designers to get the best balance of form and function. As exterior designer Adam Hatton tells J-Magazine: “It’s a dream for any designer. In layman’s terms it means you get a say in where the ‘hard points’ of the car are positioned.”

 

JAGUAR MAGAZINE

 

Jaguar Magazine celebrates creativity in all its forms, with exclusive features that inspire sensory excitement, from beautiful design to cutting-edge technology.

In this issue, we explore the art of creativity from the Brazilian masters who devised the graceful art of Capoeira, to the Irish artists mixing new culture with old. You will also discover the creative line that links Victorian wallpaper to the iPhone. While the multi-talented actor and performer, Riz Ahmed, explains why it is the right time to reveal his true self to the world.

© JAGUAR LAND ROVER LIMITED 2020

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Registered in England No: 1672070


The fuel consumption figures provided are as a result of official manufacturer's tests in accordance with EU legislation.
A vehicle's actual fuel consumption may differ from that achieved in such tests and these figures are for comparative purposes only.