A New Breed of Cat
Jaguar has made its share of news recently. The business press has reported the sale of the venerable British automaker, along with Land Rover, to India’s Tata Group. Some pundits worry that Jaguar’s ownership by yet another former colony may put off some buyers. I would submit that for every Jaguar intender who is dismayed by the new ownership, an affluent Indian is ready to step up. Besides, owning other luxury car brands will not distract the new parent company.

While Ford, Tata, and regulators wrestle with the transfer of ownership, Jaguar has launched its first really dramatic new model in 40 years. That’s not to suggest that the brand hasn’t offered new models or technology during that time. Indeed some of Jaguar’s models, like the XJ sedan, bristle with innovation. But they’ve been dressed in retro-looking bodywork along with interiors that recall old English drawing rooms.

The 2009 Jaguar XF, which was launched in the States right here in San Diego at the Ivy Hotel downtown, is all about the future, and that’s really the heritage of the proud Jaguar nameplate. In 1948, Jaguar’s XK120 was a sensation, combining modern style with sophisticated power. The sleek XK-E was so advanced, it still looks new nearly 50 years later. And the XJ6 sedan styling, introduced in 1968, remains intact in 2008.

Ian Callum, Jaguar’s design chief, created the new XF to take an aggressive position in style leadership while paying homage to the past. The result is a sports sedan that is thoroughly contemporary, yet every bit a Jaguar. Taste is a personal attribute, that’s why there are so many flavors of ice cream, but I can’t find an unflattering angle to the new XF.

The slick bodywork blends function with its sleek shape. The steep-swept front and rear glass and smooth surfaces create a class-leading coefficient of drag of just .29. That’s low enough a number to reduce wind noise and deliver good fuel economy.

Inside, the contemporary theme continues along with a bit of high-tech fun. A standard keyless system allows you to enter the car where you’re confronted with a starter button that pluses with red letters in a heart beat rhythm. When you press the blinking button, the V8 engine awakens with a subtle growl, the air vents rotate to open, and the round gear selection controller raises up from the center console. It’s all a great theater of technology and a frequent reminder of how contemporary this car has become.

With all its high style and technology features, Jaguar has not ignored the important business of motoring. The new XF strikes a delightful balance of sports sedan performance and quiet luxury. The cat loves to tackle twisty turns without complaint and there’s plenty of power on tap from the alloy V8 under the sculptured hood. If you want more power, a supercharged version is available with 420 horses on tap.

Along with styling innovation, Jaguar has rekindled another attribute from its past value. The well-equipped XF is priced at just under $50,000 and tops out at $64,025 with every option including dynamic cruise control and an 11-speaker Bowers & Wilkins audio system. It’s a price range that compares quite favorably with the Jaguar’s European luxury rivals. — Brian Douglas

Specifications

Type: Front engine, rear-wheel drive

Engine: 4.2-liter, DOHC V8

Horsepower: 300 @ 6,000 rpm

Torque: 310 foot-pounds @ 4,100 rpm

Base Price: $49,975

As Tested: $64,025

Fuel Economy: 18/city, 26/hwy


Golf For Life
The Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center’s (SKCC) 12th annual Golf for Life Charity Classic will take place on Monday, May 12, at Del Mar Country Club. Supporters will enjoy a fabulous day of golf that will conclude with a cocktail reception, sit-down dinner, and an exciting auction for the players and their guests. Held in memory of Joe Zamudio and others who have battled cancer, this event supports the very important research being conducted at SKCC in the fight against cancer. Last year’s event netted more than $150,000 for the nonprofit research center, which contributed significantly to the ongoing mission of finding the cure for cancer in our lifetime. The winner’s trophy, named for the late Zamudio and designed exclusively for this tournament by Tiffany & Co., is on perpetual display in the Community Resource Center of SKCC’s research building. Fore more information please contact Leslie Greve. (858/450-5990, ext. 243, www.skcc.org) — Jane Shiomi

Laser Blast
In a move sure to excite Dr. Evil, Mitsubishi Digital Electronics debuts its new line of laser-based rear projection televisions this month. Dubbed LaserVue, Mitsubishi spokespeople say the new flat screen TVs will offer viewers twice the amount of color and clarity of regular HDTV sets. In other words, blacks will be deep black, reds will be true red. It’s the latest advancement in a new world of hypercolor media systems. And just to show they’re keen on green when it comes to all this new power, they built the new sets to use half the power of other comparable displays. For now they’re being a bit coy in releasing information on the technology itself, and have yet to announce sizes for the new sets, but considering their brand new line of DLP sets are all above 60 inches, chances are the LaserVue sets will follow suit. Pricing, as well, will not be officially announced until the sets hit retailers, but Mitsubishi says they will be comparable to the market. (www.mitsubishi-tv.com)


Superior Storage
Some people love to display all of their DVDs on a shelf, but if you want to keep your home theater looking a little cleaner, the smart choice is a media center — essentially a hard drive that will store the digital movie files. The just released Okoro Media Systems ZX-100 is poised to become a huge seller, in part because it works the way it should, and in part because purchasers can have it customized to match their room by ordering different chassis for it. Performance-wise you’re looking at an Intel Core2 Extreme Quad Core Processor QX68750 3.0GHz, Nvidia Pure Video HD technology, and 3 gigs of 800MHz DDR2 RAM. The 32GB high-speed drive has 1 terabyte of storage so you should be able get a good sized collection on there. It handles Blu-ray and HD DVD discs as well, and audio capability allows for surround sound of 5.1, 6.1 or 7.1 setups. $5,995. (www.okoromedia.com)


Seeing Triple
Consider this a bit of a tease — Hyundai Electronics just released the first ever 3-D television...in Japan. Sigh. Of course that means we’ll have to wait for it here stateside but just knowing we’ll be able to watch Friday The 13th Part 3 or Jaws 3 or Amityville Horror 3 (anyone noticing a trend here?) the way they were meant to be seen is enough to make us cinephiles happy. Old horror films aside, it’s sure to open up doors for filmmaker and thousands of straight-to-DVD productions as well. The 1,920 x 1,080, LCD set comprises 2x HDMI and 3x composite inputs and apparently works fine for traditional 2-D broadcasts. And yes, you’ll need the accompanying 3-D glasses to make it work. Going price right now is 498,000 yen (about $4,857).
(www.hyundaielectronicsindia.com)
— Ryan Thomas
 
 


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