Detroit Auto Show: Hand Polishing Makes Show Version Of Aluminum JagUar XJ Shine

DETROIT, Jan. 4, 2002; 5,423 sheets of wet-dry sanding paper... 134 cloth buffing pads...15 quarts of industrial strength polishing compound ...and unlimited quantities of elbow grease. That's what went into creating Jaguar's stunning, highly polished aluminum show version of the all-new 2004 XJ sedan, appearing at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, January 5-20.

"We wanted to expose the new XJ's aluminum content and really bring out the life and soul of the car," says Ian Callum, Jaguar Design Director. A team of Jaguar craftsmen at the company's Prototype Body Development workshop in Coventry, England, began by taking a bare aluminum XJ monocoque bodyshell from the Castle Bromwich body assembly plant.

"We took a lot of advice from our aluminum supplier, Alcan; from Ford engineers in Detroit who had worked on a series of aluminum-intensive vehicles; and from our own Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust that cares for aluminum-bodied Jaguars like the XK120, racing E-Types and XJ220 supercar," explains XJ Chief Program Engineer, David Scholes.

The feedback they received: there was just no substitute for traditional Jaguar craftsmanship and hundreds of hours of hand polishing. And using traditional materials like sanding paper, polishing soap and cloth buffing pads. And, of course, plenty of elbow grease. Rather more advanced technology was needed when it came to preparing the show car's bumpers, which are usually made of molded composites. "We looked at painting them with silvery paint. Maybe chrome-plating them. Even shrink-wrapping them in aluminum foil," says Scholes. The solution involved taking a mold of both bumpers and spraying the solid plastic forms with an advanced alloy coating that could eventually be highly polished to match the car's bodywork.

With the XJ's body buffed to a mirror-like sheen, the Jaguar engineers considered hand-assembling the car's interior and mechanical components. Instead, the body was sent down the final assembly production line at Jaguar's Browns Lane plant in Coventry, along with other pre-production XJs. "It's a true reflection of the quality and craftsmanship being put into the new XJ that this bare-metal showcar emerged at the end of the line without a single scratch or scuff," explains Scholes.

But neither technology nor craftsmanship can solve one sticky problem with the show car: Fingerprint smudges. That's why, on Jaguar's new-look show stand at the NAIAS, there'll be an official "polisher" clutching a fine cotton cloth and a can of special aluminum polish, whose sole task will be to remove fingerprint smears.

Jaguar XJ

This special show version of the all-new XJ sedan, with its aluminum body polished to a mirror-like sheen, gets top billing on a new-look Jaguar stand "The riveted and bonded aluminum monocoque construction of the all-new 2004 XJ sedan is a technical tour de force," said Mike O'Driscoll, President of Aston Martin Jaguar Land Rover North America. "This special one-off polished aluminum show car highlights the XJ's high-tech construction, its beautiful styling and represents a shimmering statement of how Jaguar will lead the future of luxury car engineering," adds O'Driscoll.

The all-new 2004 XJ -- due in showrooms late spring -- features the first volume production use of rivet-bonded joining technology for its complete body structure. Self-pierce rivets are used in combination with aerospace-sourced epoxy adhesive to join the aluminum pressings, castings and extrusions. In the construction of the new XJ's body, 88 robots apply almost 3,200 rivets and more than 350 feet of structural adhesive. The aluminum sheet metal panels are bake-hardened at 540 degF as part of the paint process, providing added rigidity and resilience against dings and dents. The result: a body that is significantly stiffer -- by 60 percent -- and lighter by 40 percent than its steel equivalent. Significantly lighter than the previous XJ sedan -- the hood weighs just 24 lbs -- the new XJ brings marked improvements in performance and handling agility, fuel economy and emissions.

Powerful and highly-refined V8 engines take advantage of the weight-saving benefits that the XJ's aluminum construction offers. A new 4.2-liter supercharged V8, delivering a massive 390bhp (SAE) rockets the new XJR flagship from standstill to 60mph in a mere 5.0 seconds. A normally-aspirated version of the same all-aluminum engine develops a muscular 294bhp (SAE) -- power to provide 0-60mph acceleration in an impressive 6.3 seconds in the XJ8. And both engines benefit from being coupled to a new, highly-responsive six- speed ZF automatic transmission, first introduced in the new 2003 S-TYPE range and now available on the latest XK8 and XKR sports car line-up.

Ride comfort and vehicle handling are taken to new heights with the new XJ. Self-leveling air suspension is standard on all models, as is an enhanced version of Jaguar's CATS (Computer Active Technology Suspension) system.

The strength of the architecture also ensures superb crashworthiness. Being lighter than the equivalent steel body, the XJ body structure carries significantly less kinetic energy into a collision. This reduces the amount of energy that has to be absorbed by the body structure in an accident. "Our target in developing the new XJ was to produce one of the world's safest cars," explains David Scholes, XJ Chief Program Engineer. "And the XJ's body structure is the foundation of its excellent safety performance."

To optimize protection, Jaguar's renowned A.R.T.S. (Adaptive Restraint Technology System) senses the severity of a crash, the position of the driver, and whether seat belts are being used, to provide tailored protection. This is combined with standard-fit side thorax and full-length side curtain airbags that deploy in the event of a side impact.

Sizewise, the new XJ is longer, taller and wider than before. The increased dimensions result in a cabin that offers significantly more headroom, legroom, shoulder room and rear-seat knee room. Now there's space for five adults to sit in real comfort and the new XJ is the only car in its segment to offer electrically adjustable driver's pedals as standard. There's also more space for luggage in a trunk that is 25 percent bigger than the previous XJ's, and is now capable of swallowing no fewer than four sets of golf clubs.

The re-designed cabin is packed with new technologies to increase comfort and driving enjoyment. Available features include JaguarVoice, providing drivers and, for the first time, rear seat passengers with voice-activated control of the telephone, navigation systems, audio equipment, and climate control. Another advance is an optional multi-media entertainment system that allows simultaneous enjoyment of up to three different audio, video or game systems. Two 6.5-inch color display screens are mounted in the rear of the front-seat head restraints, allowing rear-seat passengers to watch DVDs or play video games.

Jaguar's famed craftsmanship is also raised to a new level in the 2004 XJ. Body panel gaps are narrower and even more precise than before. And inside, new features include Piano Black trim -- a high-gloss finish inspired by the deep, lustrous sheen of a concert grand piano.

"Working with the most-advanced technologies ever used by Jaguar, we have crafted a true flagship that blends elegant, sensuous design with real technical achievement. In every respect, the new XJ is an icon reinvented," adds O'Driscoll.

AT A GLANCE - THE ALL-NEW 2004 XJ
The new XJ is the most technically-advanced production Jaguar ever.
It's the seventh generation of the XJ series. The first XJ was

introduced 32 years ago in September 1968.

Aluminum construction is not new to Jaguar -- the original XK120, E- Type racers and XJ220 supercar all used aluminum for their bodies.
More than 800,000 XJs have been sold since the first model was introduced, accounting for over half of all Jaguars made.
Engines comprise 4.2-liter V8, in supercharged and normally-aspirated form, both with a six-speed automatic transmission.
The new XJ's body is 40 percent and 60 percent stiffer than the equivalent steel body.
The new XJ's aluminum hood weighs just 24 lbs -- 54 percent less than before. A front door weighs a mere 23 lbs - 45 percent lighter.
Around 3,200 rivets and 350 feet of structural adhesives are used in the construction of the new XJ's body.
Magnesium -- as strong as aluminum but 30 percent lighter again -- is used for the new XJ's seat frames and cross beam that supports the fascia.
The available Adaptive Cruise Control radar takes 40 measurements on each sweep.
More than 500 computer-simulated crash tests were carried out before the XJ underwent its first physical barrier test.
The new 2004 XJ range goes on sale in late spring when full pricing will be announced.