Jaguar and Land Rover are looking to offer hybrid vehicles for sale within the next five years. It seems reasonable to conclude that they will parlay the experience gained from the government-sponsored testing that they recently were awarded into real production systems. According to reports, Jaguar is considering using a system similar to the one that Mercedes-Benz is working on for its flagship S-Class hybrid. The S-Class is expected to pair a 3.5 liter V6 engine to the ZF transmission, while Jaguar is said to be considering both a 3.0 liter diesel engine and a 5.0 liter gasoline direct injected V8.

Land Rover, on the other hand, seems ready to create its own home-grown hybrid system using something it calls the "Electric Rear Axle Drive." One thing that seems certain is that Tata Motors has plans to keep its two new luxury marques on the top of the technology curve, which could mean good things for the two ailing brands.

[Source: Autocar]

As part of the Technology Strategy Board's (TSB) ongoing efforts of promoting and supporting research into environmentally friendly automotive technology, the group has given funding to Ricardo, Jaguar and Land Rover for quite a few separate projects. Five of the projects are outlined here:

• Ricardo, along with the University of Brighton, DENSO Sales UK Ltd and Jaguar, has received funds to continue work on its innovative 2/4SIGHT engine, which is capable of running on either the 2 stroke cycle or the 4 stroke cycle.
• The Range Extended Electric Vehicle is led by Land Rover. A large SUV chassis will be used with the goal of delivering 120 to 130 g/km CO₂ and a zero emissions range of at least 12 miles.
  
• A flywheel-based hybrid drive system will be tested, led by Jaguar and including Flybrid Systems, Ford Motor Company, Prodrive, Ricardo UK Ltd, Torotrak plc, and Xtrac Ltd. Formula 1 racing is also testing these flywheel-based hybrid systems.
  
• The Limo-Green project is the fourth bit of technology and looks to incorporate the aluminum structure of the current Jaguar sedan range along with an electric motor, battery pack and generator.
  
• Recycled aluminum will be looked at to see if it is feasible to use post-consumer scrap to form the basis of a lightweight, mass-producible vehicle.
  

These five projects are part of a group of sixteen total investments which will receive a total of £90 million in funding from the TSB. We've pasted two complete press releases after the break detailing each of the proposed projects that are mentioned above.

We can understand why Lord Jones, Britain's trade minister, would want to be driven around in his Jaguar as opposed to a Toyota Prius. First of all, while we really do like the Prius, a luxury car it is not. Secondly, and more importantly (or so he claims) is that he should be seen in a British car. An argument could surely be made that at least one British automaker should offer at least one environmentally friendly car for Jones to choose, but where is this car? At least the Jag that he's likely to use is powered by a small 2.0 liter diesel engine. Still, all MP's in Britain are supposed to be driving hybrids and an exemption for Lord Jones because the Prius isn't British enough sounds pretty lame to us. CO₂ doesn't care about borders.

[Source: What Car]

You've undoubtedly heard the term 'design-by-committee' (usually in a negative context), but when's the last time you heard someone say 'design-by-survey?' A British online buying guide called New Car Net (www.newcarnet.co.uk) spent two months searching for the ideal car by asking motorists to choose elements of existing vehicles they liked best. The categories included body shapes, engine power, safety features and accessories.

Judge for yourself as the image above is an artist's rendition of the resulting exterior which combines the front of a Porsche Boxster, the stretched roof-line of a Jaguar XK and the wheels of the U.K. Toyota Avensis.

Of particular interest to us are the answers received in the category of powertrain. Nearly 50 percent chose a diesel or hybrid powerplant over a standard gas-fueled engine while half opted for a "medium-powered engine" over a gas-guzzler.

Of course, we're happy to see survey results in which such a large percentage of respondents choose higher-mileage over power, but the most impressive point we'd like to underscore in this survey is that this is what drivers chose as their ideal car. Also, it's important keep in mind that this was a British survey where the gas is much more expensive and diesels are much more widely accepted. Still, it makes you wonder just how much longer they'll be saying, "there's just no substitute for displacement" on this side of the Atlantic.

[Source: New Car Net]

Ford Motor Company just announced their new premium V8 diesel engine for use in top range Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo models. While V8 diesel engines are a common upgrade for medium-duty trucks in the US, they are often considered too crude for more consumer friendly applications. In Europe, V8 diesel engines have been appearing more and more in luxury sedans. Their combination of high torque and excellent fuel economy has made them the engine of choice for larger and heavier vehicles. And with advances in fuel injection technology and increased sound deadening, they are as sophisticated as their gasoline counterparts. I wish one of these modern diesel engines would make their way into a SUV offered in the North American market. The price premium for these engines would probably be less compared to a hybrid powertrain, and the fuel savings would probably surpass those of a hybrid, especially when doing significant high-way driving.

[Source: Ford Motor Company]