Jaguar Land Rover Introduces Bespoke Engineering Division
BEIJING, CHINA ‑ (April 22, 2012) ‑ Today, at the Beijing Auto
Show, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) showcased the Jaguar XJ Ultimate, a
car developed by the company's specialist Engineered To Order (ETO)
division. The division is responsible for extending the Jaguar and
Land Rover brands with a series of 'special edition' models as well
as a range of personalization options allowing owners to tailor
their cars.
Dr Ralf Speth, CEO, Jaguar Land Rover explained, "The specialist
ETO division is the next step in the evolution of JLR as a
fully‑integrated premium automotive business. It is an extension to
JLR's world class engineering capability and further proof of JLR's
passion to meet customers' demands."
Following the recent success of two earlier ETO‑built cars ‑ the
limited edition Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate and the 300km/h
(186mph) XKR‑S, the fastest and most powerful production sports car
Jaguar has ever built ‑ the ETO division is now focusing on further
expanding the company's product offering.
Initially, as well as handcrafting the ultra‑luxurious Jaguar XJ
Ultimate, ETO will also be responsible for the Range Rover Evoque
Special Edition, a collaboration between Land Rover and the British
fashion designer Victoria Beckham. This hand‑finished, bespoke
vehicle with unique matt finish paint and rose gold accents is
limited to a maximum of 200 vehicles worldwide.
The designers and engineers in ETO will work alongside the JLR
Product Development teams on future products with a focus on
offering additional luxury, performance and capability, exploring
different facets of the brands' personalities.
Jaguar XKR‑S
The Jaguar XKR‑S is a very different animal, engineered by ETO to
push the outer edges of the performance envelope and explore the
capabilities of the company's lightweight aluminum architecture.
The engineering involved went far deeper than simply liberating
more power from the company's renowned supercharged V8.
ETO worked with the Jaguar Design team to create the specific
exterior changes ‑ informed by Computational Fluid Dynamics ‑ that
allowed the car to cut the air cleanly and solidly at very high
speed and developed bespoke machined aluminum suspension components
to give the car even greater levels of agility and driver
involvement, refining the entire package at Jaguar's Nürburgring
testing facility.
Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate (2011)
The Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate took the already luxurious
Land Rover flagship model and added a level of craftsmanship and
unique exterior and interior appointments to create a truly
first‑class experience.
ETO was responsible for the handcrafted interior that used some of
the finest soft‑feel leathers and unique veneers for the four
individually tailored seats as well as the seamless integration of
the iPads®, machined aluminum laptop table and drinks
chiller.
ETO also created the bespoke paint colors and alloy wheels
individual to this model and, as a final unique touch, a
teak‑floored rear load space to evoke the decking of luxury
yachts.
ETO will support the Jaguar and Land Rover brands by offering
specialist products ranging from design and performance
enhancements, to the development of a wider portfolio for customers
to personalize their vehicles, and an extended capability in
engineering armored and specialist vehicles.
‑ ends ‑
Note to editors:
ETO is an acronym for Engineered to Order.
JLR Corporate Communications contact:
Jonathan Griffiths, Senior Manager, Corporate and International
Communications
M: 0044 (0)7801 126893 E: jgriff76@jaguarlandrover.com
Jaguar contact:
Matt Skelton, Global Product Communications Manager
M: 0044 (0) 7887 451700 E: mskelton@jaguarlandrover.com
Land Rover contact:
Dave Roynon, Manager, Global Fleet and Driving Events
M: 0044 (0) 7764 377640 E: droynon@jaguarlandrover.com