25 Feb 05 15:23
Jaguar will show its XK replacement in the guise of the ALC (Advanced Lightweight Coupe) at Geneva next week. The model will sit beside the a special edition of the current XK and a 1960s E-type to show off the marque's sporting lineage.
The 2+2 coupe concept is widely considered to be the shape of Jaguar's next XK sports car, codenamed X150 for now. The ALC was first presented in Detroit in January, and at the time Joe Greenwell, Jaguar's chairman, announced that it "represents the very essence of Jaguar, its heart and soul. If you want to know what lies ahead for us, what direction we will take - this is Jaguar's answer."
The XK still has a while to run, however - the X150 isn't expected until early 2006. The XK 4.2-S is a special edition model specced up to rope in the last customers to the nine-year-old range. The 4.2-S models are available as either the convertible or coupe, and can be had with the unblown 4.2 V8 or supercharged unit from the XKR. What sets the S models apart is an uprated interior with Bluetooth enabled telecoms, a new sound system with eight speakers and the 2005 model-year visual tweaks - revised headlamps and front bumpers.
