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15/09/2005: "New Jaguar XK Convertible Revealed"

Jaguar has released the first images of a car whose major mission is to return the brand’s U.S. operation to profitability: the 2006 Jaguar XK convertible.

Like the XK coupe officially unveiled two weeks ago, the new car boasts a rigid, all-aluminum structure that keeps it notably light for a car of its class, in spite of the convertible outweighing the coupe by about 100 pounds. Weight-watching is also Jag's justification to bypass the choice for a retractable hardtop - the '06 XK will carry on with a fabric roof.

Also like the coupe, the convertible will initially be available with Jaguar’s 300-hp 4.2-liter V8, although “R” supercharged versions are a given to follow after the car’s market launch, set for February 2006. The British manufacturer estimates a 0-60 dash of 6.0 seconds for the convertible, or just 0.1 behind its tin-top sibling.

The new convertible’s importance can be summoned by the fact it currently responds for over 80 percent of XKs sold in America, in spite of commanding a premium of $5k over the fixed-roof version’s MSRP of $70,495.

Jaguar intends to unveil more in-depth detail about the 2006 XK’s technical specifications next month.

(this article was written by Cassio Cortes for speedtv.com)