The Jaguar Advanced Lightweight Coupe Concept is a 2-door coupé from Jaguar, built from 2005, in the decade of stability control, dual-clutch gearboxes and the first serious hybrids. Under the bonnet: 4.2 . Ian Callum / Giles Taylor drew it.
The story
The Jaguar Advanced Lightweight Coupe (ALC) is a sports coupé concept car first shown at the 2005 North American International Auto Show in Detroit by the British automobile manufacturer Jaguar, then part of Ford's Premier Automotive Group.
Designed by Ian Callum and Giles Taylor the concept previewed the Jaguar XK which was subsequently launched at the autumn 2005 Frankfurt Motor Show. The designers sought their inspiration from famous Jaguar automobiles of the past when designing the car, with the E-Type being the main inspiration as the grille of the ALC paid homage to the car. The hatchback design, 2+2 seating layout and the bonnet harkened back to its predecessor, the XK8. Other design elements are shared with the R-Coupe concept of 2001 and the R-D6 concept of 2003. The aluminium chassis shared with the XJ saloon and all-aluminium construction were a first for a Jaguar grand tourer. The interior is a mixed of simplistic and modern design elements. It is upholstered in tan leather and had aluminium inserts. The pedals are adjustable and the car features gear shift paddles on the steering column for easier gear changes by the driver. An Alpine telematics system is present on the centre console which controls most of the car's functions. The car is powered by a supercharged 4.2-litre V8 engine similar to the unit fitted to the outgoing XKR and is equipped with computer active technology suspension and active restraint technology system. The engine is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The car utilises 21-inch wheels with Pirelli tyres. Jaguar claims the concept
What is underneath
Power comes from 4.2 . It shifts through a 6-speed automatic. The layout matters: a front engine drives the rear wheels, the classic proportion — long bonnet, cabin set back — that most people picture when they picture a sports saloon or a grand tourer. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
Its place in the line
Its contemporaries in the catalogue — the Aston Martin Vantage, the Kia Sportage, the Bugatti Veyron — show what else the money bought that year. Nearby in the Jaguar catalogue sit the F-Type and the Vanden Plas.