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Filed under: Jaguar

2012 Jaguar XJ

2012 Jaguar XJ – Click above for high-res image gallery

An automaker can’t make it in the fringe anymore. Everything’s going either upmarket or mainstream, and Jaguar has opted primarily for the latter. The company that not so long ago offered essentially one sedan and one two-door is rapidly expanding to a full lineup. So what’s the next step? According to the rumormeisters over at Autocar, it’s ditching its current model naming strategy.

According to the UK publication, Jaguar is preparing to jettison nameplates like XJ and XF in favor of a more conventional alphanumeric system like those employed by its German and Japanese rivals. The thinking is that while the faithful know Coventry’s naming system, it’s not immediately evident to newcomers and outsiders where one model sits in the line-up vis-a-vis the next. Besides, it won’t be the first time Jag has slapped alphanumeric badges like XJ8 on the flanks of its cars.

One model could possibly hold out, though, as the C-X75 heads down the road to production. Filling the shoes of the iconic XJ220, the company is reportedly toying with the idea of naming the new supercar XJ330. The original was named for the 220 mph top speed it was aimed to reach (but never did), and the new model is targeted to hit a more realistic 205 mph – or 330 km/h on the metric scale.

Jaguar to ditch current nameplates for alphanumeric badges? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Performance, SUV, Crossover, Audi, Rumormill

Audi Q5

Audi sat on the sidelines for long enough watching its rivals get the better of it in the SUV game, then it finally jumped in on the action with the Q7, followed by the Q5 and soon the Q3. But even as its crossover range broadens, there’s still another mountain to conquer: that of the performance SUV.

Rumors of impending S and RS versions of the Q5 have been milling about for a while now, and have now been given a voice once again courtesy of Car and Driver magazine’s source in Germany. Little in the way of details beyond a brief mention were disclosed, but word has it that Audi has registered both the SQ5 and RSQ5 nameplates with copyright authorities. That doesn’t mean any such vehicles will ever reach our roads, but if the reports are true, it does at least indicate Audi’s giving it serious thought.

[Source: Car and Driver]

Report: Audi registers SQ5 and RSQ5 nameplates originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Jan 2011 12:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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