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Jaguar XK Case Study
When Jaguar began design and development work on the XK Coupe and Convertible they set themselves one of the most demanding tasks in automotive engineering.
The XK replaced the successful XK8 as Jaguar’s contender in the ‘Large Premium Sportscar Sector’. Historically, this sector was home to two very distinct types of cars, luxury Grand Touring coupes, such as the Mercedes SL and CL, BMW 645 and the XK itself, and more overtly sporting cars, such as the Porsche 911, BMW M6 or Maserati Coupe.
The challenge that Jaguar set themselves was to design a car that set a new standard in both of these niche areas. It should allow the customer a sporty drive without compromising on luxury whilst attracting customers that would have previously purchased outright sportscars.
Jaguar’s commitment to Lightweight Vehicle Technology was a major factor in helping them achieve this goal. The new XK Convertible is 20 per cent lighter than its predecessor, but 50 per cent stiffer. A rigid chassis gives the engineers a head start when it comes to tuning the suspension of the car to achieve poise, comfort and sporty handling.
It is at this stage of the vehicle development programme that tyre selection becomes critically important. This is when Jaguar turned to Dunlop.
The Dunlop and Jaguar partnership embraces many of the iconic successes in the history of both brands. Six Le Mans victories were shared between the two companies, with the success story spanning the 1951 Jaguar XK120C through the legendary D-Type era to the Jaguar XJR-9LM that won in 1988.
Jaguar and Dunlop have worked together for over two years to fine tune bespoke tyres that provide the fluent handling, responsiveness and roadholding demanded by Jaguar engineers and customers. The latest Dunlop SP Sport Maxx and SP Sport 01 had been winning rave reviews for their feedback and handling qualities.
In their demanding tyre test feature, Autocar magazine had declared the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx as their best handling tyre. “The Dunlop turned in not only the quickest laps, but, subjectively, the most satisfying performance” stated Chris Chilton, Road Test Editor, Autocar.
Impressively, the Dunlop SP Sport Maxx performance advantage in the dry was not a result of compromised wet weather performance. The Dunlop was also in the top three of all brands tested in wet handling, wet braking and curved aquaplaning tests.
Autocar’s description of the tyre as ‘the most satisfying’ was a tribute to the Dunlop engineers who pursue an ethos called ‘Touch Technology’. The Dunlop engineers and test drivers strive to achieve the highest degree of handling and steering feedback. When some tyre engineers go home after achieving the quantitative results they want, Dunlop engineers keep pounding around the test tracks, and more importantly B-roads, of the world to achieve the immeasurable, yet crucial, qualities of feedback or ‘feel’ that knowledgeable drivers seek.
This ethos was in tune with Jaguar’s goal for the XK. It was one thing to have a car that had its rivals beaten on statistics, but it was a core objective to have a car that had rivals beaten on handling, feedback and ultimate driving pleasure.
Ingo Hammes, Dunlop Test Team Leader, explained why feedback is so important to Dunlop and manufacturers such as Jaguar: “Road feedback is one evaluation criteria of handling which is one of the most important priorities for the top European car manufacturers. Excellent grip and high speed handling are what enthusiastic drivers expect from Dunlop. What really makes the Dunlop tyre unique is that you are told slightly earlier how the car will behave in that bend. Most of the time, this is the difference between staying on the road and not. Thus, the ability to literally feel and interpret the road and read its surfaces with more precision, makes all the difference to any driving experience. A large proportion of the tyre tester's job is subjective and based on the feelings we experience on the road”
The new XK models with 20” wheels are fitted with 255/35R20 front and 285/30R20 rear Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tyres. The Sport Maxx features a sophisticated Multi Radius Tread (MRT) design. This technology permits the calculation of an exceptionally accurate tread surface. The more accurate the tread shape is calculated the more homogeneous the pressure deployment in the contact patch becomes. The more even the pressure deployment the more the tyre is on the road.
This bigger contact patch improves the dry handling capabilities. The improved pressure distribution also facilitates a smooth transition from straight driving into cornering. MRT has its biggest advantages especially when the tyre performs in extreme conditions at cornering and high speed.
The new XK models with 19” wheels are fitted with the Dunlop SP Sport 01 tyre. This is an asymmetric tyre, rather than a directional tyre like Sport Maxx, and was chosen by Jaguar because of its blend of performance, handling and comfort. The 19” sizes are 245/40R19 front and 275/35R19 rear.
The result of all this effort is a car that has received the highest acclaim from the world’s press for ride and handling. Lets leave the final words to them:
I absolutely love it! It's effortless yet when you want to get involved, the steering, handling and brakes are all excellent. The most impressive aspect is the balance; it's so settled when pressing on. The ride quality is really good, beautifully settled and the damping is terrific.
Roger Stansfield (What Car?)
The new XK has so much soul and beauty - it makes the BMW 6-Series seem irrelevant in this sector. Excellent NVH levels which mask the speed, superb ride quality, excellent steering feedback.
Top Gear (Michael Harvey)
I think it can be summed up by this for me. The most impressive aspect is that when it's fully loaded up in corners and you drive over a grid it doesn't become unsettled. The ride and handling balance is superb.
Chris Chilton (Car)
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