And now my response to him: Fine Dutch, except that Volkswagen, Audi, Bugatti, Lamborghini, BMW, Rolls, Mini, and heck even Ferrari all amortize costs across multiple marques. That's the only way to compete in a global economy, the only way to compete technically, and the only way to drive down service and support costs. The problem is the way the sharing was done, not the fact that it was done. Jaguar and Lincoln touted the commonality of the DEW98 (premium) and CDW162 (lowly) platforms in all the initial press discussions. Even Jaguar outright denying it later on couldn't erase the negative impressions in the British owners mindset and press. They stuck. And technically they were much the same cars, despite creatively rounding 4.0 down to 3.9 or adding temporarily-exclusive variable cam timing. There needed to be much greater differentiation underneath. Another example: the new Audi TT is built off the lowly Golf chassis (with significant updates, but still the starting point) and you don't see Audi talking about that. A little more aluminum, different styling, and presto you can charge considerably more. That's how the business works.
In an AutoWeek interview, Jaguar executives tell us that the next Jag S-Type will arrive in the spring of 2008, and that the car will not be aluminum-intensive. Instead, more conventional steel construction will be used.
And, the car will use an evolution of the existing "DEW-98" chassis, co-developed with Ford in the late nineties.
Ford Motor Co is mulling the sale of its historic Browns Lane plant near Coventry that was the home of its iconic Jaguar brand since 1928, Jaguar said on Wednesday.
This is the site where Jaguar manufacture the XJ and XK Models.
CARSCOOP, a great blog I read every day, has the scoop on the upcoming debut of the Supercharged Jag XKR. 
