Jaguar XJ Coupe Previewed, Although Production Unlikely

JAGUAR'S DIRECTOR OF DESIGN Ian Callum has let slip that a design for a two-door version of the freshly-unveiled XJ sedan has already been penned, leading to speculation that a revival of the long-defunct XJC nameplate may be on the horizon.

Callum makes no mention of any solid production plans for a next-gen XJC, but the fact that the British automaker's design department has already toyed with the idea shows that at least some within Jaguar's staff are interested in the idea.

Recent reports have claimed that Jaguar is considering a smaller coupe to take on the likes of the BMW 3 Series Coupe and the Audi A5. Mr Kant confirmed that there has been discussion about a new entry-level model. Whether Jaguar can develop both a new smaller model alongside an XJ Coupe remains to be seen.

Our new rendering (top of article) offers one look at how the XJ Coupe might look if it reaches production.

The last time Jaguar built an XJ coupe was 1978. Some may argue the XJS (which was built up until 1996) could be considered an XJ coupe - given its shared platform - however, with wildly different styling and proportions it was never exactly a close relation to the stately XJ sedan.

A modern interpretation of the XJC would likely retain the sedan's styling and expansive glass roof, but possess sportier proportions and be designed to go head-to-head with the Mercedes-Benz CL.

It's definitely highly speculative  for now, but should the XJC be resuscitated for the next decade it's bound to give the CL - and most other grand tourers - a run for its money.