Possibly the most attractive Jag since the E-Type, this could be the halo-car Jaguar has needed for some time.

According to Jaguar officials, the new XK is the "best of everything that Jaguar is associated with."

The new XK is crafted with the same aluminum-bonded technology as the XJ sedan, making the new XK lighter and quicker than the previous steel-bodied XK8. To be manufactured at the Jaguar plant in Castle Bromwich, West Midlands , the XK is said to be 31 percent stiffer than the car it replaces. New exterior styling is nearly identical to that of the ALC concept car displayed on the auto-show circuit earlier this year; the interior is more smoothly integrated and wood-trimmed than ever. The 300-hp, 4.2-liter V-8 will be the engine in the standard XK, and through a paddle-shifted six-speed automatic, will push the XK to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds and to a top speed of 155 mph. The new XK goes on sale in the U.S. next year, followed by a convertible version later in 2006.

Source The Car Connection