Jaguar S-Type

The Jaguar S-Type is a mid-size luxury / executive car introduced for the 2000 model year by the British marque Jaguar of the Ford Motor Company. The name is a revival of a previous Jaguar model, the S-Type introduced in 1963.

The S-Type is produced at Jaguar's Castle Bromwich facility in Birmingham, England. The car was styled by the late Geoff Lawson, and is based on the Jaguar DEW platform/Ford DEW platform which it shared with the now out of production Lincoln LS, but with substantial modifications. The classic leaping jaguar bonnet mascot, or "leaper" as it is commonly called, is not fitted to the S-Type (or any of the Jaguar range) when built for its home market in the UK as it contravenes the current safety legislation regarding pedestrian impact, but many enthusiasts subsequently add one themselves to complete the traditional "Jaguar" look.
The supercharged S-Type R joined the lineup in 2003. The "R" is powered by a supercharged V8 producing 390 hp (291 kW), and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 5.3 s (0 to 100 km/h in 5.6 s). It includes 18 in (457 mm) alloy wheels, wire-mesh grille and dramatic monochromatic paint. The R also has sportier rear apron, side-skirts, and front apron with built-in fog-lamps, a rear spoiler, a brace located near the rear subframe, and "R" badging on the boot lid and both front wings. It is the most expensive S-Type, with a base price of £50,040 in the UK (US$58,995 in the United States).
A minor facelift in 2004 refined the car's overall appearance, with the addition of redesigned standard front and rear aprons, slightly modified grille to include the Jaguar badge, remodelled rear light clusters, an aluminium bonnet, and a new 2.7L V6 diesel engine. To prevent likely oxidation problems occurring around attachment holes in the new bonnet, the windscreen washer jets were incorporated into the windscreen wiper arms, and the badging removed. Internally, the whole facia and centre console were redesigned to incorporate a new layout for the revised switch-gear and radio (or optional satellite navigation equipment), and the provision of an electronic parking-brake paddle-switch in place of the conventional manually operated lever for the rear brakes.

Powertrain
The rear wheel drive S-Type is currently produced (as of model year 2003) with either a 5-speed manual transmission or a 6-speed J-Gate transmission that allows automatic gear selection or clutchless manual gear selection. From model years 2000 to 2002, the S-Type was equipped with either a 5-speed manual or 5-speed J-Gate Ford 5R55N transmission.
The vehicle is powered by a variety of petrol and diesel engines. The 2.5 L engine is not available for vehicles exported to the United States and Canada.