Jaguar takes over London for XE launch

LONDON, England - Britain's capital rocked last night (September 8 2014) with flashing lights, music, a helicopter with a special load, even white 1960's police cars prowling the city streets.

The special event used locations across London to mark the world premiere of the new Jaguar XE, the brand’s latest sports saloon. There were live performances and exhilarating stunts on the River Thames and at Earls Court as Jaguar celebrated British creativity and innovation as part of the eventual dramatic unveiling.

VIDEO: New Jaguar XE covers London

Jaguar worked with multi-platinum British singer/songwriter Emeli Sandé to create a FEEL XE track which was inspired by the public through social media. Fans were asked “What makes you feel Exhilarated?” using #FEELXE.

LANDMARKS LIT UP

Emeli premiered the new track, titled ‘Feels Like’, live on the Thames as part of an exclusive 45-minute set on a floating stage in the middle of the water highway with the London Eye and County Hall as a backdrop. A crowd of 300 fans watched from a nearby boat and assembled crowds were treated to a projection-mapping spectacle on County Hall that included the public’s social media insights that inspired the song.

London landmarks, among them the London Eye, County Hall and the Shell Building, were turned red, while a series of red flares was launched along the river to turn the skyline red during the performance.

Jaguar began its celebrations earlier in the evening with a star-studded event at Earls Court, home of 14 Jaguar debuts since 1935 and many British auto shows. An audience of more than 3000 VIP's, among them Stella McCartney, David Gandy, José Mourinho, Jodie Kidd, Brian Johnson, Sam Riley, Gary Lineker, Ruben Cortada, Example and Sienna Guillory. The show was narrated by actor John Hannah and included performances by Emeli Sandé, The Kaiser Chiefs, Eliza Doolittle, the Royal Ballet, members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Max Milner from The Voice.

1000-STRONG FACTORY SALUTE

Each performance brought to life significant moments in the history of Jaguar, from the launch of the SS100 in 1935 to the global success of the current Jaguar line-up. The show culminated in a spectacular reveal of the Jaguar XE with a video showing its dramatic journey from the new state-of-the-art XE  plant in Solihull, central England, to London's Earls Court.

The journey began with 1000 employees at Solihull forming an ‘XE’ as the Red Arrows flew past in formation and the car was lifted by helicopter to start its journey to London. The helicopter carried the car along the Thames to Tower Bridge before being placed on a high-speed landing craft to continue its journey to Chelsea Harbour.

The final leg from Battersea Bridge saw the XE escorted by two 1960’s Mark II Jaguar police cars (a shivery video moment!) into the Earls Court Arena. Six manufacturing robots formed a guard of honour for the car appeared to the the seated audience watching live and the thousands watching online around the world.

DUE IN SA LATE 2015

The new rear-drive Jaguar XE, the automaker says, has advanced lightweight construction, exciting design, luxurious interior and outstanding ride and handling. Indicative pricing for the XE range is from £27 000 (about R472 000) with low cost of ownership helped by, Jaguar says, highly competitive fuel economy, exhaust emissions, insurance ratings, service intervals and residual values.

The XE will go on sale in 2015 with the high-performance S model at the top of the range with more details to be released at the Paris auto show in October 2014. It will arrive in South Africa in late 2015.