Bentleys Jags and Chinese Astronauts

Last week saw the introduction of two new cars plus an out of this world sale.

The news

At LotPro.com, every once in a while we need to play a little catch-up with the latest automotive news. Today is no exception as last weekend’s Pebble Beach Concours played host to a number of events, including the North American introduction of the newest XJ from Jaguar as well as the world premiere of the new flagship from Bentley Motors.

Jaguar XJ

The latest generation of Jaguar’s XJ flagship made its North American debut at Pebble Beach. Slated to reach dealer showrooms in early 2010, the all-new model will come with an entry-level price of $72,500 MRSP and top out with the XJ Supersport trim at $115,000.

“Today’s challenging economy raises the stakes for luxury marques bringing new products to market,” says Richard Beattie, Executive Vice President, Marketing and Sales, Jaguar North America. “Not every new automobile will win the hearts and minds of luxury car buyers. This Pebble Beach weekend is incredibly important in establishing the design and performance credibility of a new luxury automobile. We believe the Jaguar XJ will create tremendous new excitement for the Jaguar brand.”

Breaking away from the styling cues of previous-generations, the newest XJ sedan comes with one serious drawback: you will no longer be able to squint in a Jaguar showroom and time travel back to 1975.

Based on Ian Callum’s new design direction that was first evidenced with the new XF sedan that was introduced in 2008, the new XJ now looks as good as it drives. With a wheelbase 1.3 inches longer than the previous generation, the new model addresses one of the most glaring shortcomings found in the previous model – rear seat leg room – while retaining the old XJ’s basic architecture and superb handling characteristics.

Bentley Mulsanne

Bentley Motors chose to unveil its own flagship sedan in the midst of what it sees as its target audience – those who can afford to fork over upwards of 300 large for the privilege of driving (or, in many cases, riding in) a grand tourer graced with the “Winged B” emblem.

Bentley displayed the Mulsanne alongside the Bentley 8-liter, a model first shown at the 1930 London Motor Show and W.O. Bentley’s company car for two years.

“The 8-litre’s breathtaking performance and quality was perhaps the finest example of a ‘pure’ grand Bentley. Every mechanical detail carried W.O. Bentley’s unique stamp and it was the clearest demonstration of a car built without compromise,” commented Dr. Ulrich Eichhorn, Member of the Board Engineering.

“The Mulsanne has been designed with exactly the same guiding principles, so it is entirely fitting that these Bentleys from different eras share the same stage.”

Scheduled to go on sale before the end of 2010, specifications of what is expected to be a completely re-designed engine, including its performance characteristics, have yet to be divulged (although presenting it alongside the 8-liter might be a subtle hint of what might be).

Chinese Astronauts Choose Volvo S80L

On a somewhat less conspicuous consumptive note, Volvo announced that four Chinese astronauts have chosen to buy the Volvo S80L, a long-wheelbase version of the Volvo S80 available only in China.

According to Volvo, the four (Yang Liwei, Zhai Zhigang, Liu Boming and Jing Haipeng) chose the S80L for three reasons:

First of all, the Volvo S80L is a locally produced premium car – a symbol of China’s improved manufacturing capability. Secondly, the Volvo brand image expresses premiumness and is not ostentatious. The third, and most important factor, is that Volvo S80L’s top-class safety performance is providing the astronauts with great confidence, driving a Volvo.

Dr. Alexander Klose, CEO of Volvo Cars China, says,” We are very proud to have the four astronauts as Volvo owners. Volvo will convoy these heroic astronauts on land, with our premium quality and holistic top notch safety. We look forward to their greater contributions to China’s space cause.”

Tags: Bentley, bentley motors, bentley mulsanne, chinese astronauts, jaguar, jaguar xj, mulsanne, pebble beach, pebble beach concours, Volvo, volvo s80