23 APRIL, 2012: AT THE BEIJING AUTO SHOW, JAGUAR LAND ROVER (JLR) SHOWCASED THE JAGUAR XJ ULTIMATE, A CAR DEVELOPED BY THE COMPANY’S SPECIALIST ETO DIVISION. THE DIVISION IS RESPONSIBLE FOR EXTENDING THE JAGUAR AND LAND ROVER BRANDS WITH A SERIES OF ‘SPECIAL EDITION’ MODELS AS WELL AS A RANGE OF PERSONALISATION OPTIONS ALLOWING OWNERS TO TAILOR THEIR CARS.
Dr Ralf Speth, CEO, Jaguar Land Rover explained: «The specialist ETO division is the next step in the evolution of JLR as a fully-integrated premium automotive business. It is an extension to JLR’s world class engineering capability and further proof of JLR’s passion to meet customers’ demands.»
Following the recent success of two earlier ETO-built cars – the limited edition Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate and the 300km/h (186mph) XKR-S, the fastest and most powerful production sports car Jaguar has ever built – the ETO division is now focussing on further expanding the company’s product offering.
Initially, as well as handcrafting the ultra-luxurious Jaguar XJ Ultimate, ETO will also be responsible for the Range Rover Evoque Special Edition, a collaboration between Land Rover and the British fashion designer Victoria Beckham. This hand-finished, bespoke vehicle with unique matt finish paint and rose gold accents is limited to a maximum of 200 examples worldwide.
The designers and engineers in ETO will work alongside the JLR Product Development teams on future products with a focus on offering additional luxury, performance and capability, exploring different facets of the brands’ personalities.
Jaguar XKR-S
The Jaguar XKR-S is a very different animal, engineered by ETO to push the outer edges of the performance envelope and explore the capabilities of the company’s lightweight aluminium architecture. The engineering involved went far deeper than simply liberating more power from the company’s renowned supercharged V8.
ETO worked with the Jaguar Design team to create the specific exterior changes – informed by Computational Fluid Dynamics – that allowed the car to cut the air cleanly and solidly at very high speed and developed bespoke machined aluminium suspension components to give the car even greater levels of agility and driver involvement, refining the entire package at Jaguar’s Nürburgring testing facility.
Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate (2011)
The Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate took the already luxurious Land Rover flagship model and added a level of craftsmanship and unique exterior and interior appointments to create a truly first-class experience.
ETO was responsible for the handcrafted interior that used the finest soft-feel leathers and unique veneers for the four individually tailored seats as well as the seamless integration of the iPads, machined aluminium laptop table and drinks chiller.
ETO also created the bespoke paint colours and alloy wheels individual to this model and, as a final unique touch, a teak-floored rear loadspace to evoke the decking of luxury yachts.
ETO will support the Jaguar and Land Rover brands by offering specialist products ranging from design and performance enhancements, to the development of a wider portfolio for customers to personalise their vehicles, and an extended capability in engineering armoured and specialist vehicles.
ETO is an acronym for Engineered to Order.
Text by: Clásicos al Volante.
Photographs by: Jaguar Land Rover.
