Your thoughts please..........

[Paramount]

Hi Guys


Your thoughts please.

There are two body kits on the market for the news XK, Jaguars own and Arden’s. However, the market response seems to have been very poor to both, we have two chains of thought on this.

1) Jaguar has done such a good job on the car as standard, that there is little interest in a body styling kit.

2) There is demand for a good quality kit, but the current ones on offer are not ticking the right boxes.


I would be very interested in you thoughts on this, or you can mail me at [e-mail] if you prefer.

Thanks

Paul

www.paramount-performance.com

[Triple7]

I have to agree with your conclusions. The Arden kit looks very 'heavy' for the car and too 'bolt on'/'max-power', adding nothing to the looks of the car.


The Jaguar body kit, I do like a great deal, but only on the XK. It enhances the XK's form, but at the same time keeps the car very feminine. Most peeps seem to not like the square exhaust tips if anything. But it would not suit the XKR at all.






If you need to get a bodykit on the market, something more along these GT3-esque lines would be better.



All in all I wouldn't change the factory look of the car.

[Paramount]

I like your Point Triple7

In simple terms we are considering a road version of the barwell car, whilst we love the idea, sometimes the heart takes over, and I'm keen to understand if we are alone on this one.

[GavinPearson]

Paramount said:

1) Jaguar has done such a good job on the car as standard, that there is little interest in a body styling kit.

2) There is demand for a good quality kit, but the current ones on offer are not ticking the right boxes.

I think that it's probably more option 1 than option 2. Jaguars are highly styled vehicles - people don't buy them to drive in just another plain eurobox. The problem is that when you take a car that is very good to start with, adding a kit with tasteful restraint means you add very little, and so the benefit isn't really there for most people. It works as a factory item, because the buyer isn't going to have to pay for the parts twice (throw old parts away, fit new ones, paint parts etc), but not I think as well for the aftermarket, at least if somebody wants to sell in volume.

I would try the approach the way manufacturers do, ask what price people will pay for visual enhancement, cost out what you can offer that delivers the maximum benefit for that money. Select the kit that offers you the best return on your money.

I would wonder if there was more money to be made cleaning up the looks of the other models. Then the hard part is the quality of who you have styling the new parts - they need to be better than the Jaguar styling team. I would contact Coventry Uni Vehicle Design Dept and see if they want to run a competition - whoever designs the best kit gets to have it in production and takes a percentage of the profit from sales as a fee.

[Beemer-5]

For me, aftermarket kits have to be very, very good or else they chav up a classy car.
Or chav down, rather!