TRACKING THE CATS; Revived F-Type and four-door XK among the claws in Jaguar's paws.(News)

Byline: JULIAN RENDELL

A $50,000 Jaguar F-Type two-seat sports car, a coupe version of the new XF sedan and a sporty four-door XK supersedan are centerpieces of the company's post-Ford model plans.

The cars are all in the feasibility stage-none is a confirmed program with concrete production plans. But a senior Jaguar source says, "These are all cars we know Jaguar must do.'' Some are closer to production than others, and firming up the product plan and committing investment will be the top priority once the expected purchase of Jaguar and Land Rover by Tata Motors of India goes through later this month.

The sexiest of the projects is the new two-seat F-Type sports car, named for the stunning yet stillborn 2000 Detroit show concept that evoked cues from the beloved E-Type. Production feasibility work done on that design means Jaguar already knows how to make the F-Type a reality.

Styling is an evolution of the XK, keeping key details such as the "Spitfire Wing'' oval grille, which chief designer Ian Callum has decreed mandatory for sports-car designs. And while the hard points put the car at about four inches shorter and slightly narrower than the XK, specific underpinnings are undecided. Engineers favor aluminum, using the XK as a basis; bean counters lean toward steel and the XF platform. The main engines for the front-engine, rear-drive cat will be V6s, but the engine bay will allow space for high-end, V8-powered performance variants.

Details aside, this is the car that Jaguar enthusiasts and insiders have wanted for years, ever since the F-Type debut (we named it AutoWeek's Best in Show at Detroit in 2000). At that time, the overwhelmingly positive reaction to the F-Type prompted Ford's then-CEO, Jac Nasser, to say that "stupidity'' would be the only reason not to build the car. Could Jac be back, or is his legacy finally creating the Jaguar models for which he had hoped? Regardless, the car that appeared headed for history's scrapheap as recently as 2005 seems to have new life.

Jag also wants to give its brand name a lift with a hot, AMG-style XKR derivative. With power punched close to 500 hp and badged XKR-R, the 2010 model would be priced above $100,000, or a $10,000 premium over a standard XKR.