Ford shelves Jaguar's unified aluminum architecture?

Jaguar has shelved plans to build cars from a unified aluminum architecture because of financial constraints imposed by Ford, said Lewis Booth, head of Ford's London-based stable of luxury brands. The Financial Times said Ford has delayed the plan, but it was unclear if further consideration would be given to the issue. Jaguar had aimed to use a single aluminum platform for the new S-Type and XJ. The architecture is already used for the new XK. Ultimately, the plan would actually reduce engineering costs. Pictured right in an Automobile rendering of the proposed 2009 all-new Jaguar XK (see original story). The XJ already uses an aluminum platform, so the next-generation model will likely be unaffected by the decision. Jaguar's original S-Type was hit badly when it was launched because it shared a basic structure with the Lincoln LS. The X-Type also suffered from its association with the Ford Mondeo.