Jaguar's stunt broke a Guinness World Record. Image credit: Jaguar Land Rover, photo by Anthony Cullen
British automaker Jaguar is introducing its new E-Pace to consumers by showcasing the series of tests the vehicle endured.
Ahead of the reveal of the brand’s latest SUV on July 13, Jaguar put the model through its paces, driving it through the most difficult conditions around the globe in 120,000 hours of testing across 25 months. The final challenge for the E-Pace involved attempting to recreate a cinematic stunt, allowing the automaker to go down in the record books while promoting its launch.
From movies to marketing
Jaguar’s E-Pace is a five-seat compact SUV that the brand says has the feel of one of its sports cars. To prove the car’s agility, Jaguar took it to extremes, such as the frigid temperatures of the Arctic Circle and Dubai’s desert.
The brand also celebrated the model’s launch by testing the car’s stunt performance.
Jaguar’s attempt to set a Guinness World Record for the furthest barrel roll in a production vehicle began with months of calculations and models, including the creation of specialized ramps. Then the automaker was ready to try the feat at ExCel in London.
Stunt driver Terry Grant was behind the wheel, and drove the car 525 feet before making the leap. The vehicle jumped about 50 feet before making a 270-degree corkscrew roll, making the attempt a success.
New Jaguar E-Pace | Guinness World Records™ Barrel Roll
Mr. Grant was also behind the wheel for Jaguar’s world record breaking loop-the-loop to launch its F-Pace.
“As far as I am aware no production car has ever cleanly completed a bona-fide barrel roll and therefore it has always been an ambition of mine to perform one ever since I was a boy,” Mr. Grant said in a statement. “After driving the Jaguar F-Pace in the record-breaking loop-the-loop, it has been amazing to help launch the next chapter of the Pace family in an even more dramatic dynamic feat.”
Beyond handling, the E-Pace takes other inspiration from Jaguar’s sports cars. Its exterior includes a swooped roofline and muscular design.
“Established Jaguar design principles ensure the E-Pace is immediately recognizable as the sports car of its class,” said Ian Callum, director of design at Jaguar. “Our new compact SUV combines the interior space, connectivity and security that families expect with the kind of proportions, purity of design and performance not usually associated with such a practical vehicle.”
Beyond its own vehicles, Jaguar has looked to prove its engineering capabilities through records.
The automaker took its aerodynamic expertise onto the slopes with the help of Olympic skier Graham Bell.
The Olympian and automotive brand have announced a technical partnership with the goal of setting a Guinness World Record for fastest downhill ski speed, currently held by Italian speed skier Simone Origone. Emphasizing principles of design and speed in other fields builds the Jaguar brand in an organic and unobtrusive manner (see story).