How It's Made: Dream Cars (2013) s01e09 Episode Script

Narrator: TODAY ON
"HOW IT'S MADE: DREAMS CARS,"
THE JAGUAR F-TYPE,
A 21st CENTURY SPORTS CAR
WITH A FAMOUS LINEAGE.
-- Captions by VITAC --
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY
DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
JAGUAR STARTED OUT OF
THE NORTH OF ENGLAND IN 1922,
BUT IT'S BEEN HEADQUARTERED
IN THE WEST MIDLANDS,
THE HEART OF INDUSTRIAL ENGLAND,
FOR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY.
IN THE BEGINNING,
THE COMPANY STARTED OU
MANUFACTURING SIDECARS
FOR MOTORCYCLES.
IN FACT, IT WAS CALLED
THE SWALLOW SIDECAR COMPANY.
IT WASN'T UNTIL
AFTER WORLD WAR II
THAT THE NAME WAS CHANGED
TO JAGUAR CARS.
VISIONARY FOUNDER
SIR WILLIAM LYONS
TRANSFORMED THE COMPANY
INTO A MANUFACTURER
OF SOME OF MODERN HISTORY'S
MOST ICONIC CARS.
PRODUCED IN 1938,
THIS TWO-SEATER
WAS DUBBED THE SS JAGUAR 100
BECAUSE IT WAS THE FIRST CAR
THAT COULD GO
100 MILES PER HOUR.
LAUNCHED IN 1948,
THE XK 120 WAS THE FIRST CAR
WITH THE LEGENDARY XK ENGINE.
AS THE NAME SUGGESTS,
THE CAR COULD EXCEED
120 MILES PER HOUR.
WILLIAM LYONS' MAXIM
OF "GRACE, SPACE, PACE"
WAS EMBODIED
IN THIS 1965 MARK II,
FEATURING THE FAMOUS LEAPER
HOOD ORNAMENT.
THESE CARS ARE PART OF JAGUAR'S
STORIED AUTOMOTIVE HERITAGE,
WHICH IS THE COMPANY'S BEDROCK.
THE ALL-NEW F-TYPE
IS A DIRECT DESCENDAN
OF THE LEGENDARY E-TYPE,
WHICH ENZO FERRARI ONCE CALLED
"THE MOST BEAUTIFUL CAR
IN THE WORLD."
BUT WHILE THE F-TYPE
RECALLS THE COMPANY'S PAST,
IT'S AN ALL-NEW DESIGN FROM
WHEELBASE TO RETRACTABLE ROOF.
THE DESIGN OF THE F-TYPE
TAKES SHAPE HERE,
WHERE ALL NEW JAGUARS BEGIN.
THIS IS THE WHITLEY
ENGINEERING CENTRE IN COVENTRY,
WHERE A STATUE OF COMPANY
FOUNDER WILLIAM LYONS PRESIDES.
IT ALL STARTS WITH THE SIMPLES
OF TOOLS -- A PENCIL.
A TEAM OF DESIGNERS
BEGINS SKETCHING IDEAS,
COMPETING WITH EACH OTHER
TO SEE WHO CAN COME UP
WITH THE WINNING DESIGN.
THEIR ASSIGNMENT IS TO CREATE
A TWO-SEATER JAGUAR SPORTS CAR
INSPIRED IN PAR
BY THE COMPANY'S HISTORY
BUT CONTEMPORARY IN EVERY SENSE,
MEETING ALL MODERN SAFETY
AND EMISSION STANDARDS
WHILE PLEASING MODERN
FASHION SENSIBILITIES.
ONCE THERE'S A WORKING DESIGN,
THE ENGINEERS GIVE THEIR INPUT,
WORKING TOGETHER
WITH THE DESIGNERS
TO FINE-TUNE THE PLANS.
SPECIALISTS CREATE A 3-D MODEL
FROM THE FINAL DESIGN,
AND THIS IS USED TO CREATE
A FULL-SCALE VERSION OF THE CAR.
AFTER MILLING A SMALLER VERSION
OF THE DESIGN
IN EXPANDED POLYSTYRENE FOAM,
A TWO-INCH-THICK LAYER
OF SYNTHETIC CLAY IS APPLIED
AND MACHINE-MILLED
BEFORE A CREW
OF SKILLED MODELERS
BEGINS MAKING FINAL ADJUSTMENTS
TO THE DESIGN.
WORKING WITH THE DESIGN
AND ENGINEERING DEPARTMENTS,
THE MODELERS
ADD AND SUBTRACT CLAY
TO FINE-TUNE THE MODEL.
THE WORK TAKES PLACE IN A
CLIMATE-CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT,
WHICH MAINTAINS THE REQUIRED
TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY
TO KEEP THE CLAY
FROM GOING TOO SOFT.
UNLIKE CONVENTIONAL CLAY,
THIS MATERIAL BECOMES
MORE MALLEABLE WHEN HEATED
AND HARDENS WHEN COOLED.
A SPECIALIST USES A STEEL TOOL
CALLED A SLICK
TO REMOVE MINUTE QUANTITIES
OF CLAY
ACCORDING TO INSTRUCTIONS
FROM THE DESIGN TEAM.
HE THEN DAMPENS THE SURFACE
AND BEGINS TO APPLY A FLEXIBLE,
SLIGHTLY ADHESIVE MATERIAL.
THE CLAY HAS A MATTE SURFACE,
WHICH ABSORBS LIGHT.
ONCE SMOOTHED INTO PLACE,
THIS SHINY MATERIAL
MIMICS THE EFFEC
OF A FINISHED COAT OF PAINT,
ALLOWING THE DESIGNERS TO SEE
HOW LIGHT WILL REFLEC
OFF THE SURFACE.
IF THE EFFEC
IS NOT THE ONE DESIRED,
THE TEAM CAN CONTINUE
TO ADD OR SUBTRACT CLAY
TO PERFECT THE SURFACE.
WHILE SKETCHES
AND DIGITAL IMAGING
ARE KEY ELEMENTS
OF THE DESIGN PROCESS,
WORKING WITH CLAY AT FULL SCALE
IS CRUCIAL TO ARRIVING
AT A FINISHED DESIGN.
DESIGN ELEMENTS
THAT LOOK GOOD ON PAPER
OR IN SMALL-SCALE MODELS
MAY NOT WORK
WHEN SCALED UP TO FULL SIZE.
THIS IS WHY IT'S SO IMPORTAN
TO USE CLAY,
WHICH, UNLIKE OTHER MATERIALS,
CAN BE SHAPED, BULKED UP,
OR REMOVED
AT ANY POIN
IN THE MODELING PROCESS.
SCULPTING WITH PAINSTAKING
ATTENTION TO DETAIL,
THE WORKERS WHO MODEL THE CLAY
ARE HIGHLY SPECIALIZED ARTISANS
IN HIGH DEMAND
WITHIN THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY.
THEY RECEIVE CONSTANT INPU
FROM THE DESIGNERS AND ENGINEERS
AS THEY WORK.
WITH EVERY CHANGE,
THE MODELERS
INPUT THE NEW PARAMETERS
TO THE DIGITAL VERSION
OF THE DESIGN,
USING A 3-D
PRECISION MEASURING MACHINE.
THIS INFORMATION GOES BACK
TO THE DESIGN
AND ENGINEERING DEPARTMENTS,
WHERE IT'S CHECKED
FOR FEASIBILITY.
CHANGES WANTED BY THE DESIGNERS
MAY NOT ALWAYS MEET ENGINEERING
REQUIREMENTS AND VICE VERSA.
EVENTUALLY, THE MANY TEAMS
WORKING ON THE DESIGN
REACH A POIN
THEY CALL "STOP CLAY."
THIS MEANS
THEY'RE FINALLY SATISFIED
WITH THE FULL-SCALE CLAY MODEL
AND IT'S TIME TO MOVE
TO THE NEXT PHASE.
THE ENTIRE CLAY MODEL
IS THEN SCANNED
INTO SPECIAL
ENGINEERING SOFTWARE.
A TECHNICIAN USES THE SOFTWARE
TO HIGHLIGHT THE DESIGN,
ALLOWING HIM TO SEE
HOW LIGHT FALLS ON THE CAR.
THIS TOOL REVEALS
ANY IMPERFECTIONS
IN THE SURFACE OF THE MODEL.
WHEN HE IDENTIFIES ANY FLAWS,
HE CAN USE THE SOFTWARE
TO CORRECT THEM.
ANOTHER TECHNICIAN DIGITALLY
ADDS A PAINT JOB TO THE MODEL
AND AGAIN CHECKS SURFACES.
ESSENTIALLY, THE SOFTWARE
IS A VISUALIZATION TOOL
THAT COLLECTS ALL THE WORK DONE
BY THE VARIOUS TEAMS
AND FUSES IT INTO A FINAL
DIGITAL BLUEPRINT FOR THE CAR.
Narrator:
THE DESIGN WORK IS DONE,
AND IT'S TIME TO START BUILDING.
JAGUAR USES NOTHING BUT ALUMINUM
FOR THE BODY OF THE F-TYPE.
LIGHTWEIGHT, RUSTPROOF,
AND STRONG,
THIS METAL HAS MANY ADVANTAGES,
BUT GETTING IT TO CURVE
IS A BIG CHALLENGE.
EVEN THE CHASSIS
IS MADE WITH ALUMINUM.
DUE TO ITS COMBINED LIGHTNESS
AND STRENGTH,
AN ALL-ALUMINUM CAR
IS MUCH MORE FUEL-EFFICIEN
THAN A CAR BUILT WITH STEEL.
IN ADDITION,
IT'S POSSIBLE TO PU
THE ALUMINUM COMPONENTS TOGETHER
WITHOUT WELDING THEM.
TECHNICIANS APPLY
A HIGH-STRENGTH ADHESIVE
TO THE SURFACE OF THE COMPONENTS
AND THEN CLAMP THEM IN PLACE.
THE TECHNICIANS
USE SPECIALIZED TOOLS
TO RIVE
THE COMPONENTS TOGETHER.
JAGUAR DEVELOPED
A NEW KIND OF RIVE
THAT,
UNLIKE CONVENTIONAL RIVETS,
SITS FLUSH
WITH THE SURFACE OF THE PART.
THIS INNOVATIVE
MANUFACTURING METHOD
PRODUCES 87% LESS CO2
THAN WELDING.
ALUMINUM IS ONE OF THE MOS
WIDELY RECYCLED MATERIALS
IN THE WORLD,
WHICH MEANS
THAT THIS FACILITY CAN MAKE
MORE THAN HALF OF THE F-TYPE
WITH RECYCLED METAL.
BY THE TIME THE CAR IS FINISHED,
IT WILL HAVE 2,388 RIVETS,
563 FASTENERS,
AND 110 YARDS OF ADHESIVE.
A TEAM OF ROBOTS
NOW GOES TO WORK
UNITING THE DIFFERENT SECTIONS
OF THE CHASSIS.
THEY BRING TOGETHER
THE FRONT BULKHEAD,
THE TRANSMISSION TUNNEL,
THE PASSENGER COMPARTMENT,
AND THE REAR BULKHEAD.
ONCE ALL THE COMPONENTS ARE
ALIGNED AND CLAMPED IN PLACE,
THE ROBOTS EQUIP THEMSELVES
WITH RIVETING TOOLS
AND BEGIN ATTACHING
EVERYTHING TOGETHER
TO FORM ONE SOLID
SUPER-STIFF CHASSIS.
AMAZINGLY, FROM START TO FINISH,
THE PROCESS
OF BUILDING THE CHASSIS
TAKES LESS THAN AN HOUR.
THE RUSTPROOF ALUMINUM CHASSIS
WILL FORM PART OF THE CAR'S
OVERALL MONOCOQUE CONSTRUCTION.
IN A MONOCOQUE CONSTRUCTION,
THE EXTERNAL SKIN
OF THE STRUCTURE
IS DESIGNED TO BEAR WEIGHT.
INSTEAD OF USING THE CHASSIS
AS A FRAME
THAT TAKES THE ENTIRE WEIGH
OF THE CAR,
THE LOAD OF THE CAR
WILL BE DISTRIBUTED
THROUGHOUT THE STRUCTURE.
ONCE THE ROBOTS HAVE FINISHED
CONSTRUCTING THE CHASSIS,
IT TRAVELS ON A TRACK TO
THE NEXT PHASE OF MANUFACTURING.
ALUMINUM HAS A MEMORY.
THIS MEANS IT HAS A TENDENCY TO
SNAP BACK TO ITS ORIGINAL SHAPE
WHEN STRETCHED,
AND IF STRETCHED TOO FAR,
IT CAN CRACK.
THIS IS WHY FORMING THE METAL
IS TRICKY.
THESE HUGE OBJECTS
ARE STAMP-TOOL MOLDS,
OFFICIALLY CALLED PRESS TOOLS.
THEY'RE MADE OF CAST IRON
AND WEIGH UP TO 55 TONS EACH.
EACH WILL PRESS
FLAT SHEETS OF ALUMINUM,
WHICH ARE CALLED BLANKS,
INTO SPECIFIC SHAPES.
A STACK OF ALUMINUM BLANKS
HEADS INTO AN ENORMOUS
STAMPING FACILITY,
WHERE THEY WILL BE TRANSFORMED
INTO HOODS.
AT THE FRONT END OF THE STAMPING
FACILITY IS A HYDRAULIC PRESS,
WHICH EXERTS A FORCE
OF 2,800 TONS
TO STRETCH THE ALUMINUM.
TECHNICIANS POSITION
THE HUGE PRESS TOOLS
IN SEQUENCE ALONG THE LINE.
ROBOTS MOVE THE DEVELOPING PANEL
FROM ONE PRESS OPERATION
TO THE NEXT.
THE FIRST STAGE
IS CALLED THE DRAW OPERATION,
WHICH STRETCHES THE FLA
ALUMINUM INTO THE BASIC SHAPE.
THE DEVELOPING PANEL
THEN PROCEEDS
TO THE NEXT TOOL ON THE LINE.
THE SECOND AND THIRD STEPS
ARE CALLED TRIM AND PIERCE.
ONE STAMP TOOL
TRIMS OFF THE EXCESS METAL,
AND A SECOND TOOL STAMPS OU
OPENINGS CALLED LOUVER HOLES.
THE HOOD NOW TAKES ON
ITS UNIQUE FORM,
WHICH DESIGNERS REFER TO
AS A CLAM-SHELL SHAPE.
THIS SHAPE IS ONE OF THE MOS
DISTINCTIVE DESIGN ELEMENTS
OF THE F-TYPE.
THE FOURTH AND FIFTH STEPS
IN THE LINE
ARE CALLED
THE FLANGING OPERATIONS.
TWO DIFFERENT PRESS TOOLS
FOLD THE SHARP EDGES
OF THE HOOD OVER,
CREATING A SMOOTH PERIMETER
AROUND THE RIM
OF THE ENTIRE OBJECT.
THIS IS THE FINISHING TOUCH.
BECAUSE IT'S SO HARD
TO GET ALUMINUM TO STRETCH
INTO THIS PARTICULAR
CLAM-SHELL SHAPE,
JAGUAR ENGINEERED
A SPECIAL ALLOY,
WHICH THEY CALL AC600.
THIS ALLOY CAN BE STRETCHED
BEYOND ALUMINUM'S USUAL LIMITS.
ONCE FINISHED,
HIGHLY TRAINED INSPECTORS
CALLED AUDITORS
CAREFULLY AND METHODICALLY CHECK
EACH PANEL.
WHEN ALL THE BODY PANELS
HAVE BEEN PRESSED
AND TRIMMED INTO SHAPE,
AN ASSEMBLY TEAM BEGINS
TO UNITE THEM WITH THE CHASSIS.
USING THE ADHESIVE AND RIVETING
TECHNIQUES WE SAW EARLIER,
THEY BUILD THE BODY OF THE CAR.
CAR MANUFACTURERS HAVE A NAME
FOR AN UNPAINTED CAR BODY
WITHOUT POWER TRAIN OR WHEELS.
THEY CALL IT A BODY IN WHITE.
THANKS TO THE ALL-ALUMINUM
CONSTRUCTION OF THIS CAR,
THE F-TYPE'S BODY IN WHITE
WEIGHS IN AT JUST 575 POUNDS.
ALL JAGUAR CARS
GO THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS
THROUGH THE PAINT SHOP.
HERE, A DIFFERENT CAR MODEL
BEGINS ITS 4 1/2-MILE TRIP
THROUGH THE MASSIVE FACILITY,
WHICH IS THE SIZE
OF EIGHT FOOTBALL FIELDS.
THE PAINT SHOP
WILL COAT THE F-TYPE
WITH NEARLY FOUR GALLONS
OF PAINT IN TOTAL.
LIKE ALL JAGUARS,
THE F-TYPE GOES THROUGH
A SERIES OF STAGES
IN THE PAINTING PROCESS,
INCLUDING PRE-TREATMENT,
AN ELECTROCOAT,
BODY SEALING
AND SOUND DEADENING,
A PRIMER, A BASE COAT,
AND FINALLY, A CLEAR COAT.
INSPECTORS CAREFULLY EXAMINE
THE PAINT JOB ON EACH CAR
TO ENSURE THA
IT'S COMPLETELY FLAWLESS
BEFORE IT EXITS THE SHOP.
Narrator: JAGUARS HAVE ALWAYS
BEEN KNOWN FOR THEIR BEAUTY,
AND WITH ITS CLEAN LINES
AND COOL GRILLE PATTERNS,
THE F-TYPE IS NO EXCEPTION.
BUT IT'S ALSO MUCH MORE
THAN A STYLISH-LOOKING CAR.
NOW THAT THE MANUFACTURERS
HAVE BUILT ITS BODY,
IT'S TIME TO ADD THE REST.
TO PREVENT DAMAGE
TO THE PAINT JOB
WHILE ALLOWING EASIER ACCESS
TO THE CAR'S INTERIOR,
TECHNICIANS REMOVE THE DOORS,
HOOD, AND TRUNK LID.
THEY THEN COVER ALL THE PAINTED
SURFACES WITH PROTECTIVE PANELS.
THEY LABEL EACH PAR
WITH ALL THE RELEVAN
INFORMATION ABOUT THE CAR.
NEXT, WORKERS BEGIN APPLYING THE
FIRST STAGES OF TRIM TO THE CAR,
INCLUDING SOUNDPROOFING,
DOOR SEALS,
ELECTRIC-WINDOW MOTORS,
THE MOUNTS FOR THE DOOR MIRRORS,
AND SOME OF THE WIRING.
THE BULK OF THE WIRING WAITS
HERE IN THE WIRING ROOM
UNDER HEATERS
THAT WARM UP THE CABLES
TO MAKE THEM MORE MALLEABLE
AND EASIER TO INSTALL.
THESE BUNDLES OF CABLES
WILL HANDLE
THE CAR'S INCREDIBLY
SOPHISTICATED ELECTRONICS.
THANKS TO THESE SYSTEMS,
THE F-TYPE CAN, FOR INSTANCE,
SHUT DOWN THE ENGINE
AS SOON AS THE CAR COMES
TO A COMPLETE STOP.
IT CAN THEN RESTART THE ENGINE
IN LESS TIME THAN IT TAKES
FOR THE DRIVER'S FOOT TO MOVE
FROM THE BRAKE PEDAL
TO THE ACCELERATOR.
THIS PROCESS CAN MAKE THE CAR AS
MUCH AS 5% MORE FUEL-EFFICIENT.
THE BRAKE PEDAL,
ACCELERATOR, AND FUSEBOARD
ARE ALL ALREADY IN PLACE
AS TECHNICIANS INSTALL
THE HEATING, VENTILATION,
AND AIR-CONDITIONING UNIT.
WORKERS NOW USE
A SPECIALLY DESIGNED
HYDRAULICALLY CONTROLLED CRANE
TO LIFT THE DASHBOARD
INTO PLACE.
THE HYDRAULIC CRANE NOT ONLY
HELPS MINIMIZE WORKER FATIGUE,
IT LESSENS THE CHANCES
THAT ANY DAMAGE WILL BE DONE
DURING INSTALLATION.
THE DASHBOARD COMES PREASSEMBLED
FOR THIS SPECIFIC CAR.
LIKE ALL F-TYPES,
THIS ONE HAS BEEN MADE TO ORDER,
AND ITS OWNER HAS CHOSEN
PRECISELY WHAT COLORS
AND MATERIALS
HE OR SHE WANTED
FOR THE DASHBOARD.
THE ANALOG INSTRUMENT PANEL
IS CONSIDERED TO BE PAR
OF JAGUAR'S SIGNATURE LOOK,
BUT THE COMPANY
HAS ALSO PIONEERED THE USE
OF TOUCH-SCREEN TECHNOLOGY.
AT THIS STATION,
TECHNICIANS MARRY THE ENGINE
WITH THE FRONT SUSPENSION
AND STEERING SYSTEMS.
THE F-TYPE COMES WITH EITHER A
V-6 OR V-8 SUPERCHARGED ENGINE.
IN THE F-TYPE S,
THE V-8 HAS 488 HORSEPOWER
AT 6,500 RPMs
AND A TORQUE OF 461 POUND-FEE
ABOVE 2,500 RPMs.
IT CAN GO
FROM ZERO TO 60 MILES PER HOUR
IN JUST 4.3 SECONDS.
WITH A HYDRAULIC LIFT,
WORKERS RAISE
THE ENTIRE DRIVETRAIN,
INCLUDING THE ENGINE,
TRANSMISSION, STEERING UNIT,
AND DOUBLE-WISHBONE
FRONT SUSPENSION INTO POSITION.
ONCE THEY PROPERLY SITUATED IT,
THEY ATTACH IT SECURELY.
WHEN FINALIZING THE PLANS,
ENGINEERS MADE SURE TO CALCULATE
THE PRECISE TORQUE REQUIRED
TO FASTEN EACH BOLT.
THE MANUFACTURERS
THEN PRECONFIGURED
ALL THE FASTENING TOOLS
ACCORDING TO THOSE CALCULATIONS.
ONCE THE DRIVETRAIN
HAS BEEN INSTALLED,
THE TECHNICIANS
ATTACH THE SUSPENSION SHOCKS
TO THE TOP OF THE WHEEL WELL.
WORKERS NOW INSTALL
THE F-TYPE'S CONVERTIBLE ROOF.
AS WITH THE DASHBOARD,
THIS ROOF WAS MADE TO ORDER
FOR THIS PARTICULAR CAR
ACCORDING TO THE FUTURE OWNER'S
SPECIFICATIONS.
WHILE CERTAIN FEATURES
OF THE ROOF MAY VARY,
ALL OF THEM INCLUDE INSULATION
FOR SOUNDPROOFING
AND IMPROVED CLIMATE CONTROL.
AND ALL F-TYPE ROOFS
CAN FOLD BACK OR FORWARD
IN JUST 12 SECONDS,
EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS GOING
30 MILES PER HOUR.
IT'S NOW TIME
TO REATTACH THE TRUNK LID.
THE F-TYPE'S ENGINEERS
WENT TO GREAT LENGTHS
TO DISTRIBUTE WEIGHT AS EVENLY
AS POSSIBLE THROUGHOUT THE CAR.
TO THIS END,
THEY PLACE BOTH THE BATTERY
AND THE WINDSHIELD WASHER LIQUID
IN THE TRUNK.
BALANCING THE MASSES
TO THIS DEGREE
WAS PART OF AN INTENSE EFFOR
TO MAKE THE CAR'S HANDLING
AS RESPONSIVE AS POSSIBLE.
A WORKER REINSTALLS
THE DRIVER-SIDE DOOR.
ALL INTERIOR SURFACES
ARE COVERED WITH
A PROTECTIVE PLASTIC FILM
TO PREVENT ANY DAMAGE
DURING ASSEMBLY.
THE INSIDE PANEL
OF THE DRIVER'S DOOR
FORMS PART OF WHAT THE COMPANY
CALLS THE DRIVER ENVIRONMENT.
FOR THIS AREA,
THE DESIGNERS DREW INSPIRATION
FROM THE DESIGN
OF AIRPLANE COCKPITS,
WHERE ALL THE CONTROLS
ARE WITHIN EASY REACH
AND GROUPED ACCORDING TO THEIR
FUNCTION TO MAXIMIZE EFFICIENCY.
Narrator:
THE CAR IS NOW COMPLETE,
BUT IT'S NOT READY
TO HEAD OUT THE DOOR YET.
FIRST, IT MUST PASS
STRICT QUALITY-CONTROL TESTS.
A SPECIALLY TRAINED TECHNICIAN
DRIVES I
ONTO A STATIONARY ROLLING ROAD
AND PUTS THE CAR
THROUGH ITS PACES.
BEYOND THE F-TYPE'S DESIGN
AND ENGINEERING PARAMETERS,
THE ALL-IMPORTANT QUESTION IS
HOW IT ACTUALLY PERFORMS.
THESE TECHNICIANS
ARE PART OF THE DYNAMICS TEAM,
WHICH IS TASKED WITH MEASURING
ALL ASPECTS
OF THE CAR'S HANDLING.
BEFORE THEY BEGIN,
THEY CHECK THE TIRE PRESSURE
AND THE WHEEL HEIGH
TO MAKE SURE
THEY GET CONSISTENT RESULTS
FROM EACH TEST DRIVE.
THE TECHNICIANS PLUG A LAPTOP
INTO A SYSTEM OF SENSORS
MEASURING EQUIPMEN
AND DATA LOGGERS
THAT HAVE BEEN PLACED IN VARIOUS
LOCATIONS AROUND THE CAR.
AS THEY DRIVE, THESE DEVICES
WILL RECORD ELEMENTS
LIKE THE DISTANCE TRAVELED
BY THE WHEELS,
THE STEERING ANGLE,
THE THROTTLE POSITION,
G-FORCES, AND BRAKE PRESSURE.
THE TECHNICIANS CAN ALSO MAKE
ADJUSTMENTS IN REAL TIME
TO SOME COMPONENTS,
INCLUDING THE DAMPERS,
THE DIFFERENTIAL,
AND THE POWER-STEERING
ASSISTANCE.
FOR SOME DYNAMICS TESTS,
THE F-TYPE WILL BE TAKEN OU
ON PUBLIC ROADS.
BUT HERE,
THEY DRIVE ALONG TRACKS
INSIDE THE HIGHLY SECURE
JAGUAR TESTING FACILITY.
THEY DRIVE IT AT VARYING SPEEDS
ON A WIDE VARIETY OF SURFACES,
SIMULATING AS MANY DIFFEREN
SITUATIONS AS POSSIBLE.
THE RIGIDITY
OF A CAR'S STRUCTURE
IS A CRUCIAL ELEMEN
IN ITS PERFORMANCE.
THE STIFFER THE CAR, THE MORE
RESPONSIVE IT IS TO THE DRIVER
AND THE EASIER IT IS TO HANDLE.
WHEN DESIGNING THE F-TYPE,
JAGUAR PUT A GREAT DEAL
OF THOUGHT AND WORK
INTO MAKING THE CAR
AS RIGID AS POSSIBLE.
ADDITIONALLY, THEY CHOSE TO USE
AN ALL-ALUMINUM,
DOUBLE-WISHBONE SUSPENSION
TO ACHIEVE
THE HIGHEST PERFORMANCE
WHILE MAINTAINING
A LIGHTWEIGHT STRUCTURE.
JAGUAR FINE-TUNES THE SONIC
ELEMENTS OF ALL THEIR CARS
IN THIS SPECIALLY DESIGNED AREA
CALLED A SEMI-ANECHOIC CHAMBER.
AN ENGINEER POSITIONS AN ARRAY
OF CALIBRATED MICROPHONES
WHERE A DRIVER AND PASSENGER'S
HEADS WOULD BE.
THE MIKES ARE SPACED ACCORDING
TO THE APPROXIMATE DISTANCE
BETWEEN A PAIR OF EARS.
THERE ARE 12 SPEAKERS IN TOTAL
DISTRIBUTED THROUGHOU
THE F-TYPE.
THEY ARE DESIGNED TO DELIVER
A CONSISTENT MUSICAL PERFORMANCE
FOR BOTH DRIVER AND PASSENGER.
A TEAM OF TRAINED LISTENERS
TESTS THE SOUND SYSTEM
WHILE DRIVING,
AND BASED ON THEIR FEEDBACK,
SOUND ENGINEERS
FINE-TUNE THE CALIBRATION.
FOR THIS CALIBRATION PROCESS,
ENGINEERS USE A SPECIALLY
DESIGNED TEST SIGNAL,
WHICH MANAGES TO BE
THE EQUIVALEN
OF ALL POPULAR MUSIC GENRES
COMBINED.
OVER 300 HOURS
OF AUDIO CALIBRATION
HAVE GONE INTO DEVELOPING
THE F-TYPE'S SOUND SYSTEMS.
IN FACT, CUSTOMERS CAN CHOOSE
BETWEEN THREE DIFFERENT SYSTEMS
WHEN ORDERING.
SINCE THE SONIC EXPERIENCE
CHANGES
DEPENDING ON WHETHER THE ROOF
IS UP OR DOWN,
THE AUDIO SYSTEM SENSES
THE POSITION OF THE ROOF
AND ADJUSTS ACCORDINGLY.
THE SOUND SYSTEM
ISN'T THE ONLY ELEMEN
OF THE F-TYPE'S
SONIC EXPERIENCE.
JAGUAR ALSO PU
A GREAT DEAL OF THOUGH
INTO THE SOUND MADE
BY THE CAR ITSELF.
AS AN AIR VENT RISES
FROM THE FLOOR OF THE CHAMBER
AND BLOWS COOL AIR INTO THE CAR,
CAREFULLY POSITIONED MICROPHONES
LISTEN TO THE TAIL PIPES.
ACCELERATING
ON THE CHAMBER'S ROLLING ROAD,
THIS TECHNICIAN
FINE-TUNES THE SOUNDS
MADE BY THE ENGINE
AND THE EXHAUST.
JAGUAR DELIBERATELY DESIGNED
THE CAR
TO SOUND EDGY
RATHER THAN SMOOTH.
THE JAGUAR F-TYPE IS SLEEK,
RIGHT DOWN TO ITS FOLDING
HANDLES AND MIRRORS.
THE DOOR HANDLES
ACTUALLY SIT FLUSH
WITH THE SURFACE OF THE CAR
UNTIL DEPLOYED.
THE ROOF STOWS AWAY COMPLETELY
WHEN NOT IN USE.
AT THE PUSH OF THE BUTTON,
IT UNFURLS AND SNAPS INTO PLACE
IN A MATTER OF SECONDS.
ROUNDING OUT THE CAR'S
STREAMLINED COOL FACTOR,
A VENTILATION SYSTEM RISES
FROM THE DASHBOARD WHEN NEEDED
AND DISAPPEARS WHEN NOT IN USE.
REDEFINING JAGUAR'S
FAMOUS SPORTS-CAR LEGACY,
THE F-TYPE MANAGES
TO PAY HOMAGE TO ITS ANCESTRY
WHILE EMBODYING
STATE-OF-THE-ART TECHNOLOGY.
ITS ALL-ALUMINUM CONSTRUCTION
NOT ONLY IMPROVES PERFORMANCE,
IT REDUCES
THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPAC
OF THE CAR'S
MANUFACTURING PROCESS.
THE JAGUAR F-TYPE IS,
WITH EVERY INCH,
A 21st CENTURY SPORTS CAR.