Jaguar Designs a Speedboat Concept

There's more than one way to skin a cat. This method evidently involves a dunk in the water.

Anyone who's ever had a cat knows that felines don't like water. That doesn't seem to be deterring Jaguar, though, which is dipping its paws in the water with this concept speedboat.

Launched, so to speak, during the press driving debut of the new XF Sportbrake, the concept is meant to showcase the brand's DNA in a new package. Measuring 20 feet from bow to stern, the Jaguar Concept Speedboat is crafted from a gel-coat fiberglass hull with teak decks and a carbon fiber fin extending rearwards in tribute to the classic D-Type.

The red cockpit, though devoid of real content like so many concept cars, would theoretically accommodate three people in a 2+1 configuration. (The capacity also means it could, theoretically, be used for water skiing, too.) Otherwise the attention to detail looks flawless, with a polished aluminum propeller, fuel cap inspired by the Series 1 XJ and pop-up mooring post. "The Concept Speedboat looks powerful," said Jaguar design director Ian Callum. "It follows, in so many ways, the idea of a traditional speedboat but with the sleek and fast characteristics that you would expect from a Jaguar Car."

The design was completed in consultancy with Ivan Erdevicki Naval Architecture and with Seventy Seven Design. And while no theoretical engine specifications were released, it wouldn't be hard to imagine a marinized version of Jaguar's AJ-V8 - maybe even in supercharged form - spinning that alloy prop. Unfortunately Jaguar states that the speedboat concept is exactly that - a concept - with no plans for production. What do you think, should Jaguar consider building it?