2011 NEW YORK INTERNATIONAL AUTOMOBILE SHOW

The Industry Makes its Mark on the Big Apple.

The bewildering criticism goes something like this: "New York is not a car town, they hate cars, no one has a car, etc, etc." Yet every year the industry comes to the New York International Auto Show with all their promotional guns a‑blazing, the media get on board for the ride, and consumers somehow come to the show to see cars they supposedly don't like. Just accept it, New York is a car town, has been for a long time. Take it from the Jaguar Land Rover perspective, New York is a Major Car Town, writes Stuart Schorr, Vice President, Communications & Public Affairs, Jaguar Land Rover, North America.

Jaguar is no stranger to New York City. It was 50 years ago this spring, that at the New York Coliseum, the Jaguar E‑Type made its North American debut. Think Mad Men at an auto show and you'll get the idea. Posing with the car that day was Marilyn Hanold, model and renowned Playboy Bunny. This year, Jaguar will be highlighting its strongest lineup, perhaps ever, with the global debut of the 2012 Jaguar XF and XK, both with interior and exterior design updates. Demonstrating how the performance envelope has evolved, Jaguar will show for the first time in North America the 2012 Model Year Jaguar XKR‑S high performance GT. The XKR‑S, which comes in two subtle colors: French Racing Blue and Polaris White, also features a wing and a 550‑HP Supercharged V8. Take that 1961.

To honor Jaguar's past and present, we will host an exclusive VIP celebration Wednesday evening (April 20) in Manhattan. Noted New York City design icon, Simon Doonan, will curate an evening in which we take a look at Jaguar Designs in 1961 and 2011. That evening we will show a new Model Year Jaguar in a re‑creation of the iconic image from the 1961 New York Auto Show. It's sure to be a true New York celebration of a landmark car.

New York City metro area is the single largest Range Rover consumer market in the world. So there is a lot of logic to our Land Rover exhibit this year with the Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate, the most expensive and exclusive (only 50 scheduled to be sold in the U.S.) Range Rover ever, making its North American debut.

Also featured will be the complete 2012 Range Rover Evoque line. A compact premium SUV that delivers Range Rover luxury and style with a smaller, urban‑friendly, footprint (think London, Milan, Sydney, and New York). The Range Rover Evoque will be celebrated at a Meatpacking‑district private party for hundreds of potential customers on Tuesday evening (April 19). The event will highlight the Range Rover Evoque vehicle's global launch campaign, Pulse of the City, and feature five New York City Shapers, including Designer & Co‑Founder of Marchesa, Georgina Chapman and star cornerback for the New York Jets, Darrelle Revis, who are helping to launch the lightest, smallest and most fuel efficient Range Rover ever built. Commuters in Grand Central Station should keep an eye out for a unique Sounds of the City Range Rover Evoque wireframe installation. More information on this campaign and the Range Rover Evoque can be found on www.helloevoque.com.

This week's activities are all built around the New York International Auto Show at the Jacobs Javits Convention Center. On Wednesday (April 20), Jaguar Land Rover will host a press conference with our global management team presenting our new lineups and giving an update on our business. Stay tuned at www.interactivejaguar.com and www.interactivelandrover.com for updates throughout the week. Yeah, New York, it’s a car town and we love it!