Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is the UK’s largest automotive manufacturing group, and the Jaguar brand one of the most famous names in motoring.
For almost three decades, the majority of cars built by Jaguar have left the factory with Castrol’s oil in the engine. It’s a technical partnership that Castrol sees as central to its own research and development.
Jaguar recently launched an all-new range of technologically advanced engines in a brand new model - the XE - and Castrol played a pivotal part in helping this legendary British manufacturer meet its engineering objectives.
The latest Castrol Edge with Titanium FST was used extensively in the development of the new engine. It’s contributed to improved performance, economy and lower emissions.
Called Ingenium, the engine leads current automotive thinking in being smaller, lighter and more efficient than any previous Jaguar effort. As a consequence, it operates at higher temperatures and pressures, placing ever-greater demands on its lubricating oil to reduce friction and keep moving parts, well, moving.
Typically, a manufacturer sources an oil once engine development has been completed, but by that point, the opportunity for real technical collaboration has already passed.
Moving forward, Jaguar and Castrol engineers will begin collaborating much earlier in the process, allowing them to truly optimise the potential of a new engine.
To manufacturers like JLR, oil is no longer simply an essential lubricant, more a key engineering component, crucial to unlocking advanced and new technologies.
“The best long-term relationships are founded on mutual benefit and trust,” explains Simon Meehan, Global Brand Director for Castrol. “And Castrol and Jaguar are two well established, trusted, premium brands.
“One of the most valuable benefits of our work with motor manufacturers is the opportunity it provides to explore more than just traditional solutions. It allows us to innovate and pioneer new technologies. Two organisations can achieve so much more together than they ever could alone.”
It is this approach that allows Castrol to develop bespoke formulations of Edge with Titanium FST specifically for future generations of Jaguar engines.
And there’s the potential to go even further. Oil is at the heart of the engine, and engine design has evolved to take advantage of the strength of the oil. The oil and engine development will continue, with the oil influencing the engine design and vice versa.
As Jaguar prepares to launch further versions of its Ingenium engine, it’s a reciprocal relationship that can only grow ever more important…
FAST FACTS: the secrets of JLR’s Ingenium engine
Low pressure exhaust gas recirculation: Cleaned cooled exhaust gases are fed back into the engine, reducing fuel consumption and emissions
Low friction design: Reducing internal friction improves engine efficiency and the new Ingenium diesel sets new standards in this regard, producing just 99g/km CO2
Variable valve timing helps Ingenium catalysts reach operating temperature as quickly as possible, reducing exhaust emissions and improving economy
Selective catalytic reduction: Thanks to selective catalytic reduction technology )SCR) the new Jaguar meets the latest Euro 6NOx emissions
THEN AND NOW: the history of Castrol and Jaguar’s partnership
1988// Castrol’s relationship with Jaguar started 27 years ago and for the past 13, it has been global lubricant technology partner to the legendary British car maker. The association got off to a memorable start, with Jaguar winning the 1988 Le Mans 24 Hour, its first victory at the race since 1957. The XJR-9LM of Jan Lammers/Johnny Dumfries/Andy Wallace completed 394 laps and 3,313 miles, a winning distance that is still the fourth highest in the race’s history. Testimony, in part, to the choice of oil partner?
2015// Just the spec sheet for Jaguar’s F-Type R is enough to set the pulse racing: 542bhp, 0-62mph in four seconds and a top speed of 186mph. At the heart of the F-Type’s towering performance is the twin-supercharged, 5.0 litre V8 engine, and lubricating the main moving parts of this remarkable engine is Castrol Edge.
This article originally appeared on Top Gear.
