The impossible may have been achieved this morning.
Commuters in the heart of London’s business district stopped in their tracks. All eyes looked up to see the all-new Jaguar XF — the third Jaguar to be based on the brand’s new advanced aluminium architecture — as it started across the world’s longest hire-wire water crossing.
“Over my 35 years in the industry I’ve driven Jaguars on many Hollywood movie sets,” said Jim Dowdall, Hollywood movie stuntman and veteran of action scenes in films like Bourne, Indiana Jones and Bond. Dowdall was in the driver’s seat for the Jaguar’s 240 meter, three minute journey.
“The biggest test for me on this stunt was the unpredictability of the elements. Potential oscillation in the high-wires from wind speeds meant it added a real challenge. The wires are only 34mm in diameter so the journey required absolute precision, balance and control…”
Meteorological experts and structural engineers determined precise drive conditions, and rigged Dowdall up with abseil equipment (plus a cherry picker crane and a RIB safety speedboat waiting on the banks) just in case, but the JaguarXF demonstrated its poise, agility, and dramatic good looks as it carefully crossed two, three centimeter thin wires suspended high above the waters of Canary Wharf.
You can bet London’s business community watched in awe.
The all-new XF will next be seen in America on 1 April, where it will debut at the New York International Auto Show and who knows what feats will be featured!
