Arden Goes Back to the Future with Jaguar A-Type AJ18

Now here's something we don't see very often. Back at the 1999 Frankfurt motor show, German tuner Arden presented the special edition A-Type AJ18 based on the Jaguar XK (1997-2005 model) that was produced in a limited run of 13 units. Ten years later and Arden has decided to reissue the A-Type AJ18 and build another five vehicles bringing the total to 18 pieces.

In essence, the A-Type AJ18 package tries to give the road-legal Jaguar XK a more racing look with a full body kit made out of special carbon composite material. Along with the new front and rear fenders which widen the car up to 50mm or about 2.0-in., the A-type conversion adds a 3-air gill vent in the front fenders, reworked front bumper with stainless steel mesh upper and lower grille plus a lip spoiler, race-spec mirrors, side skirts and a revised rear bumper.

The XK's looks are rounded off by a large rear wing and 20-inch Sportline alloy wheels in chunkier tires.

The mechanical upgrades of the A-Type package include a high-performance braking system with 370mm discs and 6-piston fixed caliper, and a sport suspension developed in cooperation with Bilstein that lowers the vehicle by 30mm.

Arden MINI Cooper Equipe: Production Limited to 40 Units

Best known for its Jaguar and Land Rover conversions, German tuner Arden has now turned its focus on another British model, the MINI Cooper, with the release of a special edition model called Equipe. The Arden-prepped MINI that will be produced in a strictly limited run of only 40 units features both mechanical and styling upgrades.

On the outside, handmade stainless steel and chrome grille adorn the front and rear-end of Arden's smallest model to date while the new chromed tailpipes and the 18-inch lightweight (6.9kg or 15.2 lbs) Arden Gram aluminum wheels round off the styling changes.

Arden paid more attention to the MINI Cooper's cabin as the dashboard, seats, steering wheel and doors are enclosed in a two-tone leather scheme. Other touches include custom made foot pedals and specific floor mats.

Underneath the hood, the tuner of British hardware said that it has revised the engine electronics and added a new intercooler plus a complete stainless steel exhaust system with racing catalytic converters to give the MINI a performance gain of around 40 horsepower and 36.8-lb/ft or 50Nm of torque.

Arden somehow forgot to mention in its press release which MINI version it is talking about but we gather that the tuning firm is referring to the Cooper S that leaves the factory with a 1.6-liter turbocharged four producing 172HP.

The engine upgrades are complemented by a sport suspension that lowers the vehicle's height about 30mm or 1.2-in. and high-performance 6-piston brakes at the front axle. Arden did not release pricing.