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2021 Jaguar F-Type Luggage Test | Get away, and look extremely good doing it

Just like the Porsche 911 I performed a luggage test on not too long ago, the 2021 Jaguar F-Type is not a luggage-hauling machine. It’s a sports-car-oriented grand tourer, and it also happens to be stonking fast with a supercharged V8 under the hood. Since the engine is in the front, that leaves the rear trunk for all the cargo coming onboard. Assuming you want to take your F-Type on vacations and longer journeys (you do), the respectably-sized boot will come in handy. Jaguar says the coupe (what weÂ’re testing) has 14.4 cubic feet of space, whereas the convertible just about cuts that space in half with only 7.3 cubes. From a numbers perspective, the Jag just edges out the 911 (13.8 cubic feet of space combined between the frunk and rear seat). However, weÂ’ve learned to never take those numbers at face value. I use different equipment than Riswick does in Portland: Two carry-on suitcases sized (24 inches long, 15.5 wide, 10 deep); one carry-on suitcase (21.7L x 13.7W x 9 D); one medium-size suitcase you have to check (24.5L x 16.8W x 11.5D) and one larger, full-size suitcase (33.8L x 21.5W x 13D). The second full-size suitcase didnÂ’t get the call up, because one look at the luggage compartment was all I needed to know that two of them werenÂ’t going in there. Getting into the luggage compartment is luxurious enough for a Jag. Use the button on the fob, a toggle switch on the interior, or press the button under the lid. ItÂ’s fully powered going up and down, so you can devote all of your bodyÂ’s energy to wrestling the car around corners. The space itself is rather shallow and hindered by a privacy cover that hangs low. YouÂ’ll need to remove that shade to take advantage of the entire space, but we started with it on to see what could fit under it. This F-Type is low, so even though you have to lift things over the rear bumper, itÂ’s not horribly strenuous. I initially slid two of the carry-on suitcases in. Those fit lying flat, but there wasnÂ’t much extra space. To take advantage of what was left, I squeezed in the fancy bag (22L x 8.8W x 12D). With the privacy shade intact, youÂ’re not going to fit any more suitcases than that due to height restrictions. A very shallow item could slide on top of the inboard suitcase, but it would have to be very short. Another configuration I tried showed that the medium suitcase and one carry-on could fit. Additionally, the full-size suitcase also fits if itÂ’s in there alone.

Jaguar Land Rover rescues British off-road tuner Bowler

Jaguar Land Rover's Special Vehicles Operation (SVO) rescued British off-road tuner Bowler from an uncertain fate. The firm has worked with Land Rover in the past, but it has always been independent. While JLR isn't in an ideal position to make acquisitions, and its recent financial troubles are well documented, Bowler was on the brink of shutting down. The small, 34-year old company had entered administration, and the 26 people it employed risked losing their jobs. Monetary details haven't been released, meaning we don't know how much Bowler was worth, but the firm pointed out it's now fully owned by SVO. It joins SV, Vehicle Personalization, and Classic as the division's fourth pillar. It's too early to tell precisely where Bowler will fit in the JLR latticework, because the initial focus will be on stabilizing the company. It will remain based in Belper, England, and every member of its full-time staff has been offered a position as a JLR employee. Bowler made a name for itself by turning the original Defender into a rally car, and Land Rover said the expertise it acquired during decades of racing is highly sought after, so that's a hint we'll see more hardcore models developed jointly by the two companies sooner or later. The new Defender would lend itself well to the Bowler treatment. The Bowler name could replace the SVX nameplate used on the stillborn, V8-powered Discovery, for example. The tuner's focus on off-pavement performance means we're unlikely to see a Bowler-badged Jaguar, but anything is possible as global demand for SUVs (especially quick ones) continues to rise. What's certain is that, once Bowler is stable, it will grow bigger.

2022 Jaguar F-Pace SVR Road Test | Enjoy the hot-rod SUV while it lasts

BIRMINGHAM, Mich. -- Jaguar has been steering away from sedans, which makes good business sense. With the demise of the XJ and XE, the company’s lineup is as taut as itÂ’s been in recent memory. ThatÂ’s OK, the F-Pace plays a lot of roles. ItÂ’s the most practical and best-selling Jaguar, and in SVR trim, itÂ’s the embodiment of the modern muscle crossover. In fact, it's a legit hot rod. This is our first chance behind the wheel of the SVR since it was updated for the 2021 model year along with the rest of the F-Pace lineup. In short: the powertrain is slightly torquier, the brakes and suspension are bolstered, the cabin gets JaguarÂ’s Pivi Pro infotainment, and the front end is tweaked with new headlights and body work. ItÂ’s subtle. Driving the F-Pace SVR is anything but. The product of JaguarÂ’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO), the SVR is a series of visceral experiences, some of them raw and adrenaline-inducing, some of them surprisingly calm. In Sport mode the Jaguar shifts quicker to accelerate harder and the full-throated roar of the exhaust is on display. In Eco or Comfort modes, things are chiller, but I still usually cued up the active exhaust system, which can be switched off and on with a button near the gear shifter.  The supercharged 5.0-liter V8 is old-school, fierce and one of the reasons you buy this Jaguar. With 550 horsepower and 516 pound-feet, itÂ’s firmly in the upper class among performance-oriented SUVs, and the 3.8-second sprint to 60 mph is impressive for a compact crossover thatÂ’s on the larger size for the segment. While the V8 is a quickly disappearing throwback, Jaguar hasnÂ’t used it as prolifically as American or German luxury brands throughout its 100-year history — often skipping from six to 12 cylinders — depending on the car and the time period. Driving the F-Pace SVR with its supercharged eight cylinders is to experience the apogee of JaguarÂ’s 2010s pivot to V8 muscle, before the brand transitions to electric vehicles by the end of the decade. It's best to live in the present in the F-Pace SVR. On a wide-open Saturday morning, I dial up Sport Mode, crack the windows to let in the exhaust note and set out for a day trip to visit family on the other side of town. With the snow disappearing on this warm late winter morning, I make the most of a fleeting opportunity to push the F-Pace a bit, with quick launches and enthusiastic acceleration into open gaps on the expressway.