Jaguar Series I, 4.2 Liter, E-type Fixed Head Coupe on 2040-cars

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Jaguar XJ220 leaps into Jay Leno's Garage

Having sadly canceled the C-X75 project and sat out today's hybrid hypercar race, it would be all too easy to forget about Jaguar as a supercar manufacturer altogether. But back in the early '90s, the British automaker didn't just play in the supercar game – it dominated it. The XJ220 was, for a time, the fastest car in the world. Jay Leno pays tribute in this latest video. Originally envisioned with a V12 engine and all-wheel drive, the XJ220 ultimately surfaced with a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 driving the rear wheels alone. None of that kept it from eclipsing the top speed achieved by every supercar that came before with a terminal velocity that didn't quite reach the 220 miles per hour initially promised, but came pretty darn close. The disappointment in the change of specification lead some to dismiss the XJ220 as a failure, but it was still the fastest thing on the road until another British supercar (in the form of the McLaren F1) took its place at the pinnacle of automotive bragging rights. Two decades later, Jaguar quite nearly drove down the same road when its initial plans for the C-X75 changed from an experimental turbine powertrain to a multi-charged inline-four. Only this time the Leaping Cat marque didn't put it into production at all, save for a few prototypes and movie props – which is a bit of a shame, and then some. Watching Jay speed down memory lane in the supercar that almost never was, we're glad that Jaguar still built the XJ220, and saddened that it never followed up with another groundbreaking supercar today. Related Video:

Buy a Jaguar E-Type continuation, get a matching wristwatch

From time to time, automakers release special branded watches. Jaguar and Land Rover are no different. The latest from Land Rover isn't particularly remarkable, but one new Jaguar piece is pretty special. Jaguar partnered with British watchmaker Bremont for a line of watches, the most impressive being a 43mm watch that commemorates Jaguar's continuation series of Lightweight E-Types. Like the cars, only six of the watches will be produced, and they will be offered to the owners of those $1.5 million cars. Each watch features a serial number that matches a corresponding car, and the faces have been designed to look like the instruments aboard the E-Types. The same goes for the hands, which look like the gauge needles. The winding crown also has a tire tread pattern that wraps around the sides, with Jaguar's heritage logo on the top. And these timepieces are built with aluminum left over from the continuation E-Types. On the back is the most impressive part, though. Here is where the watch's automatic winding weight is visible. It's shaped like a vintage steering wheel, and the outer rim is made from real wood. The weight keeps the watch and its exclusive Bremont movement wound. If you can't afford this ultra-limited watch, Bremont has a line of other Jaguar watches with many of the same design cues, at prices ranging from less than $5,000 to more than $11,000. The Land Rover watch is a bit disappointing, since it bears little apparent connection to the vehicles. Zenith, the Swiss company that partnered with Land Rover for the piece, claims the design is inspired by the Range Rover. And Land Rover claims a connection in that a British explorer wore the same series watch while completing an expedition with a pair of Range Rovers. There's also the fact that the watch and the SUV are both made of aluminum, but otherwise, the Zenith watch doesn't look particularly automotive. The box sounds pretty cool, though, since it's fashioned from Land Rover wood and upholstery. Related Video:

First Ride: 2014 Jaguar F-Type [w/video]

Shotgun In Coventry's First Sports Car In Decades
For every car, there is a passionate group of fans who love it, and the F-Type already has a few million rabid followers. These are fabulous things, sports cars, and we're very happy that Jaguar is making one again. Finally. (Before you start relishing the prospect of correcting us, the XK is really a grand tourer, not a sports car.)
The main question, however, will be whether someone in a position to buy a lifestyle-enhancing yet impractical F-Type will do so in the face of more established competitors from Porsche, Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW. The last time Jaguar built a true two-seater sports car (1974 E-Type; the last of the XJ220 limited run in 1994 doesn't count in this league), most of today's new buyers were too young or may not yet have been born. At any rate, the F-Type has a lot of work to do for the brand beyond just selling itself.