2006 Jaguar S-type 4.2 on 2040-cars

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Petrolicious examines a very special Jaguar C-Type

There are rare Jaguars, and then there's this stunning C-Type Lightweight Le Mans. Built in response to the dominance of the Mercedes-Benz 300SL at the 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans, Jaguar made only three C-Types for 1953 and managed to capture first, second, and fourth. These cars featured four-wheel disc brakes – a rarity at the time even in endurance racing – and a lighter aluminum body. The two SU carburetors were swapped out for three Webers, meaning more power and, according to RM Sotheby's David Swig, better throttle response. Swig would know. In the latest video from Petrolicious, he takes the fourth-place C-Type for a ride, giving us a look at the sleek open-roof racer in action, while our ears enjoy the delicious sound of the 3.4-liter, twin-cam straight-six. "What I love about these cars is how communicative they are on the road," Swig told Petrolicious. "How when you're going through a corner, you feel in the seat of your pants and through the steering wheel every little movement, every little pebble that you drive over." Beyond the driving experience, there's something to be said of the historical seat Swig is occupying. "No less than five Le Mans-winning drivers of this period have sat behind the wheel of this car," Swig said, "which almost give you goosebumps." Should you have the money, you can actually put this iconic racing Jaguar in your garage. RM Sotheby's will offer it for auction as part of its glitzy Monterey Car Week event next month. While you can look forward to our coverage of that event come August, you can enjoy the sight and sound of this iconic C-Type in the latest episode from Petrolicious.

2014 Jaguar XJL AWD 3.0

A bit of British nobility floods the senses when piloting the 2014 Jaguar XJ. It's an emotional rush, a perception based on physical surroundings that influence the mind in much the same manner that a stein of pilsner tastes best when consumed in a German beer garden and no sand is softer than that found on a warm Caribbean beach. Jaguar has been assembling cars for nearly 100 years, and few automakers are as equally adept at capturing aristocracy and timelessness within the rich cabins of their luxury offerings.
Jaguar would have no concern if it were the only game in town, but that's far from the truth. The premium full-size luxury segment, which includes vehicles hovering just under or at the six-figure mark, is a contentious grouping that includes the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Lexus LS, Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Porsche Panamera. Each of those brings its own game to the battle, and none are easy to dismiss.
To better understand the British perspective and evaluate its latest offering on a land without royalty, I recently spent a week with a long-wheelbase, all-wheel-drive Jaguar XJ in Southern California.

Jaguar F-Type SVR leaks with more power, aggressive looks

Jaguar's new F-Type SVR just leaked online, and according to the German brochure posted by Autovisie the new model in the range is a powerhouse with 567 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque (according to our conversions) from its 5.0-liter supercharged V8. Those figures give the SVR 25 hp and 14 lb-ft over the current all-wheel drive F-Type R. That's according to the brochure, anyway. US figures might vary slightly. The F-Type SVR is solely available with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive, and the powertrain can get the coupe to a top speed of 200 miles per hour or 194 mph for the convertible. Acceleration is also quite brisk with the run to 62 mph lasting just 3.7 seconds, which makes the new model even quicker than the Project 7's 3.8-second sprint to 60 mph. The SVR shows off its extra power through a more aggressive nose with larger intakes and slats behind the front wheels to pull cool air past the brakes. The rear also gets a wing and larger diffuser. The brochure lists optional carbon ceramic brakes that are 46 pounds lighter overall than traditional units. A titanium exhaust can also shed about 26 pounds and probably makes the supercharged V8 sound even fiercer. Spy shots have shown the SVR testing, but Jaguar hasn't said anything official about it. Still, this brochure looks legit. The document makes no mention of price, but you can expect a premium over the F-Type R's $104,595 (after $995 destination) for the coupe and $107,445 for the convertible. You can check out more photos of the SVR and download the full brochure from Autovisie. Related Video: