2011 Jaguar Xj on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lister introduces 666 hp, 208 mph limited edition Thunder

Lister is one of the most storied nameplates when it comes to Jaguar-based racing cars, with tons of Le Mans heritage on its shoulders. The company says it's Britain's oldest surviving racing car company. As well as racing cars, Lister has produced several road-going specials, such as the widened XJ-S derivative called Le Mans and the Storm, whose 7-liter V12-engine was not only based on the XJR-9 racing car, but also the biggest V12 engine fitted to a production car since WWII. Now, in addition to continuation specials like the reborn Knobbly, there is a new Lister on the market — boldly called the Thunder. The Thunder is based on the F-Type, but its supercharged 5-liter V8 has been re-engineered to reach 666 horsepower. It will reach 62 mph in just 3.2 seconds, 100 mph in 6.8 seconds and go all the way to 208 mph. To compare a production F-Type SVR to the Thunder, the Jaguar-badged car has 99 less horsepower and takes half a second longer to hit 62 mph. There will only be 99 units built, and they are priced at almost $200,000 in the UK — we reached out to Lister for a confirmation whether the cars will be made available to U.S. buyers. But they are selling out soon, as Lister today announced that in the 24 hours since the unveiling of the Thunder, 22 customers already put in an order, worth in excess of $4.37 million. But the Thunder will be much more than a limited edition plaque in the dashboard (and that 99 extra horsepower); the paintwork and the interior will be bespoke to the specially built car. The modifications to turn an F-Type into a Lister Thunder will be carried out at Lister's historic facility in Cambridge, UK. Related Video: Featured Gallery Lister Thunder Aftermarket Jaguar Luxury Performance lister

New Audi design chief Massimo Frascella shaped cars for Jaguar Land Rover

At the Audi brand, style and design have long been a high priority; think the super sleek and sexy A7 sedan, the Bauhaus-inspired TT coupe, the single-frame grille that instantly identified the marque with its down-the-road graphics. So when the Bavarians install a new head of design, that’s also worth a look. Massimo Frascella is that person, a 52-year-old Italian designer who this summer will succeed Marc Lichte. Lichte ran Audi design since 2014 and will take up a new role within the Volkswagen Group. Frascella, a student at the Istituto d`Arte Applicata & Design in Turin, ignited his career at Stile Bertone, and his resume after that evolves impressively. He subsequently held positions at Ford Motor Company and Kia, and since 2011, Frascella has held senior positions at Jaguar Land Rover. He was responsible for the creation of several models: Discovery Vision Concept (2014), Discovery Sport (2014), Discovery (2016), Velar (2017), Evoque (2019) and Defender. In 2019 he became creative director of Land Rover and in 2020 design director. He was also instrumental in the development of the range of new electric Jaguars that are in the works. “Joining Audi is a very special moment for me,” Frascella said. “I am deeply honored to assume the role of chief creative officer and to guide such a talented team in shaping the future of the brand to new heights of innovation and distinction. I believe in the emotional power of design to inspire, connect, and drive change, and I am here to nurture and promote creativity as the beating heart of our brand.” Looking back a couple of decades, it was one of FrascellaÂ’s predecessors who helped to cement AudiÂ’s reputation in automobile design: Walter de Silva. De Silva was appointed head of Audi design in 2002. From 2007 to 2015, he supervised the design strategy for the entire Volkswagen group, including the TT, the Scirocco, the Passat and the Golf. Not a bad list of achievements, but in a interview several years ago, de Silva said that he considered the 2007 Audi A5 coupe the pinnacle of his automotive design art, citing its “sex appeal, the shape of the lights, the architecture.” Design/Style Audi Jaguar Land Rover Volkswagen Automotive History

2016 Jaguar F-Type debuts available manual transmission, AWD

If you're like us, you fell in the deepest, darkest sort of love with Jaguar's F-Type the moment its voluptuous form first surfaced. The car's full-bodied engine specs only furthered our ardor, and the droptop Jag sealed the deal before we even turned a wheel - all it took was hearing its engine bark to life.
And yet, even after driving the original convertible and the subsequent coupe, we've never quite shaken the notion that Jaguar erred a bit too heavily on the Grand Touring side of the equation for a proper sports car. That's partially because even the base model comes with a boatload of weight-adding luxury features. But perhaps more importantly, it's because the F-Type has only been available with an automatic transmission. Admittedly, the gearbox in question is a damned good paddle-shifted eight-speed ZF unit, but it's always chafed a bit that Jaguar wasn't committed to offering purists a manual - even if such a model would never be a high-volume proposition.
Apparently we weren't the only ones bothered by three-pedal omission. According to Russ Varney, F-Type Vehicle Program Director,