1983 Classic Jaguar Xj6 Vanderplas on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Hot Rod Garage series premieres with 700-hp big-block Jaguar XJ

Roadkill hosts Mike Finnegan and David Freiburger have broken up - kinda - to spin off a new show, Hot Rod Garage, that mostly gives up the driveway and parking lot wrench work for the confines of a garage. We say kinda because while Finnegan is the primary host for Hot Rod Garage, Freiburger plays guest host and the new show starts off by wrenching on the Roadkill Draguar project car.
What's the Draguar? It's a 1974 Jaguar XJ12 that's about to be force-fed a 383-cubic-inch Chevrolet long-block engine with tidbits like Holley carbs, a Weiand 6-71 roots blower and a "custom WillBlow transmission," all good for about 700 horsepower. After that Finnegan gets into swapping parts on his wife's El Camino and some TIG welding lessons.
You can check out the first episode below. And in case you're worried, no, Roadkill isn't going away.

Jaguar Land Rover said to favor Europe rather than US for new plant

With its plants running at full tilt, Jaguar Land Rover is in desperate need of additional manufacturing capacity. That's led to reports that the Indian-owned British company was looking to join European, Japanese and Korean automakers in America's southern states, all while it opened new plants in the UK and China. The company even announced it would be building the Land Rover Discovery Sport in Brazil. Now, though, reports are suggesting that JLR is looking at Europe for a new facility, rather than the US, with Automotive News claiming the company's execs are eyeing the lower costs afforded by Austria and Turkey. The report cites the Birmingham Post (UK), the broadsheet that's closest to the company's headquarters. According to the original report, labor costs and wage disputes with unions are ruling out another factory in the UK, while those same disputes with labor outfits may also be souring the automaker on a US facility. "At this stage Europe seems more likely than America. The union pay dispute had a big effect," an unnamed source told the Post. "There is a feeling of alienation that has been left over from the way the pay talks were handled." JLR, meanwhile, offered a solid no comment to the Post, with a spokesperson saying, "No decision has been taken on future manufacturing locations. We will continue to evaluate opportunities to increase our manufacturing footprint in the future." Related Video:

Stunning Jaguar E-Type Lightweight tribute featured by Petrolicious

This is a Series 1 Jaguar E-Type Coupe. Enzo Ferrari, Il Commendatore himself, called it "the most beautiful car ever made." It can count among its owners Steve McQueen, Brigitte Bardot and a number of other celebrities from the 1960s. It remains one of the prettiest and coolest cars ever.
While we don't normally prescribe to modifying classics like the E-Type, cars that are used for vintage racing, like this particular example, are certainly the exception. It's owned by Jason Len and is the subject of the latest video from the team at Petrolicious.
Len's 1964 E-Type has been fashioned to look like one of the rare Lightweight E-Types from 1963 and 1964. The aluminum-bodied E-Types, of which only a dozen were built, were all intended exclusively for racing, much like Len's heavily modified example. While it retains the 3.8-liter straight-six, its engine, transmission, suspension, brakes and body have been extensively tweaked and fettled to allow this classic Jag to compete with a field of V8s.