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Jaguar's EV plans now include a large, lavish sedan that won't be called XJ

Autocar reports Jaguar has resuscitated plans for an electric XJ after canceling the previous attempt, albeit under a different name. There are supposedly two Jaguar-branded EVs arriving in 2025. We know one will be a four-door GT the automaker teased in April of this year. The scant intel we received on it claimed more power than any previous retail Jaguar, besting the 590-horsepower XE SV Project 8, and a starting price around GBP100,000 (around $125,000). We'll guess the output claim represents a top-shelf trim, the starting price represents an entry-trim. The most expensive hardtop the company sells in the U.K. now is the F-Type R 75, asking GBP103,075. A Porsche Taycan, the obvious comparison to a sporty, four-door, six-figure, battery-electric GT, starts at GBP79,200 and runs to GBP148,300 for the Taycan Turbo S. Autocar said company sources outed the Jag as a lavish electric sedan that is effectively, in the magazine's words, a "de-facto XJ replacement but larger and much more luxurious." The Coventry automaker's been dealing with even more turmoil than usual in the past several years, so it's difficult to pin down how many times plans have changed and when. It's thought the original plan had the GT launching ahead of two SUVs. The larger of the two SUVs would be flagship of a three-model electric lineup, specced and priced to challenge the Bentley Bentayga, the English maker joining a cadre of mass-market luxury brands going superluxe and repeatedly naming Bentley as the target. In July of last year, Autocar reported the new plan was "a trio of... electric crossovers," a near-production concept not due until the end of 2024. Now, Autocar's sources maintain the model count remains at three, all of which will sit on the dedicated, long-wheelbase Jaguar Electric Architecture (JEA). If this plan holds, there will be that four-door GT against the Taycan, the SUV against the Bentley, and the swanky sedan as something like a BMW i7 competitor. It is expected to be about the length of the 219-inch Bentley Mulsanne, offer all-wheel drive, all-wheel steering, a range spread of about 385 to 475 miles on the European cycle, and the ability to recharge its battery from 10% to 80% in 13 minutes. The report also said the output floor would be at around 450 hp.

CMC to produce limited run of Callum's Jaguar Mark 2 [w/video]

We were a more than a little jealous when designer Ian Callum revealed his Jaguar Mark 2 restomod that he commissioned from Classic Motor Cars. It turns out that we weren't the only ones that dug it - the reaction was so great that CMC got Callum's permission to create a limited run of them for customers. Although, with prices quoted between £350,000 and £375,000 ($572,000 - $613,000), we doubt Ian needs to worry about seeing a copy of his creation pass him too soon.
"Within hours we had received calls from people all over the globe asking if they could buy one," said Peter Neumark, Chairman of CMC in the latest announcement. The reaction came as a surprise to Callum, who said he designed the car entirely to his own specifications and actually wasn't sure if people would like it.
Among Callum's many changes are new bumpers, wider front fenders with functional louvers and less chrome trim. Under the hood is a 4.3-liter six-cylinder fitted with two SU carbs putting out around 260 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. It should be a much better driver too, with a completely re-engineered independent rear suspension, adjustable dampers at all four corners, improved brakes and a new rack and pinion steering system designed by CMC with electric assist.

U.S. issues new tariff threat, this time against British-built cars

WASHINGTON — Britain is the United States' closest ally but their long friendship may be sorely tested as the two countries try to forge a new trade agreement after Britain's exit from the European Union. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Saturday in London that he was optimistic that a bilateral deal with Britain could be reached as soon as this year. But Mnuchin gave up no ground after a second meeting with his UK counterpart, Sajid Javid. Javid has insisted that Britain will proceed with a unilateral digital services tax, despite a U.S. threat to levy retaliatory tariffs on British-made autos. Mnuchin told reporters after Saturday's meeting that such taxes would discriminate against big U.S. tech companies like Alphabet Inc's Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon. The UK Treasury declined to comment on the private meeting. The divide highlights the challenges ahead as the Trump administration seeks a new bilateral agreement with Britain, part of a broader push to rebalance relations with nearly all its major trading partners. The stakes are high — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pegged the trade deal with United States as a way to ease the pain of breaking with Europe, Britain's largest trade partner. U.S. President Donald Trump, has promised a "massive" trade deal to support Brexit, the product of a populist movement similar to his "America First" agenda. The goodwill and special relationship the two countries have enjoyed for decades may not count for much, experts say. "Trump is not going to be doing Johnson any favors," said Amanda Sloat, a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution in Washington. "He's not going to give him a trade deal without major concessions." Even before the digital tax issue arose, the Trump administration threatened to tax foreign car imports, which could hit British-made Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini, and Honda Civic hatchback cars. Stiff U.S. trade demands include increased access for U.S. farm goods, concessions that will be difficult for Britain's entrenched natural food culture to swallow. The United States also wants Britain to change the way its National Health Service prices drugs and allow in more U.S. pharmaceuticals, which could prove politically unpopular for Johnson's government. Washington's demand that London block Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd for national security reasons could also cloud talks.