2004 Jaguar Xj8 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Jaguar releases Desire short film starring F-Type and Damian Lewis

After stoking the hype with a theatrical-style trailer, Jaguar has finally released the full-length version of its mini-movie, Desire, to help kick off the new 2014 Jaguar F-Type. Starring Homeland actor Damian Lewis across from the lovely Shannyn Sossamon, the film has been turned loose on YouTube after an initial debut at the Sundance London film and music festival.
Shot in Chile's rather breathtaking Atacama Desert, Desire is described by the producers as being "A story of betrayal, retribution, passion and greed." Lewis plays the lead role of Clark, a high-end car delivery guy (great work if you can get it), who runs into an unexpected, sexy mystery when shuttling the lovely F-Type to the middle of nowhere. Who could have guessed?
We won't spoil any of the not-exactly-serious 13-minute plot for you; scroll down below to see for yourself if the theatrical pomp and circumstance is worthy of Jag's newest roadster.

Jaguar's XF diesel isn't just fuel efficient, it's the cheapest XF available

Jaguar announced the 2017 Jaguar XF will now offer the 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel the company introduced on the XE. In addition to returning an impressive 42 miles per gallon on the highway and 31 in the city, the diesel is the cheapest XF available at $48,445. This means that picking the oil-burner will save you $3,040 over the cheapest gas V6 version, which only manages 29 mpg on the highway and 20 in the city. With 180 horsepower, the diesel is significantly down on power compared with the base V6 model. As a result, the diesel moves slower. Jaguar estimates the base V6 is good for a 5.2-second 0-60 time and the diesel should be able to do the same in 8 seconds. However, that's the only real downside. Even with the slower acceleration times, the diesel still has a very usable 317 lb-ft of torque available from 1,750-2,500 rpm. Based on our test drive of a diesel-equipped XE, the engine also breaks the old diesel stereotypes. It's both quite smooth and responsive. Unless you seriously need that straight-line performance, the Jaguar XF diesel arguably makes the most sense. It provides significant price savings and better fuel economy. The diesel XF also joins the XE and F-Pace diesels, leaving just the XJ and F-Type as the only Jaguars without compression-ignition engines. The British automaker is planning to remedy that, as a Jaguar Land Rover executive said the company plans to also add a diesel XJ variant in the US, even in the wake of the VW diesel scandal. Related Video: Related Gallery 2016 Jaguar XF: Review View 24 Photos Image Credit: Jaguar Land Rover Green Jaguar Diesel Vehicles Luxury Sedan jaguar land rover ingenium

2017 Jaguar F-Pace is on the prowl in Frankfurt [w/video] [UPDATE]

UPDATE: A previous version of this story indicated that rear-wheel drive was standard. This was incorrect. The F-Pace uses a standard all-wheel-drive system with a rear bias. The story has been edited to reflect this. After much teasing, Jaguar finally introduced the new F-Pace, the company's first ever crossover, at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show. Of course, we had to trek over to the Jaguar stand to have a look. As we already know a very great deal about the new F-Pace, we'll just recap some of the finer points. Prices for the five-place CUV begin at $42,390, which will score you a model with a 340-horsepower, 3.0-liter, supercharged V6. If you'd like the 380-hp version of that engine – along with a lot more equipment – prepare to pony up $56,700. The very cheapest way into the F-Pace, though, will be with the 2.0-liter, turbodiesel four-cylinder, which starts at $40,990, offers up a modest 180 hp, 317 lb-ft of torque, and an on-sale date of sometime late in 2016. An eight-speed automatic transmission is the sole gearbox for the two V6 models, although Jag hasn't said what gearbox it will pair with the diesel mill. The standard, rear-biased, all-wheel-drive system will feature brake-based torque vectoring that can switch up to an even 50:50 split. Adaptive dampers promise, meanwhile, promise a leaper-worthy handling character, while wheel sizes vary from 18 to 22-inch wheels. Speaking of that all-wheel-drive system, while this may not be a Land Rover, it still promises a degree of off-road ability. The wading depth is an adequate 20.7 inches, while the approach and departure angles are 25.5 and 25.7 degrees, respectively. As we said, that's not the equal to even the lowliest of Land Rovers, in this case the Discovery Sport, which can wade up to 23.6 inches, manage angles up to 25 degrees on approach, 31 degrees on departure, and features an advanced Terrain Response system. Those that were worried Jaguar's CUV would be stealing the thunder from the off-roaders at Land Rover – like your author – look to have been mistaken. Unsurprisingly, that handsome body is mostly aluminum, although there's some high-strength steel, and even a bit of magnesium and composite material, all of which contributes to a torsional rigidity on par with the lower-riding XF sedan. We have a wide lineup of live photos of the new CUV. Take a look, and keep an eye open for the F-Pace in dealers next spring.