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ECD Auto Design Jaguar E-Type Electric First Drive: EV restomods have a bright future

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — If youÂ’ve ever dipped a toe into the restomod world before, thereÂ’s a good chance youÂ’ve heard of the Florida-based company ECD. Originally known as East Coast Defender for the companyÂ’s earliest efforts restomodding Land Rover Defenders, itÂ’s now just “ECD Auto Design.” ThatÂ’s because thereÂ’s a whole lot more than just Defenders being cranked out of the workshop these days. And while weÂ’ve already driven its Land Rover offerings in the Defender and Range Rover Classic, today itÂ’s time to take the companyÂ’s latest creation for a spin: the ECD Jaguar E-Type. ECD announced its foray into the E-Type world about a year and a half ago, and by the time we showed up, itÂ’d already produced seven restored and/or heavily modified E-Types. Before we get too far into first impressions, though, some history. The E-Type, formally known as the XK-E here in the states, was produced between 1961 and 1974. It was a bombshell of a sports car when new, touting impressive performance for a solid price from both its inline-six and V12 engines. Jaguar went through three main iterations of the XK-E before wrapping up sales here: Series I, Series II and Series III. And while ECD has restored a Series I, itÂ’s focusing on the more widely available (and more affordable) Series II cars for this project. The E-Type was available as a coupe or convertible, and while ECD is allowing you to stick with either of the original powertrains for restoration builds, itÂ’s also offering some rather tempting swaps. If thereÂ’s something you should know about ECD, itÂ’s that this company loves a good American V8. YouÂ’ll find an LS- or LT-based General Motors V8 in most of its Defender builds, and thatÂ’s exactly what ECD is offering in the E-Type, too. GMÂ’s 450-horsepower LT1 can be plopped under the long hood of the E-Type should you want to turn it into a tire-destroying muscle machine. On the other end of the spectrum is an electric conversion option, which is the E-Type variant we got to drive. Before you scream “sacrilege!” we wonÂ’t bury the lede on this one: An all-electric E-Type is actually a hoot to drive. Admittedly, what makes it fun to drive is also what makes other modern-day sports cars fun to drive. ItÂ’s lightweight at just 2,940 pounds (thatÂ’s 60 pounds less than the V8-powered version), features a 51/49 weight balance, has a 305-horsepower motor doling out power solely to the rear wheels Â… and you can take the roof off!

Jaguar previews XF sedan ahead of New York debut

Jaguar is in the midst of an aggressive product expansion, with the new F-Type taking it back into sports-car territory, the upcoming F-Pace putting it in the crossover market for the first time and the XE renewing Jag's assault on the entry-level luxury-sedan segment. But it hasn't forgotten about its core models. The British automaker has a new flagship XJ under development, and Jag will showcase a brand-new XF at the New York Auto Show next month. But before it does, Jaguar has given us something to chew on with these teaser images: one showing the new sedan from above, and one showing the new cockpit. Now it may be hard discern much from that overhead view – which is not a typical teaser – but it's clear the new XF will feature more sharply creased body lines and a large panoramic sunroof. Meanwhile the interior looks like a modern update of the current model, borrowing some elements from the smaller XE. There's a wider infotainment display, the rotary knob for the transmission has moved toward the center, some (but not all) of the air vents appear to hide away when not in use, and there's a sportier steering wheel – though we do appear to be looking at the more performance-oriented S model. The XF, for those having trouble keeping track, is Jaguar's challenger to the likes of the Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5 Series, Audi A6 and Maserati Ghibli. It was introduced in 2007, and has been available (in certain markets anyway) in sedan and wagon forms, with engines ranging from a 2.0-liter turbo four with 240 horsepower all the way up to a 5.0-liter supercharged V8. With the New York show fast approaching, we won't have to wait much longer for a complete view of the new XF. But even before then, Jaguar promises to reveal the new XF in dramatic fashion in London: on March 24, it will drive the new sedan on two wires barely more than an inch thick suspended high above the river.

Jaguar sets a lap record at a near-forgotten French race track

If asked to name any race track in France, most racing and car enthusiasts would probably answer the Circuit de la Sarthe, known for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Then there's the famous Magny-Cours or Circuit Paul Ricard, but not everyone remembers the Circuit de Charade near Clermont-Ferrand. This challenging track has been called a "twistier and faster" version of the Nurburgring, and in its original five-mile form, it barely had any straights. Formula 1 races were held there in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but safety concerns saw the French Grand Prix moved to Paul Ricard for most of the 1970s and 1980s, alternating with Dijon-Prenois. Later on, the track was essentially halved during modernization work, and it's now largely used for track days. The full length circuit was last used in 1988. This history lesson about a seemingly forgotten French race track is due to one good reason: Jaguar has returned to the venue to set a lap time with a new, all-wheel drive XE. The flying lap of the full five-mile track was the first one in 30 years, and the 4-minute, 9-second lap time set by Belgian racing driver Vincent Radermecker now stands as a record. Due to changes and the fact that the track originally utilized parts of public roads, the lap now included two gateways and a roundabout. Unshockingly, those weren't around in its racing days. The comparisons with the Nurburgring are apt, as Radermecker's comment confirms. "I set the production (sedan) record at the Nurburgring in the XE SV Project 8 last year and this lap was every bit as demanding. The longest straight is barely 600 metres, so I can see why drivers used to call this the French Nurburgring." The Jaguar used for the record lap is an XE 300 Sport, which is powered by Jaguar's 300-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo engine. It hits 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, and the average speed on the Charade lap was 72 mph. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery Jaguar XE record lap View 9 Photos Image Credit: Jaguar Jaguar Automotive History jaguar xe