1983 Jaguar Xjs Convertible on 2040-cars

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European automakers gear up for Brazilian production

Brazil is the place to be, apparently. Toyota has been investing in the South American country, as has BMW, which announced a $261 million investment in October 2012, on the heels of an Audi factory announcement in San José Chiapa. The high-end immigration is only set to continue, as Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar-Land Rover have both announced plans to set up manufacturing operations there.
Mercedes is the big news here, as its new facility will see the German manufacturer invest 170-million euros for production of its next-generation C-Class and upcoming GLA-Class. "Brazil is an important future market. With our local production we accept the challenge and take on the competition," noted Andreas Renschler, Management Board member for Production and Procurement at Mercedes-Benz Cars and Mercedes-Benz Vans. Production is expected to begin by 2016.
Jaguar-Land Rover, meanwhile, isn't so concrete in its plans. The news of its investment in South America comes from a job posting for a plant quality manager in Brazil that was picked up by the UK's AutoCar. "Portuguese language skills will be definite advantage" for interested candidates, according to the job listing. The want ad follows on the heels of remarks by Jaguar Land Rover's Dr. Ralph Speth, who said there are "very intensive discussions" with Brazil's government. Unlike Mercedes, there's no mention of which vehicles will be produced in South America, although AutoCar thinks the Freelander, sold in the US as the LR2, is a leading contender.

Watch Jaguar build its XJR Rapid Response Vehicle for Bloodhound SSC

Last month, Jaguar revealed an F-Type specially equipped to serve as a Rapid Response Vehicle for the Bloodhound SSC. Now it's rolled out a pair of XJRs kitted out for the same purpose. Set to debut when test pilot Andy Green drives one up the hill at Goodwood later this month, the Jaguar XJR Rapid Response Vehicle has been equipped by Jaguar Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations division. As you can see, it's got a special livery of blue and orange to mimic the rocket- and jet-powered streamliner's own color scheme, and has been stripped out and fitted with a roll cage and specially crafted tools for the land speed record attempt. Of course, the 5.0-liter supercharged V8 carries over with its 550 horsepower to propel it to 60 in 4.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 174 miles per hour. Alongside the F-Type – which recently undertook a parachute deployment test – the pair of XJR Rapid Response Vehicles will be on hand in South Africa when the Bloodhound attempts to break the land speed record as well as the sound barrier on dry land. Check out the build process in the video. Jaguar Rapid Response Vehicles for Bloodhound SSC to Star at Goodwood Festival of Speed - Bespoke Jaguar XJR Rapid Response Vehicle (RRV) for Bloodhound SSC to make dynamic world debut at Goodwood Festival of Speed - Current world land speed record holder Andy Green to drive the 16MY XJR RRV up the Goodwood hill on Saturday 27 June 2015 - Bloodhound's RRV Fleet now includes two XJRs and an F-TYPE custom-built by Jaguar Land Rover's Special Operations team - Jaguar's history in supporting world land speed records dates back to 1983 with an XJ12 for Richard Noble's record attempt in Thrust 2 Jaguar is to further showcase its commitment as Technical and Innovation Partner to the Bloodhound Project with the world debut of its custom-built XJR Rapid Response Vehicle (RRV) at Goodwood Festival of Speed, alongside the recently unveiled F-TYPE R AWD RRV. One of two XJRs being provided for the record attempts will be on show at the festival and will also take part in the First Glance hill run on Saturday 27 June 2015 with current world land speed record holder and Bloodhound SSC driver Andy Green at the wheel. The two new additions to Bloodhound's fleet are the latest creation of Jaguar Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division and are wrapped in a bespoke livery created by Jaguar Design incorporating the Bloodhound SSC colours.

2014 Jaguar XJL AWD 3.0

A bit of British nobility floods the senses when piloting the 2014 Jaguar XJ. It's an emotional rush, a perception based on physical surroundings that influence the mind in much the same manner that a stein of pilsner tastes best when consumed in a German beer garden and no sand is softer than that found on a warm Caribbean beach. Jaguar has been assembling cars for nearly 100 years, and few automakers are as equally adept at capturing aristocracy and timelessness within the rich cabins of their luxury offerings.
Jaguar would have no concern if it were the only game in town, but that's far from the truth. The premium full-size luxury segment, which includes vehicles hovering just under or at the six-figure mark, is a contentious grouping that includes the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Lexus LS, Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Porsche Panamera. Each of those brings its own game to the battle, and none are easy to dismiss.
To better understand the British perspective and evaluate its latest offering on a land without royalty, I recently spent a week with a long-wheelbase, all-wheel-drive Jaguar XJ in Southern California.