1986 Jaguar Xjs on 2040-cars

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Jaguar XJ220 leaps into Jay Leno's Garage

Having sadly canceled the C-X75 project and sat out today's hybrid hypercar race, it would be all too easy to forget about Jaguar as a supercar manufacturer altogether. But back in the early '90s, the British automaker didn't just play in the supercar game – it dominated it. The XJ220 was, for a time, the fastest car in the world. Jay Leno pays tribute in this latest video. Originally envisioned with a V12 engine and all-wheel drive, the XJ220 ultimately surfaced with a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 driving the rear wheels alone. None of that kept it from eclipsing the top speed achieved by every supercar that came before with a terminal velocity that didn't quite reach the 220 miles per hour initially promised, but came pretty darn close. The disappointment in the change of specification lead some to dismiss the XJ220 as a failure, but it was still the fastest thing on the road until another British supercar (in the form of the McLaren F1) took its place at the pinnacle of automotive bragging rights. Two decades later, Jaguar quite nearly drove down the same road when its initial plans for the C-X75 changed from an experimental turbine powertrain to a multi-charged inline-four. Only this time the Leaping Cat marque didn't put it into production at all, save for a few prototypes and movie props – which is a bit of a shame, and then some. Watching Jay speed down memory lane in the supercar that almost never was, we're glad that Jaguar still built the XJ220, and saddened that it never followed up with another groundbreaking supercar today. Related Video:

Jaguar design chief Ian Callum rules out station wagons

If you liked the idea of a Jaguar wagon and were secretly hoping that the British automaker might bring one over, we have some unfortunate news for you. Not only will the company not bring any wagons to the North American market, but according to design chief Ian Callum, it won't be making any at all. "The [wagon] market is massively shrinking. I'm very sad about it but it's a very difficult market to justify," Callum told Automotive News Europe. German automakers Audi, BMW, and Mercedes can make wagons work because their home market is the largest for wagons in the world and any wagons they sell elsewhere are just chocolate icing on the Black Forest cake. For its part, Jaguar has produced two wagon models in the X-Type and the previous XF Sportbrake. That's a shame in Jaguar's case, because the XFR-S Sportbrake was a heck of a ride that left us wondering why anyone would want something taller. Those of like mind, we suppose, will just have to content themselves instead with German wagons like the Audi A6 Allroad, BMW 3 Series, Mercedes E-Class, and Volkswagen Golf SportWagen – and hope that Volvo doesn't get squeezed out of the wagon market as well. Related Video:

Stirling Moss' Jaguar C-Type could bring $7.5M in Monaco

With little over 50 examples made and a decorated racing history, the Jaguar C-Type is one of the most sought-after models ever made by the famous British marque. Bonhams has a very special one coming up for auction – one that Sir Stiling Moss drove at Le Mans in 1952. Jaguar built chassis number XKC 011 for its works racing team in 1952. It made its debut at Silverstone at the hands of pre-war racing legend Peter Walker. Then the factory outfitted with specially elongated bodywork for Le Mans, where Moss teamed up with Walker to split driving duties. Sadly it didn't make it to the finish line thanks to an engine failure, marking the second of eight DNFs that Moss would suffer in ten campaigns at the French endurance race. Moss drove this C-Type in several more races after it was converted back to its standard bodywork. It was then raced by Ecurie Francorchamps before being sold to run in British club racing. The current owner acquired it in 1963, and has held onto it until now. XKC 011 is scheduled to highlight the upcoming Bonhams event at the Fairmont Monte Carlo during the Monaco Grand Prix Historique next May. Bonhams has not published a pre-sale estimate for how much it expects this example to sell for. However in correspondence with Autoblog, the company's auction specialist James Knight revealed: "We certainly feel the car will exceed GBP5m and has the potential to achieve much more." That base estimate works out to over $7.5 million at current exchange rates. We'll be watching to see whether the final sale price comes closer to the $3.7 million for which - according to the Sports Car Market database - Gooding sold one C-Type in 2012, or to the $13.2 million which RM Sotheby's raised for another this past August. Related Video: BONHAMS RETURNS TO MONACO WITH EX-STIRLING MOSS JAGUAR C-TYPE THE MONACO SALE 'LES GRANDES MARQUES A MONACO' 13 May 2016 Monte Carlo In 2016, Bonhams will return to Monaco to present an exclusive sale of just 40 hand-picked, exceptional motor cars. Timed to coincide with the Monaco Grand Prix Historique, the sale will take place on 13 May 2016. "Already renowned in motorsport circles for its annual Monaco Grand Prix and Monte Carlo Rally, the glittering Mediterranean Principality is now to host the Bonhams Monaco Sale," said James Knight, Bonhams Group Motoring Director. "The auction will be carefully curated, tailored to offer only the most desirable models to the market.