1996 Jaguar Xjs 2+2 Convertible 2-door 4.0l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Weekly Recap: The divergent paths of Tesla and Fisker

There's no doubt that Tesla is downshifting while Fisker has been grinding its gears. But it wasn't always that way.
In the wake of Tesla's recent success, it's easy to forget that there were once two California electric carmakers with bright futures.

Jaguar F-Type convertible rally car might be the coolest F-Type ever

The Jaguar F-Type is a sweet sports car. Rally cars are awesome. Put the two together, and you have one seriously cool ride, which is exactly what Jaguar did. The company took two F-Type convertibles and turned them into rally-ready race cars. They're built to commemorate a 1948 XK 120 that took home several European rally victories, and they share some of the visual tweaks of the Checkered Flag Edition F-Type. These custom Jags likely won't see serious competition, but they're certainly built to handle it. They have FIA-certified roll cages, racing seats, harnesses and a fire extinguisher. The suspension features three-way adjustable rally shocks and soft springs for rough roads and, as shown above, jumps. Brakes are upgraded with slotted rotors and four-piston calipers at all four corners. There's a hydraulic handbrake and a limited-slip differential that should make sliding around corners much easier. Interestingly, these F-Types use the entry-level turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The engines also haven't been upgraded at all, so they make the standard 296 horsepower. As such, this F-Type is only in the running for being the coolest version ever, rather than running away with such a commendation. Sadly, it appears Jaguar will only ever build these two examples. But we bet that someone could replicate one without too much difficulty. That someone could perhaps even start with a V6 or V8 convertible, giving it more power and a way better sound to enjoy through that open-air roll cage. Related Video:

Jaguar Land Rover CEO: Wrong Brexit deal will cost thousands of UK jobs

BIRMINGHAM, England — The wrong Brexit deal could cost tens of thousands of jobs, the boss of Britain's biggest carmaker Jaguar Land Rover warned on Tuesday, saying he had no idea whether his plants would be able to operate after Britain leaves the European Union next year. Ralf Speth also said that the company would not be able to build cars if customs checks meant that the motorway to and from the southern English port of Dover, which is used to transport components, becomes a "car park" due to snarl-ups of people no longer able to move freely among EU countries. Speth made the warning at a conference in Birmingham, central England, speaking shortly before Prime Minister Theresa May, who is battling to have her so-called Chequers Brexit plan accepted by many in her Conservative Party as well as the EU ahead of Britain's departure from the bloc on March 29. "A thousand (jobs were) lost as a result of diesel policy, and those numbers will be counted in the tens of thousands if we do not get the right Brexit deal," warned Speth, referring to redundancies made earlier this year at the firm. "Currently I do not even know if any of our manufacturing facilities in the UK will be able to function on the 30th," he said. The boss of JLR, which built nearly a third of Britain's cars last year, also said long-standing issues around low productivity in Britain could be compounded by a Brexit agreement which made the country less competitive. "It is thousands of pounds cheaper to produce vehicles for instance in Eastern Europe than in Solihull, and what decisions will I be forced to make if Brexit means not merely that costs go up but that we cannot physically build cars on time and on budget in the UK?" he said.Reporting by Costas Pitas