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$4.5M Maryland mansion has a brick street with classic cars in its basement

At one extremely large residence in Potomac, Maryland, the residents need not call the driver to head into town. Instead, the people who lived and will live in this house can simply take a walk downstairs to hit up the post office, or the theater, or the massage parlor. These faux shops are just a small part of a re-created old-style downtown strip, complete with a brick drive and classic collector cars.  Brought to light by Twitter user @victoriaxxviii, 11610 Highland Farm Road, Potomac, Maryland, is a 12,089-square-foot gated mansion that sits on four acres, with the opportunity to buy two more next to it. It has seven bedrooms and eight bathrooms in the main house, a guest house with two bedrooms and a bathroom, and a pool house with a full kitchen and a bathroom. The place also has a heated pool and a tennis court. Yet, none of that would be of interest if not for the items hidden in the home's finished basement.  Best understood by seeing the photos above, the lower level of the house was built to resemble an old town. In addition to the aforementioned stores, it also has a sports shop, a flower shop, an inn, a tattoo parlor, a church, and most important, an auto repair shop and gas station. The repair shop is key, as there are several collectible cars positioned throughout the winding town road. Seen in the photos are a Citroen 2CV, a Jaguar E-Type roadster, a scooter, and a third vintage car that appears to be from the '20s or '30s.  The house was built in 1987 and features four garage spots. It is currently listed for $4.5 million, but it is unclear if the downstairs cars are included in the purchase. Visit Washington Fine Properties for more photos of the house and extra information about its amenities. Related Video:    

With a new Jaguar and the Shell app, your car can pay for its own gas

Contactless payments are making their way into the car. Jaguar and Shell have the first major rollout, allowing you to pay for fuel through the car's touchscreen. Of course you'll still have to get out of the car to actually pump the fuel into the car, but hey, progress, right? Apple Pay and PayPal will be available payment methods from the start, and Android Pay will be added later. For this all to work, you'll need a new Jaguar (or Land Rover) with the InControl infotainment system, a connected phone with the InControl app and Shell app, some space in your tank, and some electronic money. When you pull up to a Shell station and launch the Shell app through the touchscreen, the car will use geolocation to figure out which station you're at and then prompt you to enter the pump number you're next to (don't want to pay for someone else's fuel now do you?). Once that's done, you tell the system how much fuel you want (it's not clear if you can just fill the tank like most normal people do) and then the screen in the car shows you a receipt; one is also sent to you via email. While this might just seem like trading one screen for another and entering info through your car instead of at the pump, contactless payments also have an added level of security over pulling out a credit card. (Credit card skimmers, which steal card data when you go to swipe at a kiosk or ATM, have been popular at gas stations.) It will also be welcome in the winter months, when you can limit your exposure time. Plus you'll never again have to respond to this incomplete sentence, which greets us at Shell stations everywhere: "Is this debit card?" InControl is available on every Jaguar and Land Rover model. And if you get this Shell app working on an F-Pace with the Jaguar Activity Key, you'll have the latest in minimal-touch technology. The system will roll out to people in the UK first and should arrive in the US later this year. Related Video: Jaguar Land Rover Technology Smartphone Luxury shell paypal

2016 Jaguar F-Type prowls the floor with new manual and AWD options

The Jaguar F-Type has become an instant enthusiast favorite for its alluring design, powerful, sonorous engines and rewarding handling. In short, it's a worthy successor to the iconic mid-century E-Type. But Jaguar hasn't been sitting idly, and it's continuing to refine and enhance the F-Type with subtle yet significant enhancements, including a bunch that are debuting this week at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The 2016 model year brings with it all-wheel drive, which will be standard on 550-horsepower F-Type R models. AWD will be optional on mid-level F-Type S models, which run the 380-hp V6. The system sends all of the supercharged engine's torque to the rear axle in default mode, but it can also be split with up to 50 percent going to the front axle when needed. Jaguar has even added subtle visual differentiators to the the AWD models, fitting them with body-colored sills and a new hood design. The penalty? the AWD system adds about 176 pounds to the curb weight. The F-Type also gets an available six-speed manual transmission for 2016 on V6 variants with rear-wheel drive. While obviously adding a more interactive driving character, the close-ratio manual is about 22 pounds lighter than the automatic gearbox. Jaguar has also given all F-Type models electric power steering, using a stiffer steering shaft to maintain the hydraulic setup's connected feel with the road. The 2016 models will be available in the spring, and pricing will be announced closer to launch. 2016 F-TYPE Gains All Wheel Drive and Manual Transmission Options – The 2016 model year Jaguar F-TYPE sports car receives new powertrain and driveline options – A six-speed manual transmission option will be available in rear-wheel drive V6 models – Instinctive All Wheel Drive® (AWD) extends the performance and dynamic capability of the F-TYPE – The 550hp F-TYPE R is now available in both Coupe or Convertible – All F-Type R models receive AWD as standard equipment, enabling 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds.