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Jaguar fully reveals the $71,445 XF S Sportbrake

Jaguar has finally revealed the 2018 XF Sportbrake without any sort of camouflage or subterfuge. It does look pretty much the way we expected, though; an XF with a longer, but still low and sleek roof. That's a good thing in our book. That nice, long roof also allows for an impressive 31.7 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, which we should point out is just a bit more than the far less attractive BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo revealed yesterday. The Jaguar XF Sportbrake also comes with plenty of performance since it's only available with all-wheel drive and the supercharged 3.0-liter V6 that produces 380 horsepower and 332 pound-feet of torque. Jaguar claims this powertrain will get the wagon to 60 mph in 5.3 seconds. Jaguar also includes self-leveling rear suspension on the Sportbrake. Inside, you'll find the same interior as the XF sedan, with one key difference: a vast, fixed sunroof. Though it's a bit disappointing that it doesn't open, the unbroken view of the outside is beautiful. But if you don't like the view, you can close a sun blind over it, and you don't have to touch a button. You simply wave your hand past a sensor and it will open or close. Though novel, we can see many incidents of accidentally opening or closing it while reaching for, say, the overhead map lights. The Jaguar activity key wristband is also available, along with large screens for instruments and infotainment. The sun blind gesture controls, activity key, and additional screens seem to be options though, as they aren't included on the base S model that starts at $71,445. That's nearly a $3,600 upcharge over the sedan. However, you do get a gorgeous car with more space. It's also barely more expensive than that aforementioned BMW. If you do want those fancy tech options, you can option them in, or have them added as part of the First Edition Sportbrake, which starts at $73,095. Related Video:

Jaguar C-X17 rides high into Frankfurt

After enviously watching its competitors rake in piles of crossover-shaped dollars for years, Jaguar is poised to get into the game with a production model based on this C-X17 concept. While the British brand hasn't officially confirmed it will sell a utility vehicle - indeed, brand fans and industry watchers have wondered whether the Leaping Cat even need to get into the game considering its corporate cousins at Land Rover - we would be dumbfounded if it didn't happen in short order.
We've always been concerned that Jaguar's styling language wouldn't translate well to a high-riding shape, but here at its Frankfurt Motor Show debut, the C-X17 comes off as quite handsome (if predictable) in the metal. The same couldn't always be said of Jag's styling DNA, but newer models beginning with the XF and the XJ have introduced design elements like a larger, more vertical grille that suit the C-X17's form factor exceedingly well. Even the rear end successfully borrows its taillamp design from the glorious new F-Type Roadster.
Underneath the concept's two-box shape is a new aluminum unibody that Jag says it is poised to employ on its next-generation models, including the long-expected midsize sedan coming to North America in 2016. Jaguar has long been a leader in aluminum chassis development even as it has struggled to take weight out of some of its vehicles (the F-Type, for instance, isn't exactly lightweight). Thus far, Jaguar isn't talking powertrains other than to say it will employ a new generation of gas and diesel engines.

Queen Elizabeth II was a longtime automotive enthusiast

Since driver's licenses, license plates, and passports were issued in her own name, Queen Elizabeth II didn't need them to drive and travel. She started combining the two just before she turned 19, joining the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) transport division in 1945 for vehicle mechanic training. She wanted to help the British effort during World War II and would drive an ambulance — one that, theoretically, she could also fix if it broke down. The war ended before she graduated as an Honorary Junior Commander, the other ATS members dubbing her Princess Auto Mechanic. We donÂ’t know if she got under the hoods of the many official state vehicles and the far more numerous unofficial fleet in the royal garages, but she was still driving herself around England as late as this year. Here is a tiny selection of royal conveyances used during her 70-year reign. Gold State Coach (1762) True, she never drove this one, but a tour of every royal garage should start with the coach. King George III commissioned Samuel Butler to build it in 1760. Butler spent two years on the gilded carriage 24 feet long and more than 12 feet high. The quarters are suspended from the frame by leather straps, so occupants get tossed about even during a slow stroll, which is as fast as the eight Windsor Gray horses can pull it. It wasnÂ’t until the 1900s that King George VI rubberized the wooden wheels. Word is the queen didnÂ’t like it.   1953 Land Rover Series 1 Land Rover gave Queen ElizabethÂ’s father, King George VI, the 100th example of the 80 Series off the line in 1948. She picked up the Landie habit for herself five years later, when a 1953 Series 1 with a custom 86-inch wheelbase was part of the fleet used for her six-month tour of the Commonwealth in 1953 and 1954. That Land Rover became Ceremonial Vehicle State IV. The models above were built in Australia in 1958 as near copies of the Commonwealth tour vehicle, when Australia decided it wanted six identical versions for royal service. ItÂ’s thought the royal family went through around 30 Land Rover Series cars and Defenders since then, and many of the most common photos of her have her posing in or near one, especially the 2002 Defender built just for her. The royal family isnÂ’t finished with them, either: A current Defender 110 served as a luggage hauler for family members headed to Balmoral Castle during the queenÂ’s final days.