Jaguar XK150 Roadster, page #12

Auto blog

Jaguar likely moving HQ to Britain's most iconic racetrack

Jaguar Land Rover looks increasingly likely to make Britain's iconic Silverstone race track the automaker's new headquarters. There isn't a final deal in place yet, but the British Racing Drivers' Club, which owns the circuit, plans to have the membership vote on whether the negotiations should move forward, according to Autosport. BRDC leaders already presented the plan to members, and they were open to the idea. "The response was favorable so we will now set up an EGM for the members to vote and give the board a mandate to proceed with the deal and continue with the negotiations with JLR," BRDC president Derek Warwick told Autosport. There's no guarantee yet that JLR actually completes the deal. "There's still a lot of work to do to get the deal to where both sides are happy and more importantly what's right for the BRDC and its members." Warwick said. Rumors in early December suggested JLR was among the firms submitting bids to purchase the track, and the automaker allegedly offered 22.7 million pounds ($34.1 million at the time) for it. The company would also reportedly invest nearly $80 million to renovate the site, including adding a museum, experience center, hotel, and offices. The track would still be open for motorsport, too. Silverstone has hosted the Formula One British Grand Prix many times over the decades, and organizers signed a 17-year deal in 2009 to keep things that way well into the future. Series like the FIA World Endurance Championship, MotoGP, and British Touring Car Championship also compete there. Related Video:

Eagle Spyder GT is the roadster Jaguar E-Type of your dreams

Eagle, a British company that has specialized in restomodding classic Jags for over thirty years, has rolled out a new version of their modified E-Type called the Eagle Spyder GT. If you've heard of Eagle already, it's probably for its gorgeous Speedster. The company subsequently followed up with the fixed-roof Low Drag GT, inspired by the competition model Jaguar developed back in 1961 (and recently continued). The Spyder GT splits the difference, with a chopped and raked windscreen and a folding fabric roof mechanism. Like its stablemates, the Eagle Spyder GT wears bodywork painstakingly crafted entirely out of aluminum, with exquisite detailing. No wonder that, in reviewing it on Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson said, "I think this, by a long way, is the most beautiful car I have ever seen. It might actually be the most beautiful thing I have ever seen." That's high praise indeed from a guy who's not known to shy away from speaking his mind. Unfortunately most of us will never find out, as Eagle only produces these special editions in very limited quantities and at very high cost. Each is custom-made to the owner's specifications, with the first example of the new Spyder GT to be delivered this summer. Related Video: X EAGLE E-TYPES ANNOUNCE THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME - THE EAGLE SPYDER GT In Brief: - Eagle announces the third in their trilogy of special edition Jaguar E-Types - the new Eagle Spyder GT. - The Spyder GT combines the style and dynamics of the celebrated Eagle Speedster with the high performance touring capability of the Eagle Low Drag GT- and incorporates a folding roof for practicality. - Completely bespoke with extensive customer options, the few produced will be the most exclusive hand built cars in the world. Eagle has focused for over thirty years to refine, develop and deliver exceptional engineering for the Jaguar E-Type while remaining true to the spirit of this extraordinary car. The Eagle E-Type has often been described as 'the finest hand-built car in the world' and the reaction of the world's press to the successive 'special edition' Jaguar E-Types developed in-house at Eagle has been rapturous. Leading the way was the Eagle Speedster, which was developed from a client request and then feted around the world.

2017 Jaguar F-Type SVR is a very fast, very angry kitty

Well, Jaguar has gone and done it. The British marque hit the perfect sweet spot with its newest F-Type, the range-topping SVR, landing squarely in a price/performance segment its butt-engined rivals from Stuttgart aren't playing in. Confirming our previous reports, the new SVR will debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show with the latest version of Jaguar Land Rover's 5.0-liter, supercharged V8. With some fettling by the team at JLR's Special Vehicle Operations, the engine has been boosted to 575 horsepower, 25 more than F-Type R. Torque is up from 501 pound-feet to 516 pound-feet, while the 0-60 time has dropped from 3.9 to just 3.5 seconds. And yes, 200 miles per hour is possible with the hardtop – the convertible will only do 195. That means you'll be getting more power, more torque, a quicker run to 60, and a higher top speed than an all-wheel-drive Porsche 911 GTS, but for just $5,000 more, a figure that's quickly erased by Porsche's insane options catalog. The Jag can't stand up to the 0-60 performance of 540-hp, 2.9-second 911 Turbo or the high speed of the 205-mph Turbo S, but with prices for the SVR Coupe starting at just $126,945 ($129,795 for the droptop), it's going to cost anywhere from $33,000 to $62,000 less than the Carreras. With only modest increases in output, it's pretty clear SVO made some bigger changes to score an extra 14 mph on the high end and cut 0.4 seconds off the 0-60 time. At its most basic level, the SVR is 55 pounds lighter than the F-Type R, thanks in large part to the new Inconel titanium exhaust, which cuts 35 pounds of fat (and makes for a more sinister note, we're told). Tack on the optional carbon-ceramic brakes, along with a few carbon-fiber accents, and the overall savings sits around 110 pounds. JLR is also promising faster performance from the eight-speed ZF automatic transmission, which still sends its power to all four wheels. Speaking of which, the new 20-inch forged aluminum alloys are shod in wider Pirelli PZero – 265s in front and 305s in the back, compared to 255/295 on the R model. There is also the usual array of aesthetic and aerodynamic changes. You can check out the more aggressive body work in the full gallery, but know the changes contribute to improved cooling and cut the coefficients of drag and lift by up to 7.5 and 45 percent, respectively, when the adjustable rear wing is in its aerodynamic down position, and 2.5 and 15 percent with the wing up.

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 puts Mourinho on ice

There is principal among the persecuted to embrace insults and turn them around. That's how the gay community turned "queer" from a pejorative term into a badge of pride. Now Jaguar has done the same with "footballer's car." While this has been generally seen as the UK equivalent of a "rapper's car," generally a big four-wheel-drive such as a Range Rover, blinged up so as to make it unusable off-road, Jaguar has taken the curious step of deliberately putting a footballer in the new F-Pace. Before you can even buy a Jaguar F-Pace, the company has taken ex-Chelsea and Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho to Northern Sweden to drive a prototype on ice. And there is not an ounce of bling about the event. It was run on 60 km (37 miles) of frozen lake at Jaguar Land Rover's extreme testing facility in Arjeplog, Sweden, which is 40 miles from the Arctic Circle. And it's not just JLR engineers who get to do this. Jaguar sells the "Jaguar Ice Drive Experience," while Porsche has something similar and if you really want to go for it there is a company that does it in Porsches, Maseratis, and the wonderful Alfa 4C. But those are not footballers' cars. Jag quotes Mourinho as saying, "The experience was magnificent. For people in my world, I think a few days in a place like this is magnificent." However even if you read it in a Spanish accent it still sounds like it was written by a PR man. Ditto the quote "I am always learning. Even in football, which is an area that obviously I feel that I'm an expert, I'm never perfect and I always learn." What Jaguar gets out of the association is some quotes about Mourinho's plans – he's going to stay in the UK – which means the major UK papers might pick it up. They probably will and then ignore all the cool ice driving stuff. What we get as car nuts is some awesome footage of the car power-sliding with rooster tails of snow. It's a good looking car; I've seen some testing on the roads around Jaguar's home of Coventry and did a double take. It's a little Macan-like but better looking. I've driven the F-Type with both the 375-HP V6 used in the Mourinho F-Pace piece and the 550-hp supercharged V8, and the V6 is plenty. Until you drive the V8, which blows your mind way. Indeed I have the letter on my desk pleading guilty to the fixed penalty (62 in a 50) that I picked up in the F-Type. What you can't tell from the video is how good the V6 sounds. How it does a nice little wake-the-neighbours blip when you switch it on.

2016 Jaguar XF Review

We last drove the new Jaguar XF in Spain last September, sampling it in 380-horsepower S spec and in 2.0-liter turbodiesel forms. We found both versions to provide a supple ride, despite some body roll, and loved the supercharged model's ample thrust from any engine speed. The ZF-provided eight-speed automatic was also applauded for its competence, making the sport paddles an unnecessary formality. If anything, our last drive only left us pining for a better infotainment system, as Jaguar Land Rover's painfully outdated one has been a target of our ire for a while. A limited amount of time behind the wheel, and a desire to see how much the slightly less powerful 2016 Jaguar XF 35t R-Sport gives away to its S-badged stablemate, leads us to our tester. In British Racing Green, the new XF is both more handsome than the slightly manic-looking old XF, yet also slightly more anonymous. This is a lithe shape, with crisp lines and few gimmicks, save the fender vents, which are about as tasteful as that element comes. The car's charms are especially evident from up front. Despite a distracting cut line, the hood is tastefully built up in two steps: a sharp rise from the headlight/fender area, and in the middle a tasteful power bulge. The overall effect is one of thoughtful, purposeful design – after all, this is Ian Callum's work – rather than taking a corporate-mandated design language and scaling it up or down to suit the hardpoints. Spend some time around FCA's UConnect system and you'll see where Jaguar needs to improve. Inside, this XF is a mixed bag. Let's start with the positives. Despite being shod in a rather boring black hide, the front seats are wonderfully comfortable and supportive without aggressive bolstering. The cabin would really wake up with a more interesting leather, like the brown that Jaguar calls "Brogue," covering the seats and door panels. Whatever you think of the rotary shift selector, the knurling on its diameter and the solidity of its action conveys the sense of craftsmanship you'd expect from a British luxury car. Some other controls, such as the cheap-looking and -feeling control stalks sprouting form the otherwise wonderful steering wheel, do not. And that takes us to the infotainment system. This XF does away with Jaguar's old, much-maligned user interface, which was blocky and balky in equal measures.

Jaguar Classic heading to Le Mans with vintage racers

A grid full of vintage Jaguars will rumble into France in July to race in the Jaguar Classic Challenge during the Le Mans Classic. The event should give motorsport fans plenty to watch with a bevy of pre-1966 Jags on the famous circuit, including E-Types, XKs, C-Types, D-Types, and even the company's sedans. Jaguar launched the vintage racing series last year to build on the success of the popular E-type Challenge. It continues with a five-event calendar this season but swaps out a meeting at Brands Hatch to go to Le Mans – hard to argue with that change. The drivers also get to lap Donington Park, Silverstone, the Nurburgring, and Oulton Park. Le Mans is practically a home track for these classic Jags. The British automaker dominated the 24-hour race there in the 1950s, including overall victories in '51, '53, '55, '56, and '57. "Watching a diverse array of pre-1966 Jaguars racing on the iconic circuit, some of which even raced there in period, will surely be a sight not to be missed," Tim Hannig, Jaguar Land Rover Classic Director, said in the season announcement. Again, we find it hard to argue with that sentiment. Related Video: Iconic Jaguar sportscars will return to the Le Mans circuit as the Jaguar Classic Challenge confirms Le Mans Classic in revised 2016 calendar Race series is part of Jaguar Land Rover Classic business specialising in cars, services, parts and experiences First race commences at the Donington Historic Festival on 30 April - 2 May Drivers wishing to take part in the true spirit of classic racing in 2016 can visit the dedicated web page at http://www.hscc.org.uk/jaguar-classic-challenge for full details Whitley, Coventry - 01 February, 2016: Excitement levels are building for the second season of the Jaguar Classic Challenge as the Le Mans Classic is confirmed for inclusion in the all-new race calendar for 2016. The Le Mans Classic will be one of the major highlights of the forthcoming season that will see a diverse field of pre-1966 Jaguars going wheel-to-wheel in the competitive single-marque series. Jaguar has a long and successful history at Le Mans, with the marque first winning there back in 1951 with Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead driving the C-type - affectionately known as XKC 003. A one-two finish followed this in 1953 with the duo of Tony Rolt and Duncan Hamilton taking overall honours. Jaguar dominated Le Mans for three consecutive years in 1955, 1956 and 1957 in the D-type.

The 200-mph Jaguar F-Type SVR is coming to Geneva

Jaguar has good news for us: The new F-Type SVR will make its grand debut at March's Geneva Motor Show. Following up on leaked stats from last week, Jag confirms the hardtop F-Type SVR will be capable of hitting 200 miles per hour. The British brand doesn't go much further in confirming other details from last week's report, though. So even though the top end's extra 14 mph has to come from somewhere, we still can't be certain it'll be thanks to a reported 567 horsepower or 516 pound-feet of torque. Jag also won't yet confirm the reported claim of a 3.7-second sprint to 62 mph. What the company is saying, though, is that its first SVR-badged model will be "lighter, faster, and more powerful." JLR's Special Operations boss, John Edwards, calls the new SVR an "all-weather supercar." That lends credence to initial reports that the hottest F-Type will send its power to all four wheels. While the F-Type SVR will hit the Geneva stage on March 1, we won't be waiting that long for all the details – Jaguar will release a complete array of images and details on February 17. We'll have more then. 200MPH JAGUAR F-TYPE SVR TO MAKE GLOBAL DEBUT AT 2016 GENEVA MOTOR SHOW (MAHWAH, N.J.) – January 26, 2016 - The new 2017 Jaguar F-TYPE SVR will make its global debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show on March 1, 2016 and will go on sale in summer 2016. Capable of accelerating to 200mph, the new F-TYPE SVR is the first Jaguar to wear the SVR badge and is developed to exploit the two-seat aluminum sports car's full potential while retaining its day-to-day usability. Lighter, faster and more powerful, the new F-TYPE SVR takes performance, dynamics and driver involvement to a new level yet retains the comfort and duality of character inherent to all Jaguar cars. "The new F-TYPE SVR is the first series production Jaguar car to be developed by Special Vehicle Operations and benefits from everything we know about precision engineering, performance and design," said John Edwards, Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations. "The result is a 200mph, all-weather supercar that you can drive every day – we even made a Convertible version so that enthusiasts can revel in the sound from the new titanium exhaust system." The new F-TYPE SVR will join the 2017 Model Year F-TYPE Coupe and Convertible range comprising of the F-TYPE, F-TYPE Premium, F-TYPE S, F-TYPE British Design Edition and F-TYPE R.

Jaguar F-Type SVR leaks with more power, aggressive looks

Jaguar's new F-Type SVR just leaked online, and according to the German brochure posted by Autovisie the new model in the range is a powerhouse with 567 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque (according to our conversions) from its 5.0-liter supercharged V8. Those figures give the SVR 25 hp and 14 lb-ft over the current all-wheel drive F-Type R. That's according to the brochure, anyway. US figures might vary slightly. The F-Type SVR is solely available with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive, and the powertrain can get the coupe to a top speed of 200 miles per hour or 194 mph for the convertible. Acceleration is also quite brisk with the run to 62 mph lasting just 3.7 seconds, which makes the new model even quicker than the Project 7's 3.8-second sprint to 60 mph. The SVR shows off its extra power through a more aggressive nose with larger intakes and slats behind the front wheels to pull cool air past the brakes. The rear also gets a wing and larger diffuser. The brochure lists optional carbon ceramic brakes that are 46 pounds lighter overall than traditional units. A titanium exhaust can also shed about 26 pounds and probably makes the supercharged V8 sound even fiercer. Spy shots have shown the SVR testing, but Jaguar hasn't said anything official about it. Still, this brochure looks legit. The document makes no mention of price, but you can expect a premium over the F-Type R's $104,595 (after $995 destination) for the coupe and $107,445 for the convertible. You can check out more photos of the SVR and download the full brochure from Autovisie. Related Video:

Jaguar F-Type gets even more British with Design Edition

Short of maybe driving a Morgan while wearing tweed and smoking a pipe, automobiles don't come much more quintessentially British than a Jaguar. But now the F-Type is going to be even more so with the launch of the new British Design Edition. It's based on the six-cylinder F-Type S, but upgrades with a series of special touches to set it apart. Red, white, and blue are the dominant colors from which buyers will be able to choose both the exterior color and that of the interior contrast stitching. The leather interior comes in black, and those less patriotically inclined can spec the outside to match. The British Design Edition also features 20-inch wheels in dark gray satin finish, packing upgraded brakes with red calipers. The Design package comes standard with upgraded aero, as does the 12-speaker Meridian sound system. And naturally there are special insignia inside and out. Buyers will be able to choose between coupe or convertible and rear- or all-wheel drive, but either way motivation comes in the form of JLR's 3.0-liter supercharged V6, driving 380 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission. Only 300 units will be coming to the United States, with prices starting at $92,100 (plus a $995 destination charge) – representing a substantial $14.8k premium over the $77,300 price of entry for an F-Type S Coupe. Spec one out with similar options and you'd be looking at $86,250, which makes the privilege (and resale value) of acquiring the limited edition a $5,850 proposition. Any way you cut it, though, the elbow patches cost extra.