Jaguar Xk Base Coupe 2-door on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Porsche tops J.D. Power quality index as Korean brands soar

While complaints about infotainment systems remain a thorn in the side of automakers for J.D. Power's annual Initial Quality Study, there's a lot to celebrate this year. The average number of problems reported per 100 vehicles fell to 112 in 2015 – a three-percent improvement compared to 116 in 2014. The results of this year's survey are based on the responses of over 84,000 people about problems within the first 90 days of buying or leasing a 2015 model-year vehicle. For the third consecutive year, Porsche tops the rankings with an average of 80 problems per 100 vehicles. Although, that's slightly more than the 74 the German sportscar maker scored in 2014. "While the Japanese automakers continue to make improvements, we're seeing other brands, most notably Korean makes, really accelerating the rate of improvement," Renee Stephens, vice president of US automotive quality at J.D. Power, said in the study's release. In fact, Kia ranks as one of the biggest movers in this year's list. The Korean brand jumped to second place from seventh last year. The company had an average of 86 problems per 100 vehicles, a 20-point improvement. Third place went to Jaguar with an average of 93 problems reported, versus last year's second-place finish with 87 of them. Fourth place was Hyundai, and fifth-place Infiniti also earned a gold star for improvement with 97 issues per 100 vehicles – 31-points better than last year. Fiat still anchored the bottom of the list. However, its 161 problems this year is a lot better than the 206 in 2014. Ranked by nationality, Korean brands (Hyundai and Kia) are now leading the industry in initial quality with an average of 90 problems reported per 100 vehicles. According to J.D. Power, this is the first time Europe's figure beat Japan with 113 and 114 issues, respectively. The American brands also averaged 114. Whereas General Motors dominated last year, the segment awards are spread out in 2015. GM, Hyundai, Nissan, and Volkswagen Group are all tied with four models each earning prizes. For more information, you can also see all of the graphs, here. J.D.

1956 Jaguar D-Type could top $5M at Arizona auction

The Jaguar D-Type is an essential element of the marque's history, one of its most successful racing cars, and one of its most beautiful creations. Chassis number XKD 604, pictured here, was the first of six long-nose Jaguar D-Types made for the factory team in 1956. They were, however, far from ubiquitous, with only 53 made for private customers, and another 18 campaigned by the factory racing team. More advanced than the examples that preceded it, this one was equipped with a de Dion rear suspension and fuel injection. It didn't have much of a distinguished racing career to speak of, passing from the factory to the Ecurie Ecosse team in Scotland which kept it in storage for years. After the team's closing, it passed through the hands of two British owners, undergoing a full restoration at the hands of the latter, before trading between two US owners. Although precise pre-sale estimates are available by request to interested parties, RM confirmed to Autoblog that this example "is expected to fetch more than $5 million when it crosses the auction podium in January." According to Sports Car Market, last year the same auction house sold a customer D-Type in Paris for nearly that much. However at its London auction in 2013, another works example failed to sell despite a high bid of over $6.2 million. If this one takes in more than that, it'll set a record for the type. If classic Jaguars aren't your thing, RM also has lined up an enviable roster of Ferraris. Included among them is a yellow '71 Daytona (estimated to fetch over $700k), a silver '91 Testarossa (~$250k), a rare yellow '95 F512 M (~$450k), and a pristine 2011 599 SA Aperta (~$1.3m). Porsche fans will want to check out the '76 911 Turbo (~$250k) and the soft-window '69 911 S Targa (~$225k). With the auction not set to take place until January 28 at the Arizona Biltmore, you can bet there'll be a good number of additional lots consigned between now and then.

2015 Jaguar F-Type V6 S Coupe

My first, ill-fated job in the auto world was at an exotic car dealer in metro Detroit. The job itself sucked, but the cars, they were exceptional. Amidst a sea of Tiptronic Porsche Boxsters, first-gen Mercedes-Benz SLKs and abused second-generation Range Rovers, there were some real gems.
In particular, I have fond memories of a trio of undrivable Jaguar E-Types. Two Series II coupes as well as a Series III convertible (that featured a mostly broken roof) spent the entirety of my brief tenure at the dealership in the back of the musty service garage. I'd make side trips through there just to see the trio of E-Types, which rarely failed to put a big, ridiculous grin on my face.
Since that time in the summer of 2005, there hasn't been a single Jag that's been capable of eliciting the same goofy smile. Not the XFR-S, with its un-aristocratic wing, nor the XKR-S. At the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show, though, Jaguar introduced this F-Type Coupe. Sure, the droptop model had been around for a bit, but I thought it was the new coupe that most captured the E-Type's classic aesthetic, with a swooping roofline, those gorgeous rear haunches and a long, powerful hood. I had to drive one.