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2016 Jaguar XJR meets 1988 XJR9-LM at Silverstone

The current Jaguar XJR is not the first Jaguar XJR. Not by a long shot. In fact there's a long and distinguished history of Jaguar production and racing models that have worn those letters over the years. So to highlight its lineage, Jaguar brought the 2016 model together with its nearly 30-year-old racing namesake to Silverstone. And it brought Andy Wallace along for the ride. Wallace won at Le Mans in 1988 driving the XJR9-LM. Designed for the race track and adorned with iconic Silk Cut livery, the XJR9 looks entirely different from the XJR luxury sedan you can buy today. And with a 7.0-liter V12 mounted amidships instead of the modern sedan's 5.0-liter supercharged V8 placed up front, they're mechanically different beasts as well. But it's not the difference in design, powertrain, or performance that Jaguar is highlighting in this video encounter. Instead, Wallace is impressed by the advancement of the lighting technology from the Le Mans racer he drove in the late 1980s to the sedan sold today. To hear him talk about how they used to use the headlights in the nighttime hours of the famously grueling endurance race is harrowing enough all on its own. Hear his story in the video above. NEW JAGUAR XJR MEETS XJR9-LM AT SILVERSTONE WITH LE MANS WINNER ANDY WALLACE AT THE WHEEL - Andy Wallace drives new Jaguar XJR and Le Mans-winning XJ-R9 LM at Silverstone - XJR9-LM – one of one million XJs now built – back on track at night for the first time since it won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1988 - Track session presents benefits of new Jaguar XJ LED headlights in day and night driving conditions - Wallace discusses new XJR headlight technology, which offers drivers more confidence, safety and performance at night - New short film captures all the action https://youtu.be/IgMxSkJb058 (Whitley, Coventry - 16 November 2015): Legendary racing driver and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Andy Wallace relived his 1988 victory by taking to the Silverstone circuit to drive the Jaguar XJR9-LM during day and night back-to-back with the new 550PS, 5.0-litre Supercharged V8 Jaguar XJR. Wallace discusses his experiences in the XJR9-LM and the new XJR in an exciting new film available to view and share at https://youtu.be/IgMxSkJb058 Driving at night on the Silverstone circuit gave Wallace the opportunity to test the new LED headlights on the new XJ, which are a first for Jaguar. "Driving at Le Mans back in 1988, it was so hard to see at night," said Wallace.

The Jaguar E-Type Lightweight is back on the prowl after a few decades away

Sometimes procrastination has its benefits. Jaguar originally planned to build a run of 18 E-Type Lightweights for racing in the '60s. However, it was only ever to complete 12 of them. It has taken all of the intervening decades to finally get back to the project and build the final run of new Lightweights. While Jag announced the plan recently, the first continuation model was unveiled during the Pebble Beach weekend.
Coming from Jaguar Land Rover's Special Operations unit, these cars are identical to the way they left the factory in the '60s. Jag is even using the same grade of aluminum for the bodies, and the cars are fully compliant for FIA historic racing. Power comes from an aluminum, 3.8-liter inline-six with about 300 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque routed through a four-speed manual gearbox. Who could guess that in 2014 someone could buy a brand new vehicle from a major manufacturer that comes with Weber carbs? Though, Lucas mechanical fuel injection is an option.
While they look old, these new E-types are also a wonder of modern technology. To get things just right, the company laser scanned an original car to create the new bodies. Check out the gallery from the unveiling to see this old cat on the prowl again.

Jaguar Heritage to auction off part of its classic-car collection

A few years back it was reported that Jaguar Land Rover had purchased the James Hull classic car collection in its entirety. The collection is beyond significant, as it was at the time of sale the biggest single collection of British cars in the world and the largest private car collection in the UK. Consisting of 543 cars, it ranged from the mundane to the obscure, including some extremely rare prototypes. There were 130 Jaguars, for example, from the C-type to the D-type to the XKSS. When the cars were put up for sale in 2014, the asking price was a not-insubstantial $170 million. JLR didn't reveal how much it spent to buy the cars, but now it seems the carmaker is about to recoup some of those costs. At least 50 cars from the collection will be sold by auction house Brightwells, as part of the Affordable Classics at Bicester sale on March 21; some reports have said JLR would be eventually offloading as many as 100 cars. Looking at the listing, there are some definite gems in there. Not all cars are British, as there are Citroens, Mercedes-Benzes, a Fiat and a Goggomobil. Jaguars and Land Rovers are notably absent from Brightwells' listing, which we take as a clue that the sale will consist of cars not crucial to JLR's wellbeing and heritage. That said, for a lover of British cars there's a possibility to grab something truly interesting: For example, the Reliant Scimitar Ferguson 4x4 Prototype must be worth preserving. A 4WD pioneer also known for Massey-Ferguson tractors, Ferguson fitted its system in Jensens as well as a prototype 4WD Mustang in the 1960s. The fiberglass-bodied Reliant sports car is an interesting sidenote in Ferguson's history. Then there's a Vauxhall Chevette 2300 HS, which is a veritable rally-bred RWD hot hatch in comparison to the American market Chevrolet Chevette, its distant relative. On the hot hatch front, there are also Metro and Maestro turbos, which offer plenty of poke in a light, boxy body. Or if you view the internet's popular "Worst Cars Ever Made" lists as shopping lists, you could build your own collection of slightly dodgy cars: Start with the unfortunate-looking Vanden Plas Allegro, continue to the malaise-tastic Morris Ital Camper, and finish it off with a late-model Lada Riva wagon from the mid-1990s. Some cars are in tip-top shape, and some are best seen as restoration projects, like the very pretty Borgward Isabella coupe from 1960.