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Jay Leno's Garage drives Steve McQueen's 1956 Jaguar XKSS

Steve McQueen might be the coolest American male of the 20th century. With movies like Bullitt and Le Mans, McQueen established himself as the king of cool of his era, and on the list of actors you would pick for a fantasy racing team - he or Paul Newman are the natural first choices. The latest Jay Leno's Garage video highlights one of McQueen's most special cars - a 1956 Jaguar XKSS.
Just 16 XKSS models were made because a fire at the Jaguar factory halted production. It was meant to be a street version of the company's very successful D-Type racer, with a modified version of its 3.4-liter straight-six-engine and a four-speed manual gearbox. McQueen clearly had an eye for great vehicles. He drove his Jag around Los Angeles years after it was a cutting-edge piece of technology. Since then, it became part of the Petersen Automotive Museum in LA. Autoblog's The List even took a ride in it when the show visited the museum.
The XKSS is one of the pinnacles of automotive design of the '50s, and its association with McQueen makes this example even more extraordinary. Leno is in love with the car from the moment he sees it, and it's hard to argue with him. Between its emphasized curves and raspy exhaust, this is one sexy Jag. Scroll down to get an eyeful and earful from one of McQueen's favorite cars.

2017 Jaguar Model Year Preview and Updates

Jaguar, the upscale Brit, is currently enjoying a resurgence in the US, built on an improved value proposition, credible quality, better reliability, and an expanded lineup. That larger lineup now includes an all-new XE four door sedan and Jaguar's first crossover, the F-Pace - pictured above. JAGUAR F-TYPE: An entry-level F-Type has been added to the lineup, improving its accessibility by some $3,600 on the F-Type coupe and roughly $2,700 for the F-Type convertible. XE: Jaguar's compact four door is all-new, and intended to make headway into the sport sedan market long dominated by BMW's 3 Series and, more recently, Audi's A4. The XE brings a tightly drawn platform, responsive drive character and three powertrains to the table, including a 2.0-liter turbocharged diesel. It is on sale now. XF: Jaguar's midsize 'saloon' adds a 2.0-liter turbodiesel to its menu, along with Configurable Dynamics. This optional package allows individual settings for suspension, steering, throttle and transmission. XJ: Jaguar's 2017 XJ builds on the 2016 refresh with the addition of new colors and wheels. F-Pace: Jaguar's first crossover has everything it needs to compete with Porsche's Macan, BMW's X3/X5 and M-B's GLC/GLE. As this suggests, the F-Pace is a 'tweener, sitting between compact and midsize crossovers. It seats five, and is available with either a 2.0-liter turbodiesel or supercharged V6. The line starts at your local Jaguar showroom.

European automakers gear up for Brazilian production

Brazil is the place to be, apparently. Toyota has been investing in the South American country, as has BMW, which announced a $261 million investment in October 2012, on the heels of an Audi factory announcement in San José Chiapa. The high-end immigration is only set to continue, as Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar-Land Rover have both announced plans to set up manufacturing operations there.
Mercedes is the big news here, as its new facility will see the German manufacturer invest 170-million euros for production of its next-generation C-Class and upcoming GLA-Class. "Brazil is an important future market. With our local production we accept the challenge and take on the competition," noted Andreas Renschler, Management Board member for Production and Procurement at Mercedes-Benz Cars and Mercedes-Benz Vans. Production is expected to begin by 2016.
Jaguar-Land Rover, meanwhile, isn't so concrete in its plans. The news of its investment in South America comes from a job posting for a plant quality manager in Brazil that was picked up by the UK's AutoCar. "Portuguese language skills will be definite advantage" for interested candidates, according to the job listing. The want ad follows on the heels of remarks by Jaguar Land Rover's Dr. Ralph Speth, who said there are "very intensive discussions" with Brazil's government. Unlike Mercedes, there's no mention of which vehicles will be produced in South America, although AutoCar thinks the Freelander, sold in the US as the LR2, is a leading contender.