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Next Jaguar F-Type rumored to get BMW M-sourced 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8

Unless we're discussing the Porsche 911 or Chevrolet Corvette, trying to predict the future of any sports car out there would stump even Miss Cleo. Reportage takes a walking dead theme, as with the next-generation Audi R8. Or it delves a succession of intel from "reliable sources" on every possibility, each one wilder than and incompatible with the last. The newest turn in the rumor cycle for the next-gen Jaguar F-Type says Jaguar's coupe will be fitted with a BMW-sourced 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8. The gossip comes courtesy of Georg Kacher writing in Car magazine. It closes the loop Kacher opened in 2016 when, writing in Automobile, he said BMW was hammering out a deal to provide V8 engines for the top-end Jaguar and Land Rover products. The deal would put more money in BMW's pockets for an engine that's expensive to develop but doesn't sell in large numbers, while weaning Jaguar off the thunderous and thirsty Ford-sourced 5.0-liter supercharged V8. We haven't heard anything else about that deal in the meantime. Since Kacher says the next F-Type will come in 2020, it seems the coupe would be the first car in the JLR range to get BMW power — specifically, BMW M Power. The 4.4-liter V8 codenamed S63 by BMW, but supposedly codenamed Project Jennifer inside JLR, makes 560 hp in standard form, or 625 hp in the M division's Competition vehicles. The current F-Type R Coupe puts out 550 hp, the SVR Coupe puts out 575 hp. However, the cloud of F-Type rumors is wide and nebulous. The head of JLR North America said last year that every product launched after 2020 will have some form of electrification, and we haven't heard of any hybrid plans for the 4.4-liter S63 V8. The next BMW M3 is said to get some sort of hybridization, but that sedan uses an inline-six. When Road & Track spoke to Jaguar design head Ian Callum earlier this month at the Paris Motor Show, the mag asked about a hybrid F-Type. Callum said electrification "is not necessarily the plan," adding, "There's not a plan, to be honest with you." He said what he'd like to do is "a mid-engine-style electric car." When Auto Express reported on Callum's wish, the mag called the product "a hybrid mid-engine supercar" with " dreams of taking on the McLaren 570S and Audi R8," using a V6 engine and powertrain components from the I-Pace. As a pure electric or a hybrid vehicle, this could be a way to get a C-X75-inspired sports car on the road, but it's not an F-Type replacement in either soul or price.

Porsche, Jaguar continue dominance in 2015 JD Power APEAL study

The top of JD Power's 2015 APEAL Study has not changed much in the last year. Porsche remains No. 1 with Jaguar nipping at its heels, although both premium brands saw their overall score fall compared to 2014. For those that need a refresher, the APEAL Study looks at how "gratifying" a vehicle is to own and drive, rating cars and brands on a 1,000-point scale. The industry average for 2015 has increased from 794 to 798, while the total number of automakers that finished above the curve increased from 16 to 20. While Porsche and Jaguar finished at the top, their scores dropped eight and seven points, respectively, to 874 and 855. The top "non-premium" brand was Mini, which scored an impressive 825, up from 795. If the BMW-owned British marque is still a bit too premium for your tastes, last year's non-premium winner, Hyundai, did climb five points and is this year's runner up. At the opposite end of the scale, Smart sits at the very bottom of the rankings, with a score of 683 (it didn't appear on the 2014 rankings). Fiat also dropped, from fourth worst in 2014 to second worst in 2015, despite the 500 being named most appealing city car. Subaru made an impressive climb, from third worst to seventh, falling just 10 points shy of the industry average and two points south of the non-premium average. In the individual vehicle segments, eight brands earned multiple awards, with Ford, Chevrolet, and Porsche earning three apiece. Surprise segment victories included the new Ford Expedition, which beat out Chevy's popular Suburban. The Infiniti QX80 bested the likes of the Cadillac Escalade and Range Rover for best large luxury SUV, and the Dodge Challenger beat its muscle car rivals from Ford and Chevy. Most of the victories, though, were quite predictable. The Mazda6 and CX-5 took wins for the midsize sedan and compact SUV categories respectively, while the Volkswagen Golf captured the compact car win. The Ford F-150 won the large pickup category, while the Porsche Cayman was named most appealing compact premium sporty car. Check out the official release on the 2015 APEAL Study, available below, from JD Power. 2015 U.S. APEAL Study Results The latest safety-related technologies are among the drivers of customer satisfaction with new vehicles, according to the J.D. Power 2015 U.S.

Ford, Toyota clean up in Best Car For The Money Awards

The U.S. News Best Cars for the Money Awards picks winners by looking at the average transaction price, five-year total cost of ownership, the regard a car has from the automotive press, reliability figures from J.D. Power and Associates and safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The result, according to the magazine, is "the best combination of critical acclaim and long-term value."
Ford nabbed six of the 21 categories that received awards this year, the Focus, Fusion, Fusion Hybrid, Taurus, Escape and Edge getting trophies. Toyota and its Lexus and Scion sub-brands took another five, the Tacoma and Tundra owning the two categories given to pickup trucks. The other ten awards were split between Honda with three, Buick with two, and one each for Subaru, BMW, Hyundai, Chevrolet and Mazda.
Follow the link to see all the winners and read about why they were chosen.