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Jaguar I-Pace gets discreet nip-and-tuck in global markets

Jaguar has given the I-Pace, its first series-produced electric model, a round of minor visual and packaging updates. The crossover gets a nip-and-tucked front end, additional paint options, and in some markets a restructured trim level hierarchy, among other small changes. The biggest design update is positioned front and center — literally. The new-look I-Pace receives a smooth insert that replaces the grille-like trim fitted to the outgoing model. It's finished in Atlas Gray, and this color also appears on the trim pieces positioned on either end of the lower part of the front bumper. Jaguar also fitted a black and silver emblem to the front end, and it changed the color of some exterior trim pieces from black to gray. The company explains that it made those changes to simplify the I-Pace's design while reducing visual mass. Most of the remaining design changes are subtle: Every I-Pace trim level now comes standard with diamond-turned wheels, and some variants get a Black Pack that adds gloss black exterior trim. Finally, Eiger Gray and Carpathian Gray join the palette of available colors. We're still waiting for the hot-rodded I-Pace that Jaguar alluded to in 2019. In the meantime, the global range includes three trim levels called R-Dynamic S, R-Dynamic SE, and R-Dynamic HSE, respectively. Buyers in England can also select a range-topping model called 400 Sport. It doesn't sound like Jaguar made major drivetrain changes. Power comes from a pair of electric motors (one per axle) that zap the four wheels with 394 horsepower and 512 pound-feet of torque. Jaguar quotes a 4.5-second sprint from zero to 60 mph, and the 90-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack holds enough electricity to deliver up to 246 miles of range with 20-inch wheels, or 217 miles with 22-inch wheels. Jaguar hasn't announced the aforementioned changes for the American market yet; as of writing, they apply exclusively to models sold on the European market. We've reached out to the company for additional details, and we'll update this story if we learn more. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2018 Jaguar XJR575 First Drive Review | Everyone loves an underdog, right?

The number is right there, nestled smack in the middle against the windshield in red: 575. In case you missed it, there are another four red 575s stitched into the seat backs. You might excuse Jaguar for the numerical ostentation, but with manufacturers taking the horsepower arms race nuclear, the 6-year-old XJR sure could use a hook. What better way to stand out than an engine output humblebrag? The $122,400 Jaguar XJR575 gains 25 horsepower for 2018 thanks to software recalibration, which helps scoot the 17-foot-long four-door to 60 mph in a claimed 4.2 seconds. I'm gunning the XJR575 along the mountainous passes near the Alvao Natural Park in northern Portugal to find out whether the upgrade is enough to keep this underdog relevant in the fevered pitch of the high-dollar sedan market. Glance at the Jag in profile, and you might doubt its athleticism. Though nearly identical in length to a long-wheelbase BMW 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class (and 1.8 inches shorter than the Audi A8L), the XJR575's sloping rear window and rounder styling lend it a somewhat lazier, more lavish appearance. It's also long in the tooth, this design having been first introduced in 2009, but it wears its age surprisingly well. Frankly, you just don't see XJ-series Jags as often as their strong-selling competitors, and that keeps them looking fresher, somehow. In contrast, the Germans have kept their exterior lines purposeful and contemporary looking, with more frequent redesigns furthering their cause. Climb inside, and the XJR's premium trim lends a bit more modernity to the familiar cabin. For starters, the diamond-quilted and perforated leather seats offer solid support, but they might be a bit firm for long hauls. Unlike other XJs, the XJR and R-Sport trims don't offer a massaging feature, an unfortunate sacrifice that is available on most, if not all, of the competitive set. The rear quarters do, however, offer enough legroom for serious stretching out. Tall swaths of carbon fiber trim the door panels while another thin rim of carbon extends around the dashboard, a design shorthand for sportiness despite the fact that the XJR is only available stateside in long-wheelbase form. An Alcantara headliner aids the high-end argument. A few aging elements show cracks in the facade, among them the ungainly seams at the dashboard's center and switchgear that's grown more than a bit long in the tooth.

London skyscraper caught melting cars

A new skyscraper under construction in London is apparently to blame for some mysteriously melting car parts on the city's surrounding streets. The 37-story building at 20 Fenchurch Street, nicknamed the "Walkie Talkie" for how it looks, features a convex side of glass windows that apparently concentrates the sun's rays like a kid with a magnifying glass. Instead of smiting ants, however, the building was caught focusing its sun-sourced laser death beam on an innocent Jaguar XJ parked on Eastcheap street. The intense heat managed to melt a sideview mirror, plastic C-pillar cover and Jaguar emblem (scroll down for an image of the damage).
Fortunately, the construction company, Land Securities, had some scruples and reportedly left a note on the car for its owner reading "Your car's buckled, could you give us a call?" They've also since apologized and agreed to pay for the £946 done - about $1,500 - in damages by their blazing hot building. A joint statement with the Canary Wharf district in which the building's located was also released. In it, the developer acknowledges concerns about the reflected light and says it's looking into the matter. The city has also decided to close a few parking bays that could be in the building's line of fire, so to speak, until a solution can be engineered. Since news of the melting Jag broke, other vehicle owners have also come forward claiming the building, re-nicknamed the "Walkie Scorchie," has damaged their cars, as well.
This isn't the first shiny-new-building-attacks-cars story we've heard - architect Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles was built amidst concern that its polished ribbons of stainless steel were blinding motorists and causing accidents, along with raising the temperatures of nearby buildings with its reflected light. The building's surfaces were later given a matte polish.