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Can a Jaguar XKR-S be drifted while blindfolded?

Bring together a 550-horsepower Jaguar XKR-S and a rain-soaked skidpad, and it's almost impossible to not end up in a sideways drift... accidental or on purpose. With that in mind, the gang over at Autocar got a hold of the monstrous XKR-S for the latest installment of "Will it Drift?," only they raised the stakes a little by attempting the feat with a blindfolded driver
We've driven the XKR-S a number of times here at Autoblog (including a First Drive, Review and Quick Spin), so we weren't at all surprised to learn that blind drifting in the car is possible. But what is remarkable is the ease at which it happened. This, of course, can be credited as much to the car as to the driver, Steve Sutcliffe. Check out the impressive video for yourself, which is posted after the jump.

Jaguar XF Sportbrake teased in Wimbledon promotion

Until this moment, we'd only seen spy photos of the Jaguar XF Sportbrake. Now we get our first official look at the long-roof Jaguar with the above teaser photo. Pleasantly, this isn't an image of the car in shadows, but rather in full light. It happens to be a bird's-eye-view image, so there isn't much we can tell about the car aside from confirming it is indeed a wagon. That's not to say we can't tell anything, though. Close examination of the tail reveals that Jaguar has opted for more conventional, body-colored D-pillars. This is a contrast to the previous XF Sportbrake that featured piano black D-pillar panels that were reminiscent of the ones on the XJ flagship sedan. Another interesting detail is that glass roof. There don't appear to be any seams along it, indicating that this is one massive, fixed panel. Odds are an opening variant is available, but that version probably won't have the same unbroken view of the sky. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. We also get one other teaser of the XF Sportbrake via a video in which Ian Callum talks about lines with the head groundskeeper of Wimbledon. Apparently Jaguar is providing cars for this year's tennis tournament, so some kind of marketing tie-in was inevitable. The video is pretty much what you would expect, with Callum saying flowery things about different kinds of lines and the lines on Jaguars. But at the very end, a silhouette of the XF Sportbrake is shown on the Wimbledon center court. It doesn't show much, but it is something. You can check it out for yourself at the end of the video above. In addition to these teasers, Jaguar announced that the car will be available later this year. No regions were announced, but don't hold your breath for the US market. The previous version was never offered here, and now Jaguar has the American-friendly F-Pace crossover to satiate Jaguar buyers needing more cargo space. So we don't see much of a case for bringing it here. That being said, we would certainly be happy if it came to the States. Related Video:

Jaguar Land Rover invests $1.5B to build factory in Slovakia

Jaguar Land Rover will invest 1 billion pounds ($1.5 billion at current rates) to build a new factory in Nitra, Slovakia. Construction will commence in 2016, and the site will have an initial capacity of 150,000 vehicles a year when the first of them roll out in late 2018. JLR expects to employ 2,800 people there. JLR won't yet say what vehicle it will build in Slovakia, other than it will be an all-new aluminum model. The 2018 timing for the plant's start of production seems to coincide with the launch of the radically different next-gen Land Rover Defender, though. Earlier reports suggested that JLR also considered locations in North America, particularly Georgia, and Europe for the new factory. However, the company signaled the Slovakia choice earlier this year when it signed a letter of intent with the government there in August. The automaker then did a final feasibility study before committing to the site. The new factory continues JLR's recent manufacturing expansion. The company opened an engine plant in the UK last year and a factory in China. There will also be one soon in Brazil, and it will reportedly bid to buy the Silverstone Circuit as a new headquarters. JAGUAR LAND ROVER CONFIRMS NEW FACTORY IN SLOVAKIA • New world-class premium manufacturing facility confirmed in Nitra • The next stage of the Company's plans for sustainable global growth • Today's announcement also supports long-term investment in the UK Bratislava, Slovakia – Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed that it will be the first British carmaker to open a manufacturing facility in Slovakia. The announcement follows an agreement between the company and the Government of the Slovak Republic to build a new plant in the city of Nitra, western Slovakia. The new world-class GBP1 billion premium manufacturing facility will eventually employ around 2,800 people. Today's announcement follows Jaguar Land Rover's recent confirmation to double its investment in its engine plant in the UK to almost GBP1 billion – the largest injection into a new British manufacturing plant in decades creating several hundred new jobs. Dr Ralf Speth, Chief Executive Officer, Jaguar Land Rover commented, "Jaguar Land Rover is delighted today to welcome Slovakia into our family. The new factory will complement our existing facilities in the UK, China, India and Brazil and marks the next step in the company's strategy to become a truly global business.