1974 Jaguar Xj12l 350 Chevy Conversion on 2040-cars

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Jaguar F-Type gets even more British with Design Edition

Short of maybe driving a Morgan while wearing tweed and smoking a pipe, automobiles don't come much more quintessentially British than a Jaguar. But now the F-Type is going to be even more so with the launch of the new British Design Edition. It's based on the six-cylinder F-Type S, but upgrades with a series of special touches to set it apart. Red, white, and blue are the dominant colors from which buyers will be able to choose both the exterior color and that of the interior contrast stitching. The leather interior comes in black, and those less patriotically inclined can spec the outside to match. The British Design Edition also features 20-inch wheels in dark gray satin finish, packing upgraded brakes with red calipers. The Design package comes standard with upgraded aero, as does the 12-speaker Meridian sound system. And naturally there are special insignia inside and out. Buyers will be able to choose between coupe or convertible and rear- or all-wheel drive, but either way motivation comes in the form of JLR's 3.0-liter supercharged V6, driving 380 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission. Only 300 units will be coming to the United States, with prices starting at $92,100 (plus a $995 destination charge) – representing a substantial $14.8k premium over the $77,300 price of entry for an F-Type S Coupe. Spec one out with similar options and you'd be looking at $86,250, which makes the privilege (and resale value) of acquiring the limited edition a $5,850 proposition. Any way you cut it, though, the elbow patches cost extra.

Jaguar XE to start at $35,895, XF at $52,895

Jaguar has announced pricing for two of its most anticipated models, the new, entry-level XE sedan and the second-generation XF. The British marque also released price changes across its range and unveiled a new customer service pack called EliteCare. As you can see from the headline, the new XE starts at $35,895. That'll score you the base model, the so-called 25t, and its 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder engine. That puts the baby Jag right in the meat of a very competitive segment. It'll be undercut by the Cadillac ATS, BMW 320i, and Acura TLX, but it's a good bit more affordable than the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, Infiniti Q50, or Lexus IS. If you like your fuel extra smelly and your torque to be offered by the bucket-full, be prepared to shell out $37,395. The 340-horsepower, 3.0-liter, supercharged-V6-powered XE 35t will require at least $42,695. The XE's big brother, meanwhile, is subject to a significant price drop. The new base model, the 340-horsepower 35t, rings up at just $52,895, or over $5,200 less than the entry level V6-powered 2015 XF. Once again, Jag has parked itself in the middle of a popular segment, although unlike the XE, the vehicles that undercut the XF – the Infiniti Q70 and Acura RLX – are old or not particularly popular among consumers. That's good news for JLR, since the new sedan easily undercuts the BMW 5 Series and Audi A6, while sneaking in just below the likes of the Mercedes E-Class or Cadillac CTS. And if you're in mourning for the 2.0-liter, turbocharged XF, don't be – the new 35t is only $2,000 more expensive, is lighter, and has 100 more horsepower. Finally, we have Jaguar's new EliteCare program. Essentially, should you purchase anything from model year 2016 and beyond, your car will be subject to a limited warranty, free scheduled service, and 24/7 roadside assistance for five years or the first 60,000 miles of ownership. Owners will also have access to Jaguar's InControl Remote and Protect services for the first 60 months. According to the Brits, the warranty is the best in the class, while the free maintenance lasts longer than the competition. Read on for the full press release from Jaguar, which includes details and other small pricing tweaks for the company's range.

Audi and Jaguar Land Rover recalls address seatbelt issues

Audi and Jaguar Land Rover are each recalling several thousand vehicles for separate potential seatbelt issues. The recalls cover the 2022 Audi A3 and S3; 2022 Jaguar F-Type, F-Pace and XF; and the 2022-23 Land Rover Defender, Discovery, Discovery Sport, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Velar. Examples of these vehicles may have shipped with seatbelt pretensioners that will not function properly in the event of an accident.  Audi is recalling its sedans for tensioner devices that may not adequately restrain drivers or passengers during a crash. The issue was discovered during Korean market crash testing of the high-performance RS 3.  "The seat belt tensioner in the affected vehicles serve the purpose of holding the passenger in his position in the seat," Audi said in its defect report to NHTSA. "In the event of a crash, the retention force of the seat belt may not reach the intended level. As a result, the position of the body can be further to the front of the seat, which leads to a negative influence on the whole restraint system, increasing the risk of injury." A different company, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), meanwhile, also has an issue with a batch of pretensioners installed in its cars and SUVs. Pretensioners are the devices that fire off to rapidly retract the seatbelt when a crash is detected. Most utilize an explosive charge and pressure tube JLR says that some pretensioner devices provided by one of its suppliers may not have properly-specified pressure tubes that may not channel the gasses to the retraction mechanism correctly.  "A damaged front seat belt pretensioner tube may have been installed on the seat belt retractor," JLR's report said. "This may result in a reduced level or complete loss of pre-tensioning in the event of a crash and increased occupant injury." Owners of the models included in both recall campaigns should receive notices from the manufacturers in the coming months.  Related video: Recalls Audi Jaguar Land Rover Ownership Safety SUV Sedan