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Jaguar XKSS tipped to be next continuation model

After the Jaguar F-Type Project Seven, Range Rover Sport SVR, and run of six continuation Lightweight E-Types, the Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations (SVO) division is plotting its next historic resurrection, and there's a chance it could be the Jaguar XKSS. That's the word from SVO head John Edwards to Dutch outlet Autovisie, but we need to emphasize the word "could," because the XKSS is one of about four finalists - a "major contender" - among a long list of 65 ideas for the Special Operations to devote itself to. Edwards said that SVO projects need to have some kind of story behind them, a qualification the XKSS doesn't lack. In the 1950s Jaguar raced the D-Type to three Le Mans wins among its list of victories, but retired as a factory team at the end of 1955. When Jaguar decided to turn 25 unused D-Type chassis' into road-going cars, the XKSS was created. The company built the 25, but a fire at the Browns Lane factory destroyed nine of them. It is those nine that will be in the continuation run, should the XKSS get the nod. Jaguar has already sold the six E-Type Lightweight models, each one for more a million pounds ($1.52M US). The XKSS could undoubtedly command even more, with its legendary roots; the 1956 model that Steve McQueen bought for $5,000 (and Jay Leno recently drove) is said to be worth thirty million. We have to think that even if the XKSS isn't chosen right now, it will certainly get the green light at some point. Related Video: Featured Gallery Jaguar XK-SS Gathering at Pebble Beach View 13 Photos News Source: Autovisie via Motor AuthorityImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Jaguar Convertible Lightweight Vehicles Racing Vehicles Special and Limited Editions Performance Classics jaguar xkss

Jaguar Land Rover puts the freeze on wounded soldier-athletes [w/video]

For athletes, the cold is often a powerful ally in treating injures, with RICE (rest, ice, compression and elevation) a popular means of treating muscle pulls, bruising and other common forms of discomfort. Did you know, though, that frosty temps are also popular tools for simply recovering from a rough training session?
Well, we're guessing Jaguar Land Rover knew that, as the British company was kind enough to loan out its climactic testing chamber to Jaco van Gass and Luke Darlington, a pair of veterans wounded in their service to Queen and Country. Van Gass, a former private in the Royal Army, and Darlington, a Royal Marine, are attempting to earn a spot on the British Armed Forces cycling team for the upcoming Invictus Games.
The Games, inspired by the Warrior Games held in the United States, are a sporting competition reserved for injured servicemen and women, either active duty or veterans, and is slated to take place from September 10 to 14 in London's former Olympic venues. Van Gass lost his left arm below the elbow after getting hit by a rocket-propelled grenade (he also suffered from a collapsed lung, punctured internal organs, severe shrapnel and blast wounds, a broken tibia and a fractured knee). Darlington, meanwhile, suffered a traumatic brain injury during action in Afghanistan, and he now suffers from weakness in his right side and cognitive issues.

Jaguar Project 7 Concept

The Jaguar Project 7 Concept debuted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed just last month. But unlike most concepts, which serve only to collect fingerprints on a stage, the track-ready one-seater spent its days barreling past the hillclimb crowds with Mike Cross, chief engineer of vehicle integrity at Jaguar, beaming behind its right-hand-drive steering wheel. What's more, the powers that be at Jaguar even let yours truly drive the Project 7 during the Concurs d'Elegance festivities at Pebble Beach last week.
Built on an all-aluminum V8 F-Type chassis with modified suspension, the Project 7 (a name acknowledging Jaguar's seven Le Mans wins between 1951-1990) is best thought of as an F-Type masquerading as a D-Type. The two-door is fitted with a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 good for 550 horsepower (no pictures as Jaguar wouldn't allow us to open the hood). An eight-speed automatic, with a torque converter, sends the power the rear wheels, allowing the single-seat roadster to crack the 60-mph benchmark in just over four seconds.
Modifications to the bodywork include a new lowered windshield, carbon-fiber aerodynamics and a rear fairing with integrated rollover hoop. The driving position has also been lowered by more than an inch, allowing the sole occupant to not only escape the airflow, but take advantage of a lower center of gravity.