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Jaguar Classic heading to Le Mans with vintage racers

A grid full of vintage Jaguars will rumble into France in July to race in the Jaguar Classic Challenge during the Le Mans Classic. The event should give motorsport fans plenty to watch with a bevy of pre-1966 Jags on the famous circuit, including E-Types, XKs, C-Types, D-Types, and even the company's sedans. Jaguar launched the vintage racing series last year to build on the success of the popular E-type Challenge. It continues with a five-event calendar this season but swaps out a meeting at Brands Hatch to go to Le Mans – hard to argue with that change. The drivers also get to lap Donington Park, Silverstone, the Nurburgring, and Oulton Park. Le Mans is practically a home track for these classic Jags. The British automaker dominated the 24-hour race there in the 1950s, including overall victories in '51, '53, '55, '56, and '57. "Watching a diverse array of pre-1966 Jaguars racing on the iconic circuit, some of which even raced there in period, will surely be a sight not to be missed," Tim Hannig, Jaguar Land Rover Classic Director, said in the season announcement. Again, we find it hard to argue with that sentiment. Related Video: Iconic Jaguar sportscars will return to the Le Mans circuit as the Jaguar Classic Challenge confirms Le Mans Classic in revised 2016 calendar Race series is part of Jaguar Land Rover Classic business specialising in cars, services, parts and experiences First race commences at the Donington Historic Festival on 30 April - 2 May Drivers wishing to take part in the true spirit of classic racing in 2016 can visit the dedicated web page at http://www.hscc.org.uk/jaguar-classic-challenge for full details Whitley, Coventry - 01 February, 2016: Excitement levels are building for the second season of the Jaguar Classic Challenge as the Le Mans Classic is confirmed for inclusion in the all-new race calendar for 2016. The Le Mans Classic will be one of the major highlights of the forthcoming season that will see a diverse field of pre-1966 Jaguars going wheel-to-wheel in the competitive single-marque series. Jaguar has a long and successful history at Le Mans, with the marque first winning there back in 1951 with Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead driving the C-type - affectionately known as XKC 003. A one-two finish followed this in 1953 with the duo of Tony Rolt and Duncan Hamilton taking overall honours. Jaguar dominated Le Mans for three consecutive years in 1955, 1956 and 1957 in the D-type.

Lister introduces 666 hp, 208 mph limited edition Thunder

Lister is one of the most storied nameplates when it comes to Jaguar-based racing cars, with tons of Le Mans heritage on its shoulders. The company says it's Britain's oldest surviving racing car company. As well as racing cars, Lister has produced several road-going specials, such as the widened XJ-S derivative called Le Mans and the Storm, whose 7-liter V12-engine was not only based on the XJR-9 racing car, but also the biggest V12 engine fitted to a production car since WWII. Now, in addition to continuation specials like the reborn Knobbly, there is a new Lister on the market — boldly called the Thunder. The Thunder is based on the F-Type, but its supercharged 5-liter V8 has been re-engineered to reach 666 horsepower. It will reach 62 mph in just 3.2 seconds, 100 mph in 6.8 seconds and go all the way to 208 mph. To compare a production F-Type SVR to the Thunder, the Jaguar-badged car has 99 less horsepower and takes half a second longer to hit 62 mph. There will only be 99 units built, and they are priced at almost $200,000 in the UK — we reached out to Lister for a confirmation whether the cars will be made available to U.S. buyers. But they are selling out soon, as Lister today announced that in the 24 hours since the unveiling of the Thunder, 22 customers already put in an order, worth in excess of $4.37 million. But the Thunder will be much more than a limited edition plaque in the dashboard (and that 99 extra horsepower); the paintwork and the interior will be bespoke to the specially built car. The modifications to turn an F-Type into a Lister Thunder will be carried out at Lister's historic facility in Cambridge, UK. Related Video: Featured Gallery Lister Thunder Aftermarket Jaguar Luxury Performance lister

Jaguar F-Pace runs support at Tour de France

Jaguar is going back to the Tour de France. The British automaker will once again support Team Sky in its latest campaign for cycling's biggest prize by loaning out an F-Pace prototype that will run during the brutal first stage of this year's event. This marks our first genuine look at the production sheetmetal, which is lightly obscured by the Team Sky/Jaguar camouflage. Sporting a black theme, it features blue accents, carbon fiber, rubber, and chain elements reminiscent of a racing bike. Outside of that, it looks a lot like C-X17 Concept that previewed the F-Pace. Like the F-Type that was used by Team Sky in last year's race, the F-Pace will carry the team's director and a driver. They'll be joined this year by a mechanic and the team's physician, while the large trunk will house sports drinks, clothing for the riders, and spare parts for their bikes. "We are delighted to be supporting Team Sky again at such a prestigious sporting event and are excited at the prospect of the F-Pace being seen in action in public for the first time," Kevin Stride, the CUV's line director, said in the attached statement. "The Jaguar F-Pace is a striking balance of performance, style, and practicality. And what better way to showcase the vehicle's attributes than on this crucial first leg of the Tour de France." Scroll down for the full press release from Jaguar. JAGUAR F-PACE PROTOTYPE TO LEAD TEAM SKY AT THE TOUR DE FRANCE #FPACE STRICTLY UNDER EMBARGO UNTIL 00:01 BST WEDNESDAY 1 JULY 2015 ? Jaguar F-PACE breaks cover at the Tour de France as official Team Sky support vehicle ? Prototype version of Jaguar's first performance crossover will be seen in public for the first time with light camouflage ? Team Sky rider Chris Froome stars alongside the Jaguar F-PACE in a short film showing real world testing of the prototype at their training camp ? Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations designs cutting edge bike racking solution to optimise quick-release of Team Sky's Pinarello Bolide TT bikes for Stage One Wednesday 1 July 2015: Jaguar will set the pace for Team Sky this Saturday when a prototype version of the highly anticipated Jaguar F-PACE will support the team at the Tour de France Grand Depart in Utrecht. Jaguar's first performance crossover is due to be revealed later in the year and is in its final stages of development.