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Is Jaguar testing an electrified XE?

Rumors about Jaguar Land Rover moving further into electrification for its models have been circulating for the last several months. Thanks to some new spy shots, there's even more evidence that the company could have a hybrid or electric model on the way. According to our spies, this rather innocuous looking XE was spied with a group of camouflaged XF and F-Pace prototypes in Spain. Everything about the luxury sedan looks fairly stock until you see the rear end. There, just under the taillight, is a circular blue badge with an "E" in it. That emblem and the vehicle being with other test cars hints at the possibility of Jaguar doing something electrified with the vehicle. Unfortunately, there are no other clues here to determine exactly what is happening underneath the skin. Jaguar Land Rover has been insinuating its intention to build greener models for a while. The company even founded an engineering center partially for them in 2013. A fully electric powertrain is reportedly under development to slot into the F-Pace and maybe also for a Land Rover. Meanwhile, Jag has a trademark on the name EV-Type. With these new photos, the signs of JLR's coming electrification continue to mount.

Lotus Esprit S1 gets wet and wild in 'Forza Horizon 4' James Bond trailer

It only makes sense. When the official trailer for Forza Horizon 4 ( FH4) first debuted at E3, details showed the game is set in Britain. Those who were ahead of the curve might have recognized this as a foreshadowing of sorts. Celebrating the launch of FH4's XBOX One and Windows 10 demo on Sept. 12, Playground Games announced that the next version of the beloved racing simulator will launch with an available Best of Bond pack that includes many of James Bond's storied rides. As expected, the list is heavy on the Aston Martin, but there are plenty of other goodies, too. Included in the 10-car pack are the 1964 Aston Martin DB5, a 1969 Aston Martin DBS, a 1986 Aston Martin V8, a 2008 Aston Martin DBS, a 2015 Aston Martin DB10, a 1974 AMC Hornet X Hatchback, a 1977 Lotus Esprit S1, a 1981 Citroen 2CV6, a 1999 BMW Z8, and a 2010 Jaguar C-X75. If you can name every movie that all of these vehicles are from, pat yourself on the back and grab a martini. View 15 Photos Microsoft is rewarding those who are all-in on FH4. The Best of Bond pack will come with the Ultimate Edition of the game that is allowed an early play date, starting Sept. 28. For those who haven't fully committed, the Best of Bond pack will be available as an add-on for purchase when the game launches globally on Oct. 2. The action-packed trailer shows many of the vehicles transforming or busting out tricks they're known for from the films, including the Lotus emerging from the sea. Although players will not be able to drive any vehicles under water (that we know of), several of the gadgets will make it into the game and will be viewable during Forzavista mode. The '64 DB5 has many of its features, such as the bumper rams and revolving license plate, while the Lotus will have an available body kit, fins and all. The Bond pack also comes with a few features irrelevant to the cars, including two Bond outfits and six "quick chat" phrases that can be used during multiplayer. The pack adds to an already impressive catalogue of vehicles that includes more than 450 different rides. Available now to pre-order, the FH4 Ultimate Edition is priced at $99.99, the Deluxe Edition is $79.99, while the base game is $59.99. For those who love Bond but don't own a gaming system, don't forget about the recently announced DB5 Lego kit.

Jaguar F-Pace, XE getting SVR treatment with supercharged V8

The folks at Jaguar Land Rover's new Special Vehicle Operations division have been fast at work creating new SVR performance models. And they're not about to stop now. Two new Jaguar models are currently in the works, according to Car and Driver, both packing the company's long-serving and celebrated supercharged V8. First up is the F-Pace crossover, which currently tops out with a 380-horsepower supercharged V6. Slotting the bigger engine in under the hood with more than 500 horsepower on tap would go a long way toward living up to the name that suggests both speed and a correlation to the F-Type sportscar. But that's not all JLR's new skunkworks department has in store. Car and Driver reports work is also under way on a more powerful XE to take on the likes of the BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz AMG C63. The automaker is reportedly yet to give it the green light, hemming and hawing over its environmental image, but we hope hotter heads, in this case, prevail. Jaguar's V8 engine is one of its most enduring powertrains and is approaching double the output it originally offered. The 4.0 introduced in 1997 packed 375 horsepower. The latest version in the F-Type SVR (and expected soon to slot into the Range Rover Sport SVR) displaces 5.0 liters and produces 575 supercharged horsepower. With that much muscle, the F-Pace SVR would overpower the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S, BMW X5 M, and Mercedes-AMG GLE63, while the XE SVR would outgun the M3, Cadillac ATS-V, Alfa Romeo Giulia QV, and just about anything else in its class. Related Video: