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U.S. issues new tariff threat, this time against British-built cars

WASHINGTON — Britain is the United States' closest ally but their long friendship may be sorely tested as the two countries try to forge a new trade agreement after Britain's exit from the European Union. U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said on Saturday in London that he was optimistic that a bilateral deal with Britain could be reached as soon as this year. But Mnuchin gave up no ground after a second meeting with his UK counterpart, Sajid Javid. Javid has insisted that Britain will proceed with a unilateral digital services tax, despite a U.S. threat to levy retaliatory tariffs on British-made autos. Mnuchin told reporters after Saturday's meeting that such taxes would discriminate against big U.S. tech companies like Alphabet Inc's Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon. The UK Treasury declined to comment on the private meeting. The divide highlights the challenges ahead as the Trump administration seeks a new bilateral agreement with Britain, part of a broader push to rebalance relations with nearly all its major trading partners. The stakes are high — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has pegged the trade deal with United States as a way to ease the pain of breaking with Europe, Britain's largest trade partner. U.S. President Donald Trump, has promised a "massive" trade deal to support Brexit, the product of a populist movement similar to his "America First" agenda. The goodwill and special relationship the two countries have enjoyed for decades may not count for much, experts say. "Trump is not going to be doing Johnson any favors," said Amanda Sloat, a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution in Washington. "He's not going to give him a trade deal without major concessions." Even before the digital tax issue arose, the Trump administration threatened to tax foreign car imports, which could hit British-made Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini, and Honda Civic hatchback cars. Stiff U.S. trade demands include increased access for U.S. farm goods, concessions that will be difficult for Britain's entrenched natural food culture to swallow. The United States also wants Britain to change the way its National Health Service prices drugs and allow in more U.S. pharmaceuticals, which could prove politically unpopular for Johnson's government. Washington's demand that London block Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei Technologies Co Ltd for national security reasons could also cloud talks.

The story behind Bridgestone's new tires for the rare and beautiful Jaguar XJ220

The Jaguar XJ220 is a beautiful, fast, and arguably under appreciated supercar from the early 1990s. While contemporaries like the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959 garner more than $1 million at auctions, the XJ220 might pull in half that. Maintaining an older car requires work, a task made more difficult when parts aren't available. Last year, Bridgestone announced it was producing new tires specifically for XJ220s. The Japanese tire supplier has released a 42-minute video documenting the process. There were only 275 XJ220s ever built, fewer than both the F40 and 959. Until recently, no supplier made four same-spec tires that would fit the XJ220. Early Dodge Viper owners suffer from the same problem. Thanks to both Bridgestone and Pirelli, owners now have two options to choose from. Bridgestone worked with Don Law Racing, the go-to shop for all things XJ220, when developing the right tire for the car. It isn't simply a reproduction of an older-spec tire. Bridgestone tested a number of new compounds. With so few cars available, from the beginning this was going to be a money-losing prospect for the tire maker. Enthusiasts within the organization fought hard to get everything approved. Watch the full video to hear how much time and effort went into the project. Related Video: News Source: Bridgestone via Motor1Image Credit: Getty Jaguar Videos tires jaguar xj220

Comedians In Cars Getting Coffee season 2 opens with Sarah Silverman and Jag E-Type

Season Two of Jerry Seinfeld's Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee kicked this week in style. How much more style is there to be had than in a 1969 Jaguar XKE, after all? This time around, Seinfeld and Sarah Silverman spend some time driving around in the "slinky, sexy" Jag, talking comedy and then grabbing breakfast.
In addition to the kickoff of the show's second season, this episode also represents the start of a 24-episode sponsorship with Acura. The original deal promised short ads at the beginning and end of each episode, but this time around, Seinfeld "stumbles upon" a 2014 Acura RLX, which is obviously - and admittedly - the work of product integration. Scroll down to watch Seinfeld and Silverman exchange banter with the Jag's beauty as a happy backdrop.