1991 Jaguar Xjs Base Coupe 2-door 5.3l on 2040-cars

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Jay Leno gets reacquainted with the Bertone Pirana

Jay Leno gets all manner of vehicles stopping by his garage – some more rare than others, but this one is an entirely unique creation unearthed from another time. It's the Pirana, a one-off commissioned by a British newspaper in the late Sixties that we actually found listed on eBay a few years back. It was built atop a Jaguar E-Type, but with custom bodywork designed by Marcello Gandini and crafted by Bertone. The result looks like a Maserati Ghibli or Lamborghini Espada of the same era, but actually came out just before either, previewing the Italian exotics that would follow from Gandini's pen and Bertone's carrozzeria. The Pirana is now undergoing a complete restoration to bring it back to the original condition in which it appeared at the 1967 London Motor Show, but before the process is complete, Leno shows us around and takes it out on the open road to relive memories of a relic from a bygone era.

2019 Jaguar I-Pace Review: The EV age is approaching

It feels like we're anxiously inching up the initial mountain of a roller coaster track – click, click, click. On the other side is a massive plunge into a widespread electric future where EV's aren't just acceptable alternatives to gas-powered cars, they're superior. There's indeed a veritable train of luxury EVs coming soon, clicking up that track, but the 2019 Jaguar I-Pace is the first from a big-name luxury brand to crest it, providing that first tinge of anticipation for the ride to come. It's wildly fun, surprisingly practical and a more polished product than the perpetually rough-around-the-edges Teslas. It also reimagines what Jaguar can be while also staying true to key elements of its past and present. Driving the silky, effortlessly torquey old Jaguar XF Supercharged was intoxicating, and so is the I-Pace, albeit it in a different and indeed superior all-electric way. Its torque flattens you into the enveloping sport seats slathered in red leather, yet it's responsive without feeling overly caffeinated or neck-snapping. Like other Jaguars, it also provides a little audible pomp to the driving experience. It's no barking F-Type R, but its Active Sound Design system pipes into the cabin a deep, purr-like noise when in Dynamic mode that, if not exactly akin to an actual exhaust system, is much closer to it than the usual high-pitched electric motor whine (you can hear it in the accompanying video). Jaguar recognizes that we expect noise and g-forces to go together. And that goes for g-forces in a straight line as well as around corners. The I-Pace resolutely sticks to even marginal pavement like – well, I've already used the roller coaster metaphor above, so what the hell? – it's on rails. It has the perfect recipe for astonishing grip: all-wheel drive; sticky summer tires on 20-inch wheels pushed to the corners; a heavy battery mounted low and in the middle of the chassis; a 50:50 front-to-rear weight balance; and an available adaptive air suspension that constantly adapts to the road. Oh, and it was engineered by Jaguar, a company widely renowned for its superior-handling cars and SUVs. Steering feel could perhaps be increased a smidge, but through the wheel and the seat of your pants, you do experience what the I-Pace is doing. That adaptive suspension also sops up bumps shockingly well (another Jaguar trait) despite those pretty 20-inch wheels adding some impact harshness (ditto).

Jay Leno's Garage features funnyman's 1963 Jaguar E-Type

Jay Leno looks inward on this episode of his eponymous garage, checking out a 1963 Jaguar XKE that he bought earlier this year. It is an example of his favorite kind of car, that being original and unrestored. He bought the E-Type from its first owner, a woman who purchased it new, held on to it for 50 years and took excellent care of it. Having never been in an accident, Leno says even the paint is 85- to 90-percent original.
In the video, the XKE sits in front of two heavily modded XK120s and another '63 XKE, but Leno said all he's done - and all he plans to do - is clean it up and put on a modern set of wire wheels for safety.
He's not on any junket and there are no guests, it's just a guy talking about an object dear to his heart. If you need a refresher on the excellent genes of the new F-Type, check out the video below.