1992 Jaguar Xjs V12 Coupe Sky Blue W/magnolia Cream Interior on 2040-cars

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Junkyard Gem: 1973 Jaguar XJ6

It requires a certain high level of commitment to keep an old Jaguar on the road, and so plenty of first-generation Jaguar XJs end up as projects that never get finished, sitting in yards or garages for decades before winding up in the nearest U-Wrench yard. As I clomp through car graveyards around the country in search of interesting machinery, I see so many 1980s XJs that I don't bother to photograph many of them … but a genuine Series I early Jag is a different story. Here's a '73 XJ6 whose final parking space (prior to facing the cold steel jaws of The Crusher) sits right next to that of a same-year Mercedes-Benz 450SLC in an East Bay yard. How the mighty have fallen! The C107 was too picked-over to be worth photographing, but you can admire the photos of this much nicer '72 I found in Denver a few years back. Unlike the last Series 1 XJ6 that I've photographed (in the very same yard, albeit 13 years ago), this car has not had its original straight-six engine replaced by a small-block Chevrolet V8 (because Jaguar parts were expensive and Chevy parts were cheap during the 1970s, that swap happened frequently). The US-market XJ6 got 150 horsepower from this smooth-running DOHC six, 40 fewer horses than the (far more expensive) 450SLC that year. The interior looks ravaged by the decades, but you can still discern the opulence that once reigned in this wood-and-leather-lined space. The dash boasts a full complement of authentic Smiths gauges, with a tasteful Kienzle clock right in the middle. Here's why we can assume that fewer than two of those instruments functioned at any given time during the life of this car: wiring by The Prince of Darkness! Working on electrical faults in these cars built up your patience while undermining your faith in symptom-to-problem relationships. The six-digit odometer ensures that we'll never know if we're looking at a 56,819-mile car or a 356,819-mile car. I'd guess 156,819 if I had to, based on pedal wear. These cars were very popular in the Bay Area, which has been full of European-car aficionados since the first Renault AXs sputtered off the docks of the San Francisco waterfront. Back in the 1970s and 1980s, you'd never see an old XJ without one of these pre-EU "GB" stickers on the back. The faded condition of this one suggests decades of sitting in the sun, probably while the car sat dead in the driveway due to electrical problems.

2018 Jaguar XJR575 First Drive Review | Everyone loves an underdog, right?

The number is right there, nestled smack in the middle against the windshield in red: 575. In case you missed it, there are another four red 575s stitched into the seat backs. You might excuse Jaguar for the numerical ostentation, but with manufacturers taking the horsepower arms race nuclear, the 6-year-old XJR sure could use a hook. What better way to stand out than an engine output humblebrag? The $122,400 Jaguar XJR575 gains 25 horsepower for 2018 thanks to software recalibration, which helps scoot the 17-foot-long four-door to 60 mph in a claimed 4.2 seconds. I'm gunning the XJR575 along the mountainous passes near the Alvao Natural Park in northern Portugal to find out whether the upgrade is enough to keep this underdog relevant in the fevered pitch of the high-dollar sedan market. Glance at the Jag in profile, and you might doubt its athleticism. Though nearly identical in length to a long-wheelbase BMW 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class (and 1.8 inches shorter than the Audi A8L), the XJR575's sloping rear window and rounder styling lend it a somewhat lazier, more lavish appearance. It's also long in the tooth, this design having been first introduced in 2009, but it wears its age surprisingly well. Frankly, you just don't see XJ-series Jags as often as their strong-selling competitors, and that keeps them looking fresher, somehow. In contrast, the Germans have kept their exterior lines purposeful and contemporary looking, with more frequent redesigns furthering their cause. Climb inside, and the XJR's premium trim lends a bit more modernity to the familiar cabin. For starters, the diamond-quilted and perforated leather seats offer solid support, but they might be a bit firm for long hauls. Unlike other XJs, the XJR and R-Sport trims don't offer a massaging feature, an unfortunate sacrifice that is available on most, if not all, of the competitive set. The rear quarters do, however, offer enough legroom for serious stretching out. Tall swaths of carbon fiber trim the door panels while another thin rim of carbon extends around the dashboard, a design shorthand for sportiness despite the fact that the XJR is only available stateside in long-wheelbase form. An Alcantara headliner aids the high-end argument. A few aging elements show cracks in the facade, among them the ungainly seams at the dashboard's center and switchgear that's grown more than a bit long in the tooth.

2017 Jaguar F-Pace First Drive

We know what you're thinking, and we tend to agree: The world probably doesn't need another crossover. But premium European automakers keep building them because people keep buying them. Before we even got behind the wheel of the 2017 F-Pace, we knew that it would be Jaguar's best-selling model by year's end. Now that we've driven the brand's first crossover, it's apparent that there is more to the F-Pace than future sales success. This is a real Jaguar. It would have been easy for Jaguar to borrow a platform from corporate sibling Land Rover. Instead, Jaguar's engineers decided to chart their own course, starting with the aluminum underpinnings of the XE sedan. As it turns out, that was a brilliant decision. The F-Pace looks and drives like a proper Jaguar, but it has some surprises hiding under its shapely sheetmetal that make it the most practical vehicle the brand has ever offered. The F-Pace sports a familiar face, with a voluminous chrome-ringed grille flanked by twin air intakes that are almost as large. Long horizontal headlamps flow into the fenders, and just behind the front wheels sit additional vents that are the only extraneous bit of styling flair on the entire vehicle. The overall look is smooth and taut, with lots of surface tension along the car's bodysides. Not that Jaguar would have done it, but we're glad this is not an overwrought Lexus RX clone. The F-Pace's proportions emphasize the chassis' rear-drive roots, although Jaguar will only sell the crossover with all-wheel drive in the US. By default, 90 percent of engine torque is routed to the rear wheels, and that can drop to as little as 10 percent as dictated by available traction. While the good old KISS acronym applies to the car's styling, it applies equally well to the driving dynamics with one slight modification: keep it sporty, stupid. A rigid aluminum chassis – it would be all-aluminum if the rear floor weren't steel to ensure proper 50/50 weight distribution – is derived from the same architecture as the XE sedan, rejiggered to sit higher off the ground and allow for greater suspension travel. As you'd expect, the F-Pace drives a heck of a lot like a sport sedan, only giving up the illusion if you notice how high you're sitting from the road. Jaguar has nailed the driving dynamics of the F-Pace. Steering is linear and, in Dynamic mode, perfectly damped. The ride on models equipped with adaptive suspension is firm and controlled, even with massive 22-inch wheels fitted.