1993 Jaguar Xjs 50k Mile All Original Runs And Drives Perfect California Car on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Top horsepower-per-dollar cars in 2017

Bang for the buck. That quasi-scientific statistic is bandied about by motor heads everywhere from classrooms to barrooms, though the truth of the matter is that it's exceedingly complex to measure. A fair performance-per-dollar index would include something like cross-referencing MSRP (Manufacturers Suggested Retail Price) with point-to-point times on a track or driving route, which is obviously hard to do comprehensively. But, for the sheer joy of talking about cars and playing with a big spreadsheet, there's always the horsepower-per-dollar index, which is more straightforward, albeit hilariously flawed. There are vagaries even with this simple formula, of course: MSRP for vehicles can change at a moment's notice, to say nothing of the bottom-line shifting that happens with local deals or showroom negotiation. For this list we're running with the straight MSRP wherever possible, and as recently reported as we can get it. All the vehicles on this list are 2017 models, and all trims are reported where the lowest price and differing power levels intersect. Some choices were made for personal preference and some for sanity, avoiding things like all 48 trim levels of the Ford Transit, all with the same horsepower). If this list were a simple top ten, or even a top fifty, you'd be bored to tears with all the red, white and blue that is represented. Following perfectly with conventional wisdom, American cars really do lead the world where hp/$ is concerned. So, for the sake of variety (and the sheer joy of seeing a minivan 'win' one round of this thing) I've sorted out some top five and bottom five lists for broad power categories. Let's dive in. Less Than 100 Horsepower Okay, okay, this is hardly a category we'll grant you. But we've often tried to click off all the sub-100-hp cars on sale in the US, and making this list gave us an excuse. It also illustrates that none of these smallish vehicles bring cheap horsepower to the table - for that you'll need a motorcycle. The segment-leading Chevy Spark (above) asks just over $139 for each hp, and that Smart Fortwo Electric Drive has hp on sale for about the same price as its very distant family cousin, the Mercedes-Benz SL65 AMG (insert your favorite Smart joke here... we know you want to).

2017 Jaguar XE First Drive

For the first time in decades, the prize for the best-driving compact luxury sport sedan is very much up for grabs. BMW's 3 Series, the segment's longstanding archetype, has grown a bit soft, distant and pricy. Its Japanese rival from Infiniti, the Q50, lost the plot thanks to its video game steering and dated powerplant. The Audi A4 is due for replacement and the fantastic Mercedes-Benz C-Class skews luxury over sport. The Cadillac ATS? With an excellent chassis hobbled by middling powertrains and the devil's own infotainment system, it isn't selling. Unlikely as it sounds, the Lexus IS is probably the segment's best driver, but you've got to learn to love those turn-to-stone looks. So, where's a segment malcontent to look? Provided he or she is patient enough to wait for this car's spring 2016 arrival, allow us to recommend the 2017 Jaguar XE. Let's be honest. Jaguar really needed to come out with guns blazing. The last time the British brand battled in the compact premium sport sedan segment, its much-maligned X-Type slinked into the underbrush, tail between its legs after just a single generation. While the X was in some ways a better car than history will begrudge it, there's no getting around that Jaguar brought a front-wheel-drive-based knife to a rear-wheel-drive gun fight. This new XE will need to be a very different kitty, and it is. Internally known as X760, Jag's latest rides atop an all-new aluminum-intensive modular architecture wearing a handsome mosaic of aluminum and steel body panels. While the XE's design has struck us as very familiar since it first bowed in September, it's an attractive shape. Its longish, 111.6-inch wheelbase and wheels-at-the-corner stance gives the design a planted look emphasized by its wide rectangular grille and prominent lower air intakes. Jaguar claims a super-slick .26 coefficient of drag, but that's the skinny-tired overseas base model that we'll never see – ours will likely ring up a few hundredths higher. The aluminum body-in-white is itself an impressive piece of work, weighing just over 550 pounds. Vehicle engineering manager Jonathan Darlington says it's 20-percent stiffer torsionally than the XF, and "the lightest in the sector by far." What's more, the chassis incorporates liberal amounts of recycled aluminum (a claimed world first) and increased use of structural adhesives.

Jaguar's futuristic 'Sayer' steering wheel might make your morning coffee

In the not-too-distant future, it would be the only part of the car you'd actually own. If it were the subject of a surrealist painting from 1929, it might feature the tagline, "Ceci n'est pas un volant," the French word for steering wheel. Jaguar calls it Sayer and says it's the steering wheel of the future — the first voice-activated, artificial intelligence steering wheel that will be able to carry out hundreds of tasks and follow you from car to car. "Imagine a future of autonomous, connected and electric cars where you don't own a single car, but instead call upon the vehicle of your choice where and when you need it," the company says. "That's a future vision Jaguar Land Rover is exploring with Sayer, the connected steering wheel that could be the only part of the car you own." Automakers focused on developing autonomous vehicles have proposed doing away with pedals and steering wheels, but this is the first we've heard of that envisions the steering wheel, such as it is, as your veritable car keys in a self-driving, car-sharing world. Jaguar says it could order up a ride to get you where you need to go on time, and it could even advise you when you might enjoy driving part of the journey yourself. No word on whether it can sync with a toaster for breakfast, however. The concept device is named after Malcolm Sayer, a Jaguar designer from 1951 to 1970 who's responsible for the E-Type and D-Type racer, which won the Le Mans 24-hour race three times in a row in the 1950s. It will feature on a Jaguar concept called Future-Type in 2040. In the meantime, it will be unveiled at Tech Fest at Central St. Martins, University of the Arts London on Thursday, Sept. 7, as part of the automaker's "Technology with Heart" presentation. The festival is free to the public Sept. 8-10. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Image Credit: Jaguar Green Weird Car News Jaguar Technology Emerging Technologies artificial intelligence steering wheel voice command