1995 Jaguar Xjs 4.0l 2+2 Convertible on 2040-cars

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Watch the trailer for Jaguar's short film staring the F-Type and Damian Lewis

Jaguar continues to think well outside of the box when it comes to marketing it's new F-Type, now furthering plans for a short film which highlights the sexy roadster. Desire, featuring Damian Lewis (star of the hit series Homeland), Jordi Mollà (unforgettable in Bad Boys II) and Shannyn Sossamon (that girl you had a crush on for like a month in 2002 after you rented A Knight's Tale), Jaguar is clearly pulling out all the stops for this one. Well, nearly all the stops anyway ­- the "Ridley Scott Associates" billing isn't quite the same has having the man himself, if we're splitting hairs.
The short video below is still just a trailer for Desire - the full film will make its debut sometime in April, we're told. The sketched out plotlines tell us that Lewis' character Clark, "...delivers cars for a living, running into trouble after a chance encounter with a mysterious, young woman (Sossamon) in the middle of a lawless desert." The car looks good, at any rate.
Call us crazy, but the Desire trailer feels an awful lot like a spoof on the cool-but-overly-serious short films that BMW has done in this vein, already. Maybe we're just being cynical? Tell us what you think in comments after watching the clip.

Jaguar may enter Formula E to advance electric portfolio

The FIA Formula E Championship looks poised to gain another major automaker. According to reports from the UK, Jaguar Land Rover is preparing to announce a new electric vehicle strategy this week. And that is tipped to include participation in the all-electric racing series. According to Sky News, Jaguar's electric racing program would give the British carmaker the opportunity to showcase its prowess in electric propulsion. Quoting an unnamed insider, the UK news service reported that Formula E "offers live testing for electrification technologies in areas such as batteries and drivetrains; that's why it looks valuable to them." The program would likely be launched in conjunction with Williams, the F1 team with which it partnered on development of the aborted C-X75 hybrid supercar project recently unearthed for a starring role in the latest James Bond film Spectre. Williams helped develop the battery system that powers the electric spec racer used in Formula E. The partnership could take over from the Trulli team that is expected to soon drop out of the series. JLR wouldn't be the first automaker to participate in electric racing. Audi supports the Abt team, Renault the e.Dams outfit, and PSA Peugeot Citroen's DS brand the Virgin Racing squad. Mercedes and Volvo have also been reported to be looking carefully at participation, while BMW provides support vehicles for the series. Jaguar participates in vintage racing and Land Rover runs the Bowler off-road racing series. However, the last time the company supported a top-level works racing program was between 2000 and 2004 when Jaguar Racing (the precursor to today's Red Bull team) competed in Formula One. It has since offered the XKR GT2 racer and has been rumored to be considering a return to sports car racing, but the trend towards electrification now appears to be driving the Formula E initiative instead. We're waiting to hear back on requests for comment from Jaguar. But Sky reports that an official announcement will be made on Tuesday, so watch this space. Related Video:

Jaguar XF S Sportbrake vs. Volvo V90 R-Design: A sporty wagon comparison

We had both a XF Sportbrake S and a V90 T6 AWD R-Design come through the office recently, and since they're really close competitors – both fairly large wagons, both luxury vehicles, both have sporting pretenses, and both feature all-wheel-drive. And in the case of our test cars, they're equipped very similarly, but at divergent price points. Is the Jaguar worth the premium? Let's take a closer look. The Jaguar is only available in the top-level S trim, which brings many features, as well as all-wheel-drive and a 380-horsepower supercharged 3.0-liter V6. The final price listed for our Jaguar was a heady $84,815, up from a base price of $71,445. That's thanks to a bunch of options: the $360 black trim package, the $565 metallic paint, the $1,020 20-inch wheels, the $3,495 driver assistance package, $3,265 technology package, $1,805 comfort and convenience package, and $2,860 premium interior package. View 22 Photos The Volvo is available in a variety of configurations. In fact, you can have a V90 R-Design for as little as $50,945, but you'll be making do with the front-wheel-drive T5 model that has just a 250-horsepower turbocharged four-cyinder. To match the Jaguar's feature set and to nearly match its performance, you need to go with the T6 with all-wheel-drive. In addition to powering all four wheels, it also adds the 316-horsepower twin-charged four-cylinder. The engine and drivetrain add about $6,000 to the T5's price tag. The rest of our V90's price increase was made up by a lot of options, including a Convenience Package for $1,900 that came with heated washer nozzles, a surround view camera, grocery bag holder, HomeLink, a compass, and automatic parallel parking. Other options included the upholstered instrument panel and sun shade for $1,150, metallic paint for $595, heads-up display for $900, built-in child seat for $500, carbon fiber trim for $800, Bowers and Wilkens sound system for $3,200, heated steering wheel for $300, rear air suspension for $1,200, 20-inch wheels with summer tires for $300, and the destination charge. All told, it cost $68,290, which is close to the base price of the Jaguar, but a whole lot less than the Jag's as-tested price, making the Volvo a great value. Interior and Technology But value isn't the only reason to buy a car, especially a luxury car. You want it to feel luxurious.