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Jaguar Race Taxis will fling you around the Nurburgring

The Germans have a word, " fernweh," literally meaning "far sickness," that describes a special kind of longing. It's a strange sensation in which you feel homesick for a place that you're in tune with, a place that moves you, but it's a place you've never actually been to before. Someone who loves cars might be drawn that way to the Nurburgring. But if you're traveling to Germany this summer to fulfill that sense of fernweh, how do you experience the Green Hell firsthand? Your rental-car company might frown on you taking matters into your own hands. But Jaguar may have your answer. The Jaguar Race Taxi experience will give you a hot lap around the 13 miles and 73 corners of the Nordschleife in the 575-horsepower Jaguar F-Type SVR and the equally powerful four-door Jaguar XJR575. You'll ride with professional drivers who won't coddle you — Jaguar promises cornering forces of 1.2g. "A ride in the F-TYPE SVR and XJR575 Race Taxi is a thrilling and truly unforgettable experience for any car enthusiast — or anybody who just enjoys going very fast!" says Phil Talboys, JLR's European engineering operations manager. "Our highly experienced professional drivers are veterans of the Nurburgring 24-hour race, making them uniquely qualified to show customers the true potential of these extraordinary supercharged V8 Jaguars." The laps are available until the snow flies in November. Taxi fare is ˆ199 ($236) per lap in either car. You'll be in and out in 30 minutes, counting the safety briefing, the hot lap and a review of the video you'll walk away with. Oh, and there's a weight limit of 120 kilos (264 pounds), so you stockier souls may want to start your diets now. Reservations can be made at the track or online here. The F-Type SVR can take one passenger, and the XJR575 will haul you and two of your screaming friends. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Weekly Recap: Jaguar takes a leap with price cut, new strategy

Jaguar was one of the famous automotive props and plotlines in the now-iconic drama Mad Men. There's a scene where the show's protagonist, Don Draper, deftly undercuts an influential Jaguar dealer by indicating that get-me-in-the-door local radio spots would be an effective way to sell cars like the slinky E-Type. The British executives think this is folly – Draper knows they will – and his advertising strategy wins out over the dealer's approach to move the metal. Jaguar's not doing that, but half a century later in the real world the company is launching plans to make its cars more attainable to new and younger customers like Millenials. These aren't coupons, but this is a leap for Jaguar, which has long banked on sexy styling and its rich motorsports history to overshadow its past mechanical flaws. Put simply, Jaguar is addressing the reasons why people, especially the younger set, don't buy its cars. The 2017 XE will start at $35,895 when it launches next spring – which makes it an attractive buy for a successful, relatively young person. When it's time to move up, the redesigned XF will be more attainable, coming in at $52,895, which is $5,275 less than the 2015 model. The flagship XJ sedan and the enthusiast-oriented F-Type sports car will also get thousands of dollars worth of added standard features, and Jag is actively pitching them as a better value than their competitors. "The Jaguar brand is on the eve of a major transformation that will see it dramatically increase its presence in the United States luxury marketplace with an expanded lineup, pricing focused on the core of the luxury market, and an all-new ownership package with best-in-class coverage," Joe Eberhardt, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover North America, said in a statement. The brand's quality and reliability dings have also lurked in the back of buyers' minds for decades, though that's an outdated notion. Jaguar placed third in J.D. Power's Initial Quality Study in June and was the top-ranked luxury brand in J.D. Power's Customer Service Index in March. Not content, the company is rolling out an enhanced program called Jaguar EliteCare that launches on 2016 models. It offers a five-year, 60,000-mile limited warranty, the longest among its competitors, with free scheduled maintenance during that period. The plan also covers roadside assistance and connectivity features.

Junkyard Gem: 1985 Jaguar XJ6

The Series III Jaguar XJ was built for the 1979 through 1992 model years, the final chapter of a quarter-century of the iconic original Jaguar XJ (though production of the straight-six model ended in 1987). Thanks to notoriously troublesome electrical systems and rapid depreciation, but blessed by stay-of-execution-obtaining beauty, most of these cars were parked under blue tarps in driveways before the end of the 1990s... awaiting repairs that never came. Here's one that I spotted in a San Francisco Bay Area self-service wrecking yard over the winter. If you were serious about driving a Jag during the easy-money 1980s, you needed the optional wire wheels. That showed those rubes in the BMW 735s and Mercedes-Benz 500SELs what real class was all about. The 4.2-liter version of Jaguar's legendary straight-six engine made 176 horsepower in 1985. That was six fewer than the 735i's six and eight fewer than the 500SEL's V8. However, the XJ6 cost $32,250, versus $36,880 for the BMW and $51,200 for the Benz. Given that the Jag offered at least as much (and maybe more) status on the street, its price tag looks like a pretty good deal. Of course, the electrical stuff would have a few issues, but so what? This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Lovely Rita learns to fear the Jaguar in this British Leyland advertisement. Featured Gallery Junked 1985 Jaguar XJ6 View 17 Photos Auto News Jaguar Luxury Sedan jaguar xj