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2014 Jaguar XJR unleashed just ahead of New York show [w/video]

Just a week after teasing us with the first image of the car, and mere hours before revealing it to the public at the New York Auto Show, Jaguar has pulled the wraps off of its 2014 XJR super sedan.
The British automaker has confirmed that the XJR will be kicking out a full 550-horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque from its supercharged 5.0-liter V8, affording the sedan a 0-60 mile per hour sprint of 4.4 seconds and a top speed of 174 miles per hour. A ZF eight-speed automatic transmission will still allow for respectable fuel economy, as Jag estimates ratings of 15 miles per gallon city and 23 highway.
Newly tuned dampers and stiffer spring rates, along with an electronically controlled differential should ensure that the massive power of the engine isn't wasted in transition to the road. Jaguar has also tweaked steering software and hydraulics, with the goal of increased road feel, response and overall feedback. 20-inch signature wheels carry wide Pirelli rubber (265-section up front, 295 in back) to keep the XJR planted.

Jaguar turns down offers to join V8 Supercars, questions AMG, Volvo participation

Rumors have swirled in recent weeks that Jaguar may be the next manufacturer to join the V8 Supercars racing series, made popular in Australia but now well-known in other parts of the world as well. Sadly, Jag's participation is not to be. In fact, it would be "insane," according to Jaguar Land Rover Asia Pacific Managing Director David Blackhall, for it to accept either of the two offers it has received to bring Jaguar into V8 Supercars.
Not only is Jaguar not interested in entering V8 Supercars, says Blackhall, it also fails to understand the recent entries from AMG and Volvo. "I don't know what it does for AMG to get flogged by a V8 Commodore week after week, but it's their brand, their issue. And the same thing will happen to Volvo to be honest."
Judging by Blackhall's statements to motoring.com.au, after not-so-serious consideration, the automaker decided the monetary commitment it would take to compete for wins would be more than any potential exposure would be worth, despite the fact that Jaguar has a 5.0-liter V8 to go along with what would seem to be a tailor-made rear-wheel-drive chassis. For what it's worth, one offer would have had Jaguar putting its name across an engine made by someone else, an option that was flatly turned down.

Top torque-to-weight ratios under $100k, $50k and $25k

Horsepower may steal a lot of headlines, but the always-more-complex torque figure is often a critical one for both the workingman and the motoring playboy. The measure of rotational force represents the twist that can liquefy one's tires or haul one's horse trailer. Good stuff.
It follows then, that as with the horsepower-to-weight list that we assembled for you a few months ago, a list of cars that offer the most pound-feet with the fewest pounds to carry, is an interesting one to break down. Sure, there's a big difference in how the torque is applied from a turbocharged six-cylinder in a Swedish luxury sedan and a massive heavy-duty truck's turbo-diesel. But being the car/stat geeks that we are, we think it's kinda neat that those two vehicles rank near each other where torque and weight intersect.
As with the horsepower list, we've given you figures as pounds per every one pound-foot. Again broken down into broad price categories, we've got a mixed bag of 2014 and 2015 models here, too. Every effort has been made to select the most up-to-date prices and specs, and we've also to omitted some '14 cars that won't be re-upped after the ongoing yearly changeover.