2001 Jaguar Xk8 on 2040-cars

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Harry bravely drives Jaguar XJ-S V12 1,000 miles to Monaco

There are a great many cars we'd like to take on a transcontinental journey – especially across Europe. And a good portion of them would probably be grand tourers with twelve-cylinder engines. We're just not sure we'd be as brave as Harry Metcalfe, who drove his 1980 Jaguar XJ-S V12 from his home in the UK all the way down to Monaco. Don't get us wrong, the XJ-S looks like a rather comfortable ride, and with the V12 is surely both smooth and powerful. It's just that Jags didn't have the best reputation for reliability back then, and we'd have been at least a little worried that we wouldn't make it all the way across France on this trip. Nor are we sure we would have wanted to without air conditioning. The model in question, as you'll find out if you watch the video, is an early 1980 example, produced just before Jaguar updated the line with the High-Efficiency versions. As such, it's got a bit more power and shorter gearing than later models. The XJS (as it would later be labeled) would undergo a number of updates over the following years, and would stay on the market until 1996 when the XK came along to relieve it. By Harry's reckoning, his early XJ-S was every bit as good as the Porsche 928 and other front-engined GTs of the era, and would have been more fondly remembered if it hadn't had to live in the shadow of the E-Type that came before. You'll want to watch the 17-minute video of the journey, undertaken for a cover story to appear in the September issue of Octane, to see for yourself. Related Video:

Driving the 2024 Lexus GX and Land Rover Defender 130 | Autoblog Podcast #818

In this episode of the Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor James Riswick. We kick off the week by reviewing cars we've been driving, including the new Lexus GX, Land Rover Defender 130 Outbound, Jaguar F-Pace, Hyundai Kona and our long-term Subaru WRX. Next, we break down the best wagons of the 21st century, before discussing the Audi Sport RS6 GT. Finally, we discuss a bit of the 2024 Chicago Auto Show. Send us your questions for the Mailbag and Spend My Money at: Podcast@Autoblog.com. Autoblog Podcast #818 Get The Podcast Apple Podcasts – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes Spotify – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast on Spotify RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Cars we're driving 2024 Lexus GX 2024 Land Rover Defender 130 2024 Jaguar F-Pace 2024 Hyundai Kona Long-term 2023 Subaru WRX Audi reveals the ultra-limited 2025 RS 6 GT 2024 Chicago Auto Show Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on Apple Podcasts Autoblog is now live on your smart speakers and voice assistants with the audio Autoblog Daily Digest. Say “Hey Google, play the news from Autoblog” or "Alexa, open Autoblog" to get your favorite car website in audio form every day. A narrator will take you through the biggest stories or break down one of our comprehensive test drives. Related video: 2024 Lexus GX 550 Overtrail is a more capable off-roader and looks the part

Jaguar refreshes the 2018 F-Type lineup and adds a high-performance V6 model

Jaguar is giving the F-Type line a refresh for 2018 and adding two new variants. All new F-Types feature LED headlights and slightly darker taillights. Every model except the SVR also gets updated front bumpers. The most noticeable change is the side vents, which morph from the double slots to single openings in most cases. The F-Type R's large side vents are bisected horizontally. The two new F-Type models are the R Dynamic and the limited edition 400 Sport. The R Dynamic isn't particularly exciting, since it's pretty much just a dress-up package for the entry level 340- and 380-horsepower F-Types. All the model adds are 19- and 20-inch wheel options, as well gloss black-painted hood vents, splitter, side sills, and rear diffuser. The 400 Sport, on the other hand, comes with much more. It's only available for one year, and comes with a modified supercharged V6 producing 400 horsepower. The 400 Sport can be ordered with either rear- or all-wheel-drive, but the 8-speed automatic is the only available transmission. The car also benefits from larger 15-inch brakes at each corner. Owners of the 400 Sport can personalize their driving settings as well, thanks to the car's Configurable Dynamics system. Inside and out, the 400 Sport gets some visual upgrades, too. It includes the Sport Design Pack, which adds a deeper front spoiler, larger side sills, and a rear diffuser. A flat-bottom steering wheel, yellow contrast stitching, and black brushed aluminum accents finish off the interior. There are also plenty of 400 Sport badges on the car. View 12 Photos The two other major changes for the F-Type line involve infotainment. One of which is that every model now comes standard with Jaguar's Touch Pro infotainment system and its 8-inch touchscreen with which the driver can interact. The other is a cool new app the company developed with GoPro. It's called ReRun, and it allows the driver to connect a GoPro camera to the car, and download footage to the phone. The reason for connecting the camera to the car, is so that it can add telemetry data including speed, gear, g force, and steering and brake inputs to the video footage. After a spirited drive in the country or on a racetrack, the footage can be downloaded to the phone to be reviewed and shared. The app even generates "highlights" automatically. The new F-Type range will go on sale in the first quarter of 2017.