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Jaguar Land Rover gets to work on new university R&D center

Jaguar Land Rover has a raft of new products in the pipeline, from the new Defender to the next-generation XF sedan. But new product isn't the only thing the British automaker is investing in: it's also opening new facilities around the world, including what it's calling the National Automotive Innovation Centre back home in the UK. Based at the University of Warwick, the new $220-million R&D center is the result of a joint effort between JLR, its parent company Tata, the manufacturing arm of the university and the British government. The facility will bring together professionals from the automaker as well as its suppliers with academics to encourage, as the name suggests, innovation in the automotive sector. Its 355,000 square feet are earmarked to become the hub for Jaguar Land Rover's advanced research activities, including "workshops, laboratories, virtual engineering suites and advanced powertrain facilities, equipped to enable a full range of design, visualisation and prototyping activities." The cornerstore was just laid in a ceremony this week, but the facility isn't due to open until the Spring of 2017 when it will encompass some 1,000 employees, including 600 relocated by JLR to the new location from other sites in the UK. Related Video: Construction Begins On New UK Automotive Innovation Centre For Jaguar Land Rover - GBP150 million National Automotive Innovation Centre (NAIC) will open in Spring 2017, providing a state-of-the-art technology hub for Jaguar Land Rover's advanced research team and collaborative partners from the supply chain and academia - To keep the UK and Jaguar Land Rover at the forefront of global innovation, the team will develop the vehicles and personal mobility solutions of the future - The NAIC will focus on inspiring the next generation of engineers - from schoolchildren to undergraduates.

Jaguar Land Rover says key models in short supply, some have six-month wait lists

Care for a bit more proof that the Jaguar Land Rover portfolio of vehicles is the best it's ever been? Well, the Indian-owned pair of brands saw a record year in 2013, while 2014 has seen a 14-percent increase in sales. The crazy thing is, though, is that figure could be even higher, provided the company had the production capacity.
JLR is running a six-month waiting list on two of its most popular models, the Range Rover Sport (above) and Range Rover. According to Mark White, the company's chief technologist for body engineering, the blame can be placed on the paint shop at the company's Solihull factory, in the UK.
"We will probably max out the paint shop before we max out the body shop. Putting the second body shop in has given us the flexibility to ebb and flow the different models that go through there and meet the capacity demands we've got," White told Automotive News. "However, you always hit a bottleneck somewhere. And the paint shop is probably going to be the next biggest obstacle."

Stirling Moss' Jaguar C-Type could bring $7.5M in Monaco

With little over 50 examples made and a decorated racing history, the Jaguar C-Type is one of the most sought-after models ever made by the famous British marque. Bonhams has a very special one coming up for auction – one that Sir Stiling Moss drove at Le Mans in 1952. Jaguar built chassis number XKC 011 for its works racing team in 1952. It made its debut at Silverstone at the hands of pre-war racing legend Peter Walker. Then the factory outfitted with specially elongated bodywork for Le Mans, where Moss teamed up with Walker to split driving duties. Sadly it didn't make it to the finish line thanks to an engine failure, marking the second of eight DNFs that Moss would suffer in ten campaigns at the French endurance race. Moss drove this C-Type in several more races after it was converted back to its standard bodywork. It was then raced by Ecurie Francorchamps before being sold to run in British club racing. The current owner acquired it in 1963, and has held onto it until now. XKC 011 is scheduled to highlight the upcoming Bonhams event at the Fairmont Monte Carlo during the Monaco Grand Prix Historique next May. Bonhams has not published a pre-sale estimate for how much it expects this example to sell for. However in correspondence with Autoblog, the company's auction specialist James Knight revealed: "We certainly feel the car will exceed GBP5m and has the potential to achieve much more." That base estimate works out to over $7.5 million at current exchange rates. We'll be watching to see whether the final sale price comes closer to the $3.7 million for which - according to the Sports Car Market database - Gooding sold one C-Type in 2012, or to the $13.2 million which RM Sotheby's raised for another this past August. Related Video: BONHAMS RETURNS TO MONACO WITH EX-STIRLING MOSS JAGUAR C-TYPE THE MONACO SALE 'LES GRANDES MARQUES A MONACO' 13 May 2016 Monte Carlo In 2016, Bonhams will return to Monaco to present an exclusive sale of just 40 hand-picked, exceptional motor cars. Timed to coincide with the Monaco Grand Prix Historique, the sale will take place on 13 May 2016. "Already renowned in motorsport circles for its annual Monaco Grand Prix and Monte Carlo Rally, the glittering Mediterranean Principality is now to host the Bonhams Monaco Sale," said James Knight, Bonhams Group Motoring Director. "The auction will be carefully curated, tailored to offer only the most desirable models to the market.