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The story behind Bridgestone's new tires for the rare and beautiful Jaguar XJ220

The Jaguar XJ220 is a beautiful, fast, and arguably under appreciated supercar from the early 1990s. While contemporaries like the Ferrari F40 and Porsche 959 garner more than $1 million at auctions, the XJ220 might pull in half that. Maintaining an older car requires work, a task made more difficult when parts aren't available. Last year, Bridgestone announced it was producing new tires specifically for XJ220s. The Japanese tire supplier has released a 42-minute video documenting the process. There were only 275 XJ220s ever built, fewer than both the F40 and 959. Until recently, no supplier made four same-spec tires that would fit the XJ220. Early Dodge Viper owners suffer from the same problem. Thanks to both Bridgestone and Pirelli, owners now have two options to choose from. Bridgestone worked with Don Law Racing, the go-to shop for all things XJ220, when developing the right tire for the car. It isn't simply a reproduction of an older-spec tire. Bridgestone tested a number of new compounds. With so few cars available, from the beginning this was going to be a money-losing prospect for the tire maker. Enthusiasts within the organization fought hard to get everything approved. Watch the full video to hear how much time and effort went into the project. Related Video: News Source: Bridgestone via Motor1Image Credit: Getty Jaguar Videos tires jaguar xj220

Jaguar Land Rover opens first overseas factory in China

Anyone who's a car fan knows that Jaguar and Land Rover cars and trucks all come from the UK. And while we don't doubt that will remain true for the most part, it won't be an absolute truth for long, as the British automaker has just opened its first factory overseas.
Its new plant in Changshu, China, is the result of a $1.8-billion joint venture between JLR and local automaker Chery. It covers some 4.3-million square feet and will, once at peak capacity, produce 130,000 units specifically for the Chinese market, where JLR sells over 100,000 vehicles each year to make it the company's single largest market worldwide.
Production at what's officially known as the Chery Jaguar Land Rover Automotive Company will start with the Evoque, of which one in five globally are currently sold in China. Production will eventually encompass three models. We already know that the Discovery Sport will be next, but the third model line has yet to be announced. JLR has confirmed, however, that the Changshu plant will produce unique models and derivatives specifically for the Chinese market, so we wouldn't be surprised to see a long-wheelbase version of the forthcoming XE or next-generation XF assembled there to satisfy local tastes.

Jaguar Land Rover considering Mexican plant

Jaguar Land Rover has been expanding its production out of the UK and into overseas markets, and according to the latest word from Bloomberg, the British automaker is considering spending more than half a billion dollars to build a new assembly plant somewhere in Mexico. Since the Range Rover Sport and Evoque are two of the company's top sellers in the US, those would reportedly be the most likely to be manufactured at the Mexican plant, although Jaguars could follow as well. The automaker was previously said to be leaning towards a location in the Southern US, and while it could conceivably proceed with plans for both, it would be more likely to go with one or the other. State and local authorities below the Mason-Dixon line have been soliciting the business with various incentives, but lower labor costs South of the Border could prove more attractive to JLR and its parent company Tata. It wouldn't be the first, after all. Over the past month alone, General Motors committed to building the next Chevy Cruze in Mexico, Toyota did the same with the Corolla, Hyundai was reported to be considering a similar step, and Ford announced two new plants in the country amounting to a $2.5-billion investment. Luxury automakers like Audi, BMW and Mercedes have also been delving into Mexican production as well, blazing a path that JLR could potentially follow. The British automaker recently opened a plant in China and another in Brazil, while investing in additional facilities in the UK as well.