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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

Lunaz electrifying classic cars with coachbuilt, millimeter precision

One day last year, as David Lorenz waited by the side of the road for repair help with his classic car, he had an idea: Why not update all of that ancient mechanical "character" with a modern electric drivetrain? That would give an owner the beauty of the past, the mechanicals of the present, and the powertrain of the future. Jaguar does it with the E-Type Zero, and Aston Martin's in the game with the reversible EV powertrain swap for the DB6 Volante. And so Lorenz founded the British engineering firm Lunaz Design, named after his daughter Luna and headquartered at the Silverstone Technology Park. The company's first products are almost ready for order, starting with a 1953 Jaguar XK120 and a 1961 Rolls-Royce Phantom V. Lunaz conversions aren't a matter of pulling an engine and installing a battery pack; Lunaz reengineers classics. Managing Director Jon Hilton oversees a team bringing experience from carmakers such as Aston Martin, Ferrari, Jaguar, McLaren, and Rolls-Royce, with Hilton's resume including six years with Cosworth Engineering followed by eight years in Formula One. To develop the Lunaz offerings, a chosen car is stripped to the metal and weighed so that engineers understand the weight distribution at each corner, then the car is stripped to the chassis and 3D-scanned. This yields information allowing designers to create a powertrain that fits to the millimeter and stays true to the handling dynamics of the original vehicle. During the rebuild, the company says, any imperfections are remedied "using traditional coachbuilding techniques." The Jaguar and the Rolls-Royce get battery packs in two locations, one under the hood and one under the trunk floor. Lunaz says it can fit more battery for its in-house design into each car that way. The Jaguar's 80-kWh battery feeds two electric motors sending 375 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. The Phantom V uses a 120-kWh battery pack, but its output hasn't been released. While remaining true to the exterior and interior design of each car, Lunaz fits LED lights and modern tires, a modern suspension, better brakes with regenerative braking, power steering, an upgraded propshaft, and a fly-by-wire throttle. Safety and comfort additions include cruise control, traction control, and anti-lock brakes. Inside, the instrument cluster gets battery gauges, there's modern climate control, an infotainment screen with satellite navigation, and a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Aston and Jag from James Bond Spectre have at it

Daniel Craig hasn't made a bad James Bond film yet. Spectre is his next step into the iconic role that's due to hit theaters on November 6, and it doesn't look likely to ruin his streak. Still, that's a long wait for such an exciting movie. If you're willing to possibly spoil just a little for yourself, a new featurette shows part of one of the big car chases right now. From what we've seen so far, the chase through Rome in Spectre has earned a good amount of screen time. While the reason for it in the plot is a mystery, that doesn't really matter anyway. What's important is that the scene stars Bond in the Aston Martin DB10 and a villain played by Dave Bautista in the now supercharged V8-powered version of the Jaguar C-X75 racing around the Italian capital's tight streets at night. This clip gives a glimpse at some of the work necessary to get the difficult filming completed. We've seen some of that effort before, though, when footage of the preparation for one shot leaked out. Craig reportedly sustained a pretty bad bump on the head during the shooting, and an earlier rumor also suggested that Bond might get behind the wheel of a Fiat 500 at some point in the scene.