2004 Jaguar Xjr Base Sedan 4-door 4.2l Supercharged on 2040-cars

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New Audi design chief Massimo Frascella shaped cars for Jaguar Land Rover

At the Audi brand, style and design have long been a high priority; think the super sleek and sexy A7 sedan, the Bauhaus-inspired TT coupe, the single-frame grille that instantly identified the marque with its down-the-road graphics. So when the Bavarians install a new head of design, that’s also worth a look. Massimo Frascella is that person, a 52-year-old Italian designer who this summer will succeed Marc Lichte. Lichte ran Audi design since 2014 and will take up a new role within the Volkswagen Group. Frascella, a student at the Istituto d`Arte Applicata & Design in Turin, ignited his career at Stile Bertone, and his resume after that evolves impressively. He subsequently held positions at Ford Motor Company and Kia, and since 2011, Frascella has held senior positions at Jaguar Land Rover. He was responsible for the creation of several models: Discovery Vision Concept (2014), Discovery Sport (2014), Discovery (2016), Velar (2017), Evoque (2019) and Defender. In 2019 he became creative director of Land Rover and in 2020 design director. He was also instrumental in the development of the range of new electric Jaguars that are in the works. “Joining Audi is a very special moment for me,” Frascella said. “I am deeply honored to assume the role of chief creative officer and to guide such a talented team in shaping the future of the brand to new heights of innovation and distinction. I believe in the emotional power of design to inspire, connect, and drive change, and I am here to nurture and promote creativity as the beating heart of our brand.” Looking back a couple of decades, it was one of FrascellaÂ’s predecessors who helped to cement AudiÂ’s reputation in automobile design: Walter de Silva. De Silva was appointed head of Audi design in 2002. From 2007 to 2015, he supervised the design strategy for the entire Volkswagen group, including the TT, the Scirocco, the Passat and the Golf. Not a bad list of achievements, but in a interview several years ago, de Silva said that he considered the 2007 Audi A5 coupe the pinnacle of his automotive design art, citing its “sex appeal, the shape of the lights, the architecture.” Design/Style Audi Jaguar Land Rover Volkswagen Automotive History

This Jaguar E-Type is an even longer-legged feline

Paul Branstad loves the shape and purity of the Series 1 Jaguar E-Type, produced from 1961 to 1968, but appreciates the longer length of the Series 3 V12 model, which affords occupants a more comfortable space in which to enjoy long trips. So when Branstad brought his damaged left-hand-drive 1968 roadster from its home in the US to Classic Motor Cars in the UK for a restoration, he had a special request: restore his car, but make it a bit longer.
"This is something that we have never done before. Our client wanted the interior leg room of a Series 3 V12 E-Type but the aesthetics of a Series 1 car," says Nick Goldthorp, managing director of CMC.
For the restoration, CMC added 4.5 inches of length to the floor pan of Branstad's E-Type to create the extra legroom. Goldthorp relates, "The V12 was actually nine inches longer than a Series 1 but a lot of the additional room was behind the seats as storage and was not required on our project." That's because CMC also built a trailer out of two E-Type rear ends that attaches to a custom-made removable tow hitch.

2020 Jaguar XE P300 R-Dynamic S Drivers' Notes | A divisive sport sedan

The 2020 Jaguar XE in P300 R-Dynamic S trim is the quickest and most aggressively styled version of the XE available after its 2020 update. We lost the characterful and punchy supercharged V6 (and diesel), and in its place we found two turbocharged four-cylinder gas-engine options. The P300 is the high-output version of this engine, producing 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. It’s mated to ZFÂ’s excellent eight-speed automatic transmission and sends the power to all four wheels. There's an updated interior for 2020, adding in a few extra tech features and upgraded material quality. The cabin is typical Jaguar fare. It looks great, but can be overly complex in ways other cars arenÂ’t — take the confusing climate/seat controls as one example. But Jaguar also spent some time improving its exterior looks. Our red tester was striking and classy with the wider grille, sculpted front bumper (exclusive to the R-Dynamic S) and thin new headlights. All this pageantry comes at a price, though. This particular XE starts at $47,290, which is already fairly expensive for this class with its level of performance. However, a number of options caused this carÂ’s price to climb up to $63,125. Yowza. No single option or package was to blame, as this car has a number of expensive extras on it. The $1,950 Technology Pack added the digital rearview mirror, dual stacked touchscreens, head-up display and wireless phone charging. A $1,700 Drive Pack tacked on blind-spot warning, high-speed emergency braking and adaptive cruise control. The $1,365 Connected Navigation Pack added navigation, traffic sign recognition and internet connectivity. Then, a $1,315 Dynamic Handling Pack added in the adaptive suspension, configurable drive modes, red brake calipers and a spoiler. It also had 20-inch optional wheels ($1,700), 16-way heated and cooled front seats ($1,500), carbon fiber trim ($1,100) and a Meridian surround sound audio system ($800), among many other options. Road Test Editor Zac Palmer: Jaguar simplified the XE greatly for the 2020 model year, and while IÂ’m sad to see the supercharged V6 go away, this turbocharged four-cylinder is still a good little mill. ThereÂ’s a slight pause as you wait for boost to build, but itÂ’s quick enough to have some fun on the commute back and forth to work. Its forward thrust is comparable to others in the class with four-cylinder turbocharged engines — IÂ’d place it about midpack on the butt dyno.