1993 Jaguar Xjs Base Coupe 2-door 4.0l on 2040-cars

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Rising aluminum costs cut into Ford's profit

When Ford reports fourth-quarter results on Wednesday afternoon, it is expected to fret that rising metals costs have cut into profits, even as rivals say they have the problem under control. Aluminum prices have risen 20 percent in the last year and nearly 11 percent since Dec. 11. Steel prices have risen just over 9 percent in the last year. Ford uses more aluminum in its vehicles than its rivals. Aluminum is lighter but far more expensive than steel, closing at $2,229 per tonne on Tuesday. U.S. steel futures closed at $677 per ton (0.91 metric tonnes). Republican U.S. President Donald Trump's administration is weighing whether to impose tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, which could push prices even higher. Ford gave a disappointing earnings estimate for 2017 and 2018 last week, saying the higher costs for steel, aluminum and other metals, as well as currency volatility, could cost the company $1.6 billion in 2018. Ford shares took a dive after the announcement. Ford Chief Financial Officer Bob Shanks told analysts at a conference in Detroit last week that while the company benefited from low commodity prices in 2016, rising steel prices were now the main cause of higher costs, followed by aluminum. Shanks said the automaker at times relies on foreign currencies as a "natural hedge" for some commodities but those are now going in the opposite direction, so they are not working. A Ford spokesman added that the automaker also uses a mix of contracts, hedges and indexed buying. Industry analysts point to the spike in aluminum versus steel prices as a plausible reason for Ford's problems, especially since it uses far more of the expensive metal than other major automakers. "When you look at Ford in the context of the other automakers, aluminum drives a lot of their volume and I think that is the cause" of their rising costs, said Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting at auto consultancy LMC Automotive. Other major automakers say rising commodity costs are not much of a problem. At last week's Detroit auto show, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV's Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne reiterated its earnings guidance for 2018 and held forth on a number of topics, but did not mention metals prices. General Motors Co gave a well-received profit outlook last week and did not mention the subject. "We view changes in raw material costs as something that is manageable," a GM spokesman said in an email.

2022 Jaguar F-Pace SVR Road Test | Enjoy the hot-rod SUV while it lasts

BIRMINGHAM, Mich. -- Jaguar has been steering away from sedans, which makes good business sense. With the demise of the XJ and XE, the company’s lineup is as taut as itÂ’s been in recent memory. ThatÂ’s OK, the F-Pace plays a lot of roles. ItÂ’s the most practical and best-selling Jaguar, and in SVR trim, itÂ’s the embodiment of the modern muscle crossover. In fact, it's a legit hot rod. This is our first chance behind the wheel of the SVR since it was updated for the 2021 model year along with the rest of the F-Pace lineup. In short: the powertrain is slightly torquier, the brakes and suspension are bolstered, the cabin gets JaguarÂ’s Pivi Pro infotainment, and the front end is tweaked with new headlights and body work. ItÂ’s subtle. Driving the F-Pace SVR is anything but. The product of JaguarÂ’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO), the SVR is a series of visceral experiences, some of them raw and adrenaline-inducing, some of them surprisingly calm. In Sport mode the Jaguar shifts quicker to accelerate harder and the full-throated roar of the exhaust is on display. In Eco or Comfort modes, things are chiller, but I still usually cued up the active exhaust system, which can be switched off and on with a button near the gear shifter.  The supercharged 5.0-liter V8 is old-school, fierce and one of the reasons you buy this Jaguar. With 550 horsepower and 516 pound-feet, itÂ’s firmly in the upper class among performance-oriented SUVs, and the 3.8-second sprint to 60 mph is impressive for a compact crossover thatÂ’s on the larger size for the segment. While the V8 is a quickly disappearing throwback, Jaguar hasnÂ’t used it as prolifically as American or German luxury brands throughout its 100-year history — often skipping from six to 12 cylinders — depending on the car and the time period. Driving the F-Pace SVR with its supercharged eight cylinders is to experience the apogee of JaguarÂ’s 2010s pivot to V8 muscle, before the brand transitions to electric vehicles by the end of the decade. It's best to live in the present in the F-Pace SVR. On a wide-open Saturday morning, I dial up Sport Mode, crack the windows to let in the exhaust note and set out for a day trip to visit family on the other side of town. With the snow disappearing on this warm late winter morning, I make the most of a fleeting opportunity to push the F-Pace a bit, with quick launches and enthusiastic acceleration into open gaps on the expressway.

Jaguar may kill supercharged V6 to make way for inline-six

This could be the last year to score a Jaguar with the carmaker's 3.0-liter supercharged V6. Autocar reports that Jaguar deep-sixed the the XE S and XF S in the UK due to poor sales and difficulty coping with European emissions regulation changes taking place this year. The mag expects the XJ and F-Pace to lose the V6, too, but suspects the F-Type might retain the engine. It's possible, however, the bent-six with up to 380 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque might finally be retiring for a reason reported on for at least three years: To make way for a 3.0-liter inline-six from the Ingenium line of motors. In 2015, Motor Trend noted the supercharged V6 would die at the end of 2016, succeeded by a "more powerful Ingenium inline-six," likely to be turbocharged. One year later, Car laid out a new family of Ingenium inline-sixes in gasoline and diesel versions. There would be three gas options with 300, 400, and 500 horsepower, plus three diesels with 275, 335, and 400 hp and herds of torque. In Car's report, the engines were meant to be here in 2017. This could be the year it finally happens. A Jaguar spokesman in the UK told Autocar that an uptake of less than 2 percent on the S models, "Coupled with impending emissions regulation changes, it makes sense to remove these variants from sale in the UK." When Jalopnik asked Jaguar U.S. about availability here — we aren't a party to the imminent European emissions changes — the carmaker would only say that the engine remains available in the current XE, XF, XJ, F-Type and F-Pace. No matter the timeline, Jaguar would want a six-cylinder to fill the gap from the 296-hp Ingenium 2.0-liter four-cylinder to the supercharged 5.0-liter V8 that starts at 470 hp. Jaguar expanded an area of its Wolverhampton, UK, engine factory to build the scalable Ingenium line. An inline-six would not only reconnect with Jaguar's past — and the firm's long-hooded cars remain ready to swallow them — the straight-six is lighter, has fewer moving parts, and emits less pollution than the supercharged V6. It is also compatible with front-, rear- and all-wheel drive, longitudinal and transverse mounting, and hybrid applications, so expect to see the motor migrate to the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and Land Rover Discovery.