1954 Jaguar Xk120 Roadster on 2040-cars

Auto blog

London skyscraper caught melting cars

A new skyscraper under construction in London is apparently to blame for some mysteriously melting car parts on the city's surrounding streets. The 37-story building at 20 Fenchurch Street, nicknamed the "Walkie Talkie" for how it looks, features a convex side of glass windows that apparently concentrates the sun's rays like a kid with a magnifying glass. Instead of smiting ants, however, the building was caught focusing its sun-sourced laser death beam on an innocent Jaguar XJ parked on Eastcheap street. The intense heat managed to melt a sideview mirror, plastic C-pillar cover and Jaguar emblem (scroll down for an image of the damage).
Fortunately, the construction company, Land Securities, had some scruples and reportedly left a note on the car for its owner reading "Your car's buckled, could you give us a call?" They've also since apologized and agreed to pay for the £946 done - about $1,500 - in damages by their blazing hot building. A joint statement with the Canary Wharf district in which the building's located was also released. In it, the developer acknowledges concerns about the reflected light and says it's looking into the matter. The city has also decided to close a few parking bays that could be in the building's line of fire, so to speak, until a solution can be engineered. Since news of the melting Jag broke, other vehicle owners have also come forward claiming the building, re-nicknamed the "Walkie Scorchie," has damaged their cars, as well.
This isn't the first shiny-new-building-attacks-cars story we've heard - architect Frank Gehry's Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles was built amidst concern that its polished ribbons of stainless steel were blinding motorists and causing accidents, along with raising the temperatures of nearby buildings with its reflected light. The building's surfaces were later given a matte polish.

Is Jaguar's 3 Series-fighter the brand's last chance?

The upcoming line of compact 3 Series-fighters from Jaguar, often referred to as the Jaguar XS, could consist of a sedan, wagon and possibly a coupe and GT model (think BMW 5 Series GT). The car's all-aluminum architecture also will provide the basis for two new sports utility vehicles. Just how important is the much-touted "baby Jag" project to parent company Jaguar Land Rover? A JLR executive reportedly says the brand's survival is directly linked to the success of the XS, codenamed X760, Autocar reports.
The brand's survival is directly linked to the success of the XS.
"If the X760 fails, it will probably be the end for the [Jaguar] brand," the executive says. But Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar's global brand director, claims Jaguar will "build the most advanced, most efficient, most refined car in that [compact luxury sedan] segment. Not almost as good as, but better than the best in the world."

50th Anniversary Porsche 911 vs. Jaguar F-Type Coupe is a battle of beauty, brawn

There can't really be a loser between the Jaguar F-Type Coupe R and the Porsche 911 50th Anniversary Edition. One might be better than the other, but if you're behind the wheel of either of them, you can't complain. In a new video, Motor Trend takes on the difficult task of determining which one of these European powerhouses is the best, not just in terms of raw performance, but also how they actually feel to drive.
The Porsche 911 is one of the perennial favorites of the motoring world. It just doesn't go away and always seems capable of challenging the top vehicles in its class. In this video, Motor Trend takes a look at the 50th Anniversary Edition model that celebrates that heritage while boosting power somewhat over the standard version.
The F-Type Coupe is an incredibly masculine car, MT describing it as "a British Corvette." The coupe's exterior lines are tautly stretched over its athletic body, and it's supercharged 5.0-liter V8 sounds like a demon's growl. Jaguar seems to have things right with its latest sports car.