Jaguar E-type Series 2 on 2040-cars

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2022 Jaguar I-Pace gets quicker charging and better in-car tech

Jaguar's electric I-Pace crossover is entering the 2022 model year with small but meaningful technology updates under the sheet metal. It takes less time to charge, and it offers passengers a more intuitive infotainment system. Spotting the visual changes made to the I-Pace requires an impressively well-trained eye. Designers added Atlas Gray accents on the grille, and a Bright Pack joins an updated Black Pack on the list of options, but Jaguar's first EV looks largely the same. Aruba, Caldera Red, Portofino Blue, and Eiger Gray appear on the palette of available colors. It's what's inside that counts for 2022. The I-Pace gains a cabin air ionization system with 2.5PM filtration and a new infotainment system called Pivo Pro already announced for the European-spec model. Shared with the Land Rover Defender among other models in the corporate portfolio, it lets users access up to 90% of common tasks from the home screen in two taps or less, according to the manufacturer. One of the new features packed into the software is an EV-specific navigation system that shows available charging stations along the selected route and provides an estimate of how long drivers will have to wait before their car charges. Motorists can choose the charging stations they want to stop at, regardless of waiting times and charging speeds, or they can let Pivi Pro select the ones it thinks will get them to their destination with the least downtime.  Speaking of charging, the now-standard 11-kilowatt onboard charger zaps the I-Pace's lithium-ion battery pack with up to 63 miles of driving range in 15 minutes when it's connected to a 100-kilowatt DC charger. The crossover's maximum driving range remains pegged at 234 miles, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Jaguar is not making major mechanical changes to the I-Pace for 2022, and the high-performance variant we wrote about in 2019 hasn't landed yet, so the crossover carries on with a pair of electric motors (one per axle) that jointly develop 394 horsepower and 512 pound-feet of torque. Jaguar quotes a brisk 4.5-second sprint from zero to 60 mph thanks in part to the through-the-road all-wheel-drive system.  Pricing for the 2022 Jaguar I-Pace starts at $69,900 before destination and incentives enter the equation. Interestingly, it's now only available in a single trim level called HSE; the S and SE models have been dropped from the lineup.

Junkyard Gem: 1977 Jaguar XJ6L

British Leyland began selling the Jaguar XJ in 1968, and production continued through multiple platform generations (and corporate owners) until just a few years ago. The original XJ was facelifted twice, in 1973 and 1979, with sales of the six-cylinder version extending into 1987 (Series 3 cars with V12s were built through 1992). Production numbers were never very high, but these cars proved popular in the United States and I still find them every so often during my junkyard travels. Here's a Series 2 XJ6 saloon that showed up in a Denver-area self-service yard last winter. Jaguar introduced a long-wheelbase version of the XJ saloon for 1972, giving it a four-inch stretch in order to better compete against the planned Rover P8. Since Rover was a fellow British Leyland brand, this was like Buick pouring big resources into crushing a threat from Oldsmobile, to the detriment of the overall company. In any case, the long-wheelbase saloons proved so successful that the short-wheelbase four-doors got the axe a couple of years later (the coupes stayed on the shorter chassis). Jaguar continued to add the "L" badging to the saloons for quite a while after that, presumably because it looked classy. The paint on all the upper body surfaces has been nuked down to the steel by the relentless High Plains sun, so we can assume that this car spent a decade or three sitting parked outside. It may have started out in Arizona, one of the few places with fiercer sunlight than eastern Colorado. Is it possible that it really turned a mere 46,630 miles during its life? With most cars of this vintage, I'd assume that the five-digit odometer has been turned over once or twice. With a Jaguar and its troublesome electrical components made by the Prince of Darkness, however, that's not such a sure bet. To own a car like this, you need to be willing and able to give it the money and work it requires to stay on the road; not many are suited to this responsibility. The interior looks to have been in very nice condition before the car got parked in a field somewhere. The wood interior trim has seen better days. Back in the 1970s, Mercedes-Benz had a big edge over Jaguar with mechanical sophistication and build quality, granted, but Jaguar beat those Stuttgarters hands-down when it came to making a car interior feel like a billionaire's library. The engine is a 4.2-liter XK6 straight-six, rated at 162 horsepower and 225 pound-feet.

Jaguar Classic heading to Le Mans with vintage racers

A grid full of vintage Jaguars will rumble into France in July to race in the Jaguar Classic Challenge during the Le Mans Classic. The event should give motorsport fans plenty to watch with a bevy of pre-1966 Jags on the famous circuit, including E-Types, XKs, C-Types, D-Types, and even the company's sedans. Jaguar launched the vintage racing series last year to build on the success of the popular E-type Challenge. It continues with a five-event calendar this season but swaps out a meeting at Brands Hatch to go to Le Mans – hard to argue with that change. The drivers also get to lap Donington Park, Silverstone, the Nurburgring, and Oulton Park. Le Mans is practically a home track for these classic Jags. The British automaker dominated the 24-hour race there in the 1950s, including overall victories in '51, '53, '55, '56, and '57. "Watching a diverse array of pre-1966 Jaguars racing on the iconic circuit, some of which even raced there in period, will surely be a sight not to be missed," Tim Hannig, Jaguar Land Rover Classic Director, said in the season announcement. Again, we find it hard to argue with that sentiment. Related Video: Iconic Jaguar sportscars will return to the Le Mans circuit as the Jaguar Classic Challenge confirms Le Mans Classic in revised 2016 calendar Race series is part of Jaguar Land Rover Classic business specialising in cars, services, parts and experiences First race commences at the Donington Historic Festival on 30 April - 2 May Drivers wishing to take part in the true spirit of classic racing in 2016 can visit the dedicated web page at http://www.hscc.org.uk/jaguar-classic-challenge for full details Whitley, Coventry - 01 February, 2016: Excitement levels are building for the second season of the Jaguar Classic Challenge as the Le Mans Classic is confirmed for inclusion in the all-new race calendar for 2016. The Le Mans Classic will be one of the major highlights of the forthcoming season that will see a diverse field of pre-1966 Jaguars going wheel-to-wheel in the competitive single-marque series. Jaguar has a long and successful history at Le Mans, with the marque first winning there back in 1951 with Peter Walker and Peter Whitehead driving the C-type - affectionately known as XKC 003. A one-two finish followed this in 1953 with the duo of Tony Rolt and Duncan Hamilton taking overall honours. Jaguar dominated Le Mans for three consecutive years in 1955, 1956 and 1957 in the D-type.