1986 Jaguar Vanden Plas Base Sedan 4-door 4.2l on 2040-cars

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Jaguar Heritage Driving Experience throws you the keys to the museum

As automotive journalists, we get to drive a lot of really cool, high-performance vehicles. It really is the single best thing about this job. However, our access to vehicles is generally limited to the newest offerings on the market. That means, much like the general public, we don't really get access to vintage iron.
Jaguar is trying to rectify that issue for journalist and enthusiast alike, with a new program called the Heritage Driving Experience. It allows British enthusiasts to pop into the brand's Warwickshire testing site, drop anywhere from 100 to 300 pounds ($160 to $480) and go for a spin in some of the brand's most legendary offerings. That includes the more typical classics, like the Mark 2 saloon and the E-Type sports car, but you can also pay for access to stunners like the XK150, XKSS and the race-spec D-Type. In addition to the classics, most of the tests include time in their modern successors. So an hour with the Mark II can be split with time in an XFR-S, while the E-Type is complemented by its spiritual successor, the F-Type.
Most of the events are limited to 30 or 60-minute sessions, although the brand does offer a half-day and full-day event. The former, the Jaguar Le Mans Experience, includes time in the C-Type, D-Type, XKSS and F-Type R. The full-day Grace and Pace Pack, meanwhile, gives you access to nine vehicles, covering a huge gamut. That means time in the C-, D- and E-Type, XK150, Mark II, XKR-S GT and F-Type R, among others. Not surprisingly, prices aren't listed for the half- and full-day pack. Much like Jag's finest cars, if you have to ask, you probably can't afford them.

2013 Jaguar XF 3.0 Supercharged

Generally speaking, I don't get too upset about the growing need to replace displacement in modern cars. Sure, there are exceptions (don't you touch my 6.2-liter AMG V8), but honestly, the industry's new forced induction powertrains are all lovely, and their gains in fuel economy - when they actually make good on them - can make up for the ever-so-slight losses in performance or driving character.
But I'm having a hard time keeping my chin up with this Jaguar XF. For the 2013 model year, Jaguar has killed off the naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 and fitted a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 with an eight-speed automatic in its place (and even offers a turbocharged four-cylinder engine below that). That all sounds perfectly well and good, but a week behind the wheel of this British Racing Green sedan just left me missing that V8. And then some.
Driving Notes

2015 Jaguar F-Type Coupe is a seriously pretty kitty

The F-Type roadster is a beautiful car, but if we're honest, the coupe might be even more so. The hard top creates a smooth, uninterrupted line from the windshield all the way back to the rear of the car, the kinked-up rear-quarter windows are a nice touch and, overall, the design looks more organic than the roadster.
With the coupe's introduction also comes a new engine in the F-Type lineup, the 550-horsepower 5.0-liter supercharged V8 found in the XFR-S and XKR-S, and it's fitted to the top model, the F-Type R Coupe. The 495-hp mill in the V8 S roadster won't be an option in the coupe, however, but we're okay with that because Jaguar claims the 550-hp variant will scoot to 60 mph in just four seconds. Jaguar also will offer the base F-Type Coupe, with a 340-hp 3.0-liter supercharged V6, and the F-Type S Coupe, which has the same engine tuned to 380 hp. The base and mid-level models are quite quick, and can accelerate from 0-60 mph in 5.1 and 4.8 seconds, respectively.
The F-Type Coupe is priced starting from $65,000, the S Coupe adds $12,000 and the R Coupe starts at $99,000 (prices don't include $895 destination fee). For more F-Type Coupe info, check out our previous post on it, or head on below to read the press release.