2000 Jaguar Xj8 Vanden Plas on 2040-cars

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Jaguar Project 7 Concept

The Jaguar Project 7 Concept debuted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed just last month. But unlike most concepts, which serve only to collect fingerprints on a stage, the track-ready one-seater spent its days barreling past the hillclimb crowds with Mike Cross, chief engineer of vehicle integrity at Jaguar, beaming behind its right-hand-drive steering wheel. What's more, the powers that be at Jaguar even let yours truly drive the Project 7 during the Concurs d'Elegance festivities at Pebble Beach last week.
Built on an all-aluminum V8 F-Type chassis with modified suspension, the Project 7 (a name acknowledging Jaguar's seven Le Mans wins between 1951-1990) is best thought of as an F-Type masquerading as a D-Type. The two-door is fitted with a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 good for 550 horsepower (no pictures as Jaguar wouldn't allow us to open the hood). An eight-speed automatic, with a torque converter, sends the power the rear wheels, allowing the single-seat roadster to crack the 60-mph benchmark in just over four seconds.
Modifications to the bodywork include a new lowered windshield, carbon-fiber aerodynamics and a rear fairing with integrated rollover hoop. The driving position has also been lowered by more than an inch, allowing the sole occupant to not only escape the airflow, but take advantage of a lower center of gravity.

2014 Jaguar XJR is large, in charge

There are few things in this world we love more than a huge, supersonic-feeling sedan, and Jaguar has just ripped the sheets off of its newest entry into that set of bruisers. The 2014 Jaguar XJR puts down a full 550 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque courtesy of a supercharged 5.0-liter V8. All that thrust lands on the rear tires through an eight-speed automatic transmission, and the big aluminum-chassis'd four door can sprint to 60 miles per hour in a skinny 4.4 seconds. Top speed sits at an electronically limited 174 mph, and Jaguar estimates the machine will still return up to 23 miles per gallon highway.
Do. Want.
The 2014 XJR also features stiffer spring and damper rates along with an electronically controlled rear differential. Of course, there are plenty of styling tweaks on hand to separate the most menacing XJ from the rest of the family. Those include new fascias, R emblems and massive 20-inch wheels outdoors as well as special seating and trim elements indoors. Asking price? That would Be $116,000 for the XJR and $119,000 for the long-wheelbase L version. Check out the full press blast below.

Jaguar demanding customer data from reluctant dealers

Nearly every major business is collecting consumer data these days, and keeping that data secure has come to the forefront of many customer's minds. Jaguar Land Rover North America's decision to begin requesting more customer info from its dealer network appears unfortunately timed, however. If it had come a few years ago, it might have been ignored, but in today's climate of heightened awareness, a few dealers are pushing back. To put the showrooms in an even tougher position, JLR NA is threatening to deny quarterly incentives if they do not turn over the customer data, according to Automotive News.
JLR NA instated the nationwide plan, which it calls Single View CRM, on February 7, but according to Stuart Schorr, Jaguar Land Rover North America Vice President of Communications, the automaker has been negotiating with its dealers to institute the new program for over a year. Schorr tells Autoblog that no financial information is being shared, noting that such data is limited to customer details, including things like what vehicles they own and whether they have any pending service. The initiative is meant to "improve customers' and owners' engagement with the brand," he said. Also, the company is not accessing dealer data itself; instead showrooms are asked to enter the info into JLR's database.