2001 Jaguar Xk Xkr on 2040-cars

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Jaguar working on lighter F-Type with C-X75's twin-charged engine?

Every automaker has its own agenda when it comes to concept cars. Some roll them out just to showcase where it's heading. Others create them to gauge public opinion for a potential production model. Still others only showcase a concept car to preview a model that's already well underway. Jaguar is just such a company.
In the last several years, Coventry has only produced a handful of concept cars, and each of them - the C-X16 that foreshadowed the F-Type, the C-X17 that previews the upcoming crossover and Project 7 that is now entering limited production - has led straight to the introduction of a new, commercially available model. Except for one: the C-X75.
The extreme lightweight supercar was set to succeed the XJ220 with a number of advanced technologies, but unfortunately Jaguar ended up pulling the plug to watch from the sidelines as McLaren, Ferrari and Porsche got all the attention for their new hybrid hypercars. But that doesn't mean that some of the technologies initially developed for the C-X75 won't find their way into other Jaguar products.

Jaguar re-releases the toolkit the E-Type came with when it was new

Finding a complete, original toolkit is a rare treat for vintage car collectors. Jaguar's Classic division has its finger on the hobby's pulse, so it launched a reproduction of the toolkit placed in every new E-Type between 1961 and 1971. It lets owners put the final, factory-correct touch on their restoration. The British firm rummaged through its archives to find the toolkit's engineering records in order to make it to the exact same specifications as the original. The list of tools included in the bundle includes pliers, a three-piece screwdriver, a screwdriver used to adjust the ignition points, a feeler gauge, a grease gun, a valve timing gun, and an assortment of wrenches. They're all Jaguar-branded, and they come in a leatherette pouch that's just like the one buyers got when they purchased a new E-Type. It fits neatly in a corner of the E's trunk; the only thing missing is a rag to wipe your hands with when you're done wrenching. Jaguar doesn't offer one -- yet. Jaguar noted that only Series I and Series II variants of the E-Type came with the toolkit, and it went out of production nearly 50 years ago. This is a classic British car we're talking about, so you can safely bet the cost of a full, in-house restoration that the tools saw plenty of use. They inevitably ended up in mix-and-match toolboxes over the years. Sourcing a complete kit in good condition is consequently difficult, and expensive; some trade hands for nearly $6,500. Available online from Jaguar - Land Rover's classic shop, the reproduction is priced at 732 British pounds (about $950), so it's a bargain in comparison. Still, we wouldn't blame owners who decide to keep the toolkit for decorative purposes, and use much cheaper tools when wrenching gets serious.

1964 Jaguar XKE slinks into Jay Leno's Garage

The idea of altering a classic Jaguar E-Type might seem preposterous to some, but Jasen Len of XKs Unlimited managed to create a modified 1964 E-Type that stays true to the Jag's timeless design. Just a few months after Jay Leno featured his own original E-Type on Jay Leno's Garage, Len stopped by to show off his custom Jaguar creation.
Starting out with a rust-ravaged body, Len made the car just the way he wanted it to be. He started off with some minor changes to the car's exterior like the Le Mans-inspired racing lights and handmade front bumpers, handmade sills with integrated exhaust and flared rear fenders. Inside, he dropped the floor to make more interior space and reworked the E-Type's styling for more of a modern look. We have to say, if you're going to mess with a Series 1 E-Type, this is the way to do it.
Sadly, even though Len and Leno spend plenty of time talking about the car's 300-horsepower 3.8-liter inline six-cylinder, we never get to hear the car fire up. Check out the JLG video, which is posted below, and as a bonus, enjoy the gallery from Jaguar showing a 1961 E-Type.