1974 Jaguar E-type Xke on 2040-cars

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Jaguar pushes F-Pace toward Frankfurt debut [w/video]

Automakers regularly subject new vehicles they're developing to extreme climactic conditions to make sure they'll hold up no matter what the customer throws at it. We rarely get to see what those conditions entail, save for the odd batch of spy shots here and there. Jaguar, however, has given us a glimpse behind the proverbial curtain as it puts the finishing touches on the upcoming new F-Pace crossover. The British automaker reports that it's put the F-Pace through its paces in temperatures ranging from as low as 40 degrees below zero (on either scale – that's where they meet) to 50 degrees Celsius above (122 Fahrenheit). Those are some punishing conditions, achieved in the dead of winter in Northern Sweden and at the height of summer in the searing deserts of Dubai, where cabin temperatures inside a vehicle left in the sun can top 158 degrees Fahrenheit. The former is where Jaguar Land Rover maintains a dedicated arctic test facility in Arjeplog, with over 37 miles of test tracks carved out of the ice, snow, and mountains. Jaguar even threw gravel mountain passes into the test regime for the first time, because while it may be geared more toward on-road use than its Land Rover counterparts, people still expect their crossover to be sure-footed in a variety of conditions. Jaguar has now confirmed that the production F-Pace will make its bit debut in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show. That's the same venue where the C-X17 concept that previewed the F-Pace's arrival was first showcased the last time the show came to town two years ago. And while the company recently signed a manufacturing contract with Magna Steyr to build an undisclosed model line in Austria, JLR confirms that the F-Pace will be built in the UK at the Solihull plant that already handles production of the Land Rover Discovery/LR4, Defender, Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and Jaguar XE. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

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 Land Rover UK factories could shut down in two weeks due to coronavirus

COVENTRY, England — Jaguar Land Rover has enough parts from China to maintain its British production for the next two weeks but not beyond that at the moment, Chief Executive Ralf Speth said on Tuesday. Britain's biggest carmaker, which operate three car factories in its home market, joined major global companies such as Apple in warning of the impact of the virus on supply chains. The rapidly spreading virus has killed nearly 1,900 in China and stricken some 72,000 people, confining millions to their homes, disrupting supply chains and delaying reopening of factories after the extended Lunar New Year holiday break. "We are safe for this week and we are safe for next week and in the third week we have... parts missing," said Speth when asking about the potential impact on British production. He said the firm's Chinese factory would open next week and was "safe for the very first week." Sales were not currently happening in China and it was unclear when they would return, he added. The boss of Tata Motors, JLR's parent company, speaking at the same event, said the company does not have sufficient visibility regarding parts suppliers from China. "We are safe for the month of February and for a good part of March," said Guenter Butschek. "Are we fully covered at this point of time for the full month of March? Unfortunately...not." Related Video: