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Jaguar C-X75 James Bond movie car is going up for auction

Back in 2010, Jaguar presented a show-stopper of a concept: the C-X75. Besides its curvaceous body, it boasted a wild hybrid powertrain with a gas turbine engine providing electricity. Sadly, it never reached full production, and it only reappeared as a villain car in the James Bond film Spectre. But between the concept and the film, there were a few production prototypes built as part of a planned 250, and a few stunt cars. Auction company RM Sotheby's is offering one of the latter cars. This Jaguar C-X75 stunt car is actually the first stunt car built, according to the auction house. The stunt cars were built by Williams Advanced Engineering, the same company that has been competing in Formula 1 for decades. The stunt car has little in common mechanically with the concept, or the five prototype cars Jaguar built with four-cylinder hybrid powertrains. Under the skin is a custom tubeframe chassis and long-travel rally car suspension. Powering it is a version of the Jaguar F-Type's V8 engine with a dry-sump oiling system. It's coupled to a sequential manual six-speed transmission and a rear transaxle with a mechanical limited-slip differential. Brakes are AP Racing units and are adjustable from the cabin, and they feature a hydraulic handbrake. One consequence of this stunt car's burly underpinnings is that the cockpit is more like that of a race car, with a small Momo steering wheel and toggle switches and controllers all over. But this unsophisticated cabin has played host to some famous folks. The car was used for getting shots with the actors, with a driver's seat mounted to the top. Since this was a villain car, the actor in the driver's seat was Dave Bautista. The car also was featured at the Mexico Grand Prix to promote the movie, and Felipe Massa took it for a test drive. RM Sotheby's hasn't given an estimated price for the car, but expect it to be expensive. If you have the means, it will be crossing the block at the auction company's Abu Dhabi sale on November 30. The car will come with a bill of sale, a movie call sheet and a specification sheet from Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations. We're not sure that this car would be able to be titled in the U.S., but we bet it would be just as fun, if not more so, on a race track, rather than public roads.

2016 Jaguar XF Review

We last drove the new Jaguar XF in Spain last September, sampling it in 380-horsepower S spec and in 2.0-liter turbodiesel forms. We found both versions to provide a supple ride, despite some body roll, and loved the supercharged model's ample thrust from any engine speed. The ZF-provided eight-speed automatic was also applauded for its competence, making the sport paddles an unnecessary formality. If anything, our last drive only left us pining for a better infotainment system, as Jaguar Land Rover's painfully outdated one has been a target of our ire for a while. A limited amount of time behind the wheel, and a desire to see how much the slightly less powerful 2016 Jaguar XF 35t R-Sport gives away to its S-badged stablemate, leads us to our tester. In British Racing Green, the new XF is both more handsome than the slightly manic-looking old XF, yet also slightly more anonymous. This is a lithe shape, with crisp lines and few gimmicks, save the fender vents, which are about as tasteful as that element comes. The car's charms are especially evident from up front. Despite a distracting cut line, the hood is tastefully built up in two steps: a sharp rise from the headlight/fender area, and in the middle a tasteful power bulge. The overall effect is one of thoughtful, purposeful design – after all, this is Ian Callum's work – rather than taking a corporate-mandated design language and scaling it up or down to suit the hardpoints. Spend some time around FCA's UConnect system and you'll see where Jaguar needs to improve. Inside, this XF is a mixed bag. Let's start with the positives. Despite being shod in a rather boring black hide, the front seats are wonderfully comfortable and supportive without aggressive bolstering. The cabin would really wake up with a more interesting leather, like the brown that Jaguar calls "Brogue," covering the seats and door panels. Whatever you think of the rotary shift selector, the knurling on its diameter and the solidity of its action conveys the sense of craftsmanship you'd expect from a British luxury car. Some other controls, such as the cheap-looking and -feeling control stalks sprouting form the otherwise wonderful steering wheel, do not. And that takes us to the infotainment system. This XF does away with Jaguar's old, much-maligned user interface, which was blocky and balky in equal measures.

Jaguar vs. Jetman: Place your bets

As many car-versus-jet races as we've seen on video, we never seem to tire of them. This latest one, however, doesn't so much pit a car against a jet airplane, per se, but a guy in a jetpack against a supercharged Jaguar. That in and of itself might make this clip worth a watch. The guy in question is one Yves Rossy, otherwise known as the Jetman. The Swiss air force aviator developed, wears, and pilots a six-and-a-half-foot-wide fixed wing fashioned from carbon fiber and fitted with four jet turbines strapped to its underside, each good for 88 pounds of thrust. He's flown it over the Alps, across the English Channel, and above the Grand Canyon, but now he faces off against another adversary. That, of course, would be the Jaguar XJR, complete with 5.0-liter supercharged V8 good for 550 horsepower. Piloting the performance sedan is none other than Martin Brundle, a former F1 driver, Le Mans winner, and television commentator. The two line up on and above a 1.75-mile stretch of road in the deserts of Dubai for the showdown. We could tell you who won, but you'll want to watch the video above for yourself to find out first-hand. And if you want to know more about the Jetman and his amazing flying creation, watch the video below. Related Video: F1 Star Martin Brundle and New Jaguar XJR Take on High-Flying 'Jetman' in World-First Desert Drag Race - Martin Brundle drives new 2016 model year Jaguar XJR in 1.75-mile live car race against 'Jetman' Yves Rossy in the Dubai desert - Head-to-head race demonstrates the benefits of lightweight construction on agility, performance and control in the air and on the road - Sandy conditions offer a clear demonstration of the benefits of the Jaguar XJ's new All-Surface Progress Control (ASPC) - New short film captures the action: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xssOxHoEhrk - Brundle and Rossy discuss comparable technology within their two machines The Jetman Dubai pilot Yves Rossy, took on his first ever live race when he went head-to-head against a Jaguar XJR driven by former Formula One star Martin Brundle in a unique contest deep in the Dubai desert. Brundle, who drove in F1 alongside Michael Schumacher and is now a commentator, had the new all-aluminium 550PS, 5.0-litre Supercharged V8 Jaguar XJR at his disposal while Rossy was strapped to his 2m-wide fixed wing, powered by four Jet-Cat superchargers. The race took place on a closed private road and in the skies above it, and was captured in a three-minute short film.