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Jaguar XJS gets resto-mod treatment from England-based TWR

From the Volvo P1800 to the Porsche 928, the resto-modding trend has propelled numerous classics into the 21st century. Born-again English firm TWR rummaged through its own backyard to jump on the bandwagon: it unveiled an updated version of the Jaguar XJS. Known as the Supercat, the resto-modded XJS shares little more than a silhouette and a few basic styling cues with the coupe that inspired it. It's more muscular-looking thanks to a body kit that adds a front splitter, Group B-esque wheel arch flares, a rear spoiler and a massive diffuser integrated into the rear bumper. It gets modern-looking LED lights on both ends, and it rides on center-locking wheels. TWR notes that the body panels are made out of carbon fiber to keep weight in check. Interior pictures haven't been released, though we're told nearly every part of the car will be highly customizable, and we'll need to be patient to find out precisely what's under the hood. To whet our appetite, TWR mentioned a V12 engine supercharged to 600 horsepower and a six-speed manual transmission. All told, it has taken the company more than two years to reach this stage, including intensive real-world testing. TWR notes that the Supercat will make its dynamic debut during the summer of 2024 (our money is on the Goodwood Festival of Speed). If you want one, act fast: production is limited to 88 units globally and pricing starts at GBP225,000 excluding taxes, which represents about $281,500 at the current conversion rate. Dollars matter here: unlike some resto-mods, the Supercat was developed with our market in mind. If the XJS isn't your thing, TWR stresses it has additional resto-modded projects in the pipeline. It hasn't revealed what's next, however. Jaguar XJS View 6 Photos The donor car Released as the XJS for 1976 as a replacement for the E-Type, the two-door Jaguar (shown above) was offered in numerous configurations during a production run that lasted well beyond even the company's expectations; it remained part of the range until 1996. It was offered with a straight-six, a V12, a stick, an automatic, as a coupe, and as a convertible, and it received numerous updates inside and out to remain relatively fresh. Related Video:

Jaguar is ready for the future, and its cars look the part thanks to Ian Callum

There are few living legends in the car business. Jaguar design director Ian Callum is one of them. The longtime stylist announced Tuesday he's stepping down after a decorated career that's seen the resurgence of Jaguar and its again superlative design. Callum, who turns 65 in July, has overseen Jaguar design for 20 years and shepherded it from an era of mediocrity and uncertainty to success with its current lineup of eye-catching products. The brand's 1990s and 2000s cars, led by the haggard X-Type, were too-often forgettable. But in the last decade, Callum has completely flipped the script, returning Jaguar to its sports-car roots with the F-Type while embracing the new period of electric vehicles and crossovers. "Yesterday I told my team I was leaving as Design Director for Jaguar after 20 years. I've done what I set out to do. Time for a new adventure. I pass the baton onto my good friend and great designer Julian Thomson...." Callum tweeted Tuesday. Thompson, a 19-year veteran of Jaguar takes the reins from Callum, who is staying on as a consultant. The move takes effect July 1. As Callum notes, it's not a retirement, though he didn't elaborate. "Given the strength of both our products and the design team I feel that now is the right time to move on, both personally and professionally, and explore other design projects," he said in a statement. The Scottish-born designer studied at the Royal College of Art and was steeped in the tradition of Jaguar and British cars. He had every reason to resist change. He didn't, instead evolving his dream job into an instrument of evolution, and today Jaguar has the most well-rounded portfolio in its history. With EVs like the I-Pace the brand has an elegant and efficient car capable of taking down Tesla, while the F-Pace and E-Pace crossovers are bringing Jaguar to a new kind of customer. "In my view, the World Car Design of the Year winning F-Type, F-Pace and I-Pace – true game changers – are perhaps his greatest achievements. I believe they will be future icons," Jaguar Land Rover chief executive Ralf Speth said in a statement. Through it all, Callum never lost focus on Jaguar's sense of purpose. Along with Aston Martin, McLaren and Rolls-Royce, Jaguar holds a place in Britain's car culture and broader identity. He recognized when Jaguar rolled out a sports car openly tapped as the successor to the E-type – and then called it the F-Type – it carried the weight of history on its aluminum chassis.

Here's what a front-row seat looked like in 2014 Mille Miglia

From 1927 to 1957, the Mille Miglia was one of the great, romantic European road races of the golden era of motorsports. The cars were fast, beautiful and loud but also extremely dangerous and regularly claimed drivers' lives. After two fatal accidents in '57, the event finally had to reform and came back in 1977 as a historic rally held over the course of several days. That didn't make things boring, though, and Xcar found that out firsthand with a front-row seat to this year's race in a 2015 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe.
Xcar was actually following the Jaguar team this year that included Ian Callum and Jay Leno in an XK120, which we previously got a glimpse of when it was covered on Jay Leno's Garage. Where Leno focuses on a more personal story of competing, this one takes a more macro view. You really get an idea of how crazy the Mille Miglia still is, and while the F-Type is way too new to actually compete in the rally, it can still wear an event sticker and drive with the vintage racers.
One amazing fact about today's Mille Miglia is that if you're competing in the event, there are basically no rules. The roads are technically still open to traffic, but the police shut down intersections and provide a rolling roadblock. Xcar's F-Type alternated between following on the course with the classics and snipping off chunks of the route to watch the participants arrive at each stop. Check out the video to experience fantastic historic rally.