2013 Jaguar Xf 9800 Miles, Navigation, Back Up, Keyless Start, Bluetooth, Sirius on 2040-cars

Auto blog

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.

2018 Jaguar XJ stars in 'Game of Drones'

Looking for a fun way to put the its 2018 XJ in the spotlight, Jaguar turned to a fresh form of racing. The automaker placed three of the long-wheelbase XJL models in a studio, and surrounded them with illuminated, door-shaped gates. Then Jaguar brought in a pair of professional drone racers to compete in the glowing circuit, which includes pass-through of the rear of the XJL cabins. The drone pilots, donning VR headsets, sat in the rear of the 575-horsepower version of the XJL, the Jaguar XJR575, and launched the drones from the trunk of the car. They raced the drones through the gates and through the cars at speeds of up to 60 miles per hour. "The course was a great test, but the fact we were able to go at such speeds proves how much space the doors of the Jaguar XJL gave us," said the winning drone pilot, Brett Collis. "Despite having to fly through the cabin, we were still pushing the drones to their top speeds." The "Game of Drones," as Jaguar dubbed the race, took place at Alexandra Palace in London, but the automaker is bringing similar experiences to more locations. Jaguar plans to go on an "Art of Performance Tour," where it will bring drone and Smart Cone driving challenges to the public, free of charge.

Jaguar Land Rover in talks for Southern US factory

Jaguar Land Rover is getting serious about global expansion, and that means it can't only build its vehicles in the UK anymore. The British automaker is cutting the ribbon at its new plant in China tomorrow, marking the opening of its first factory outside the UK. In 2016, it will open another factory in Brazil. But the latest intel has it that JLR is looking into a US factory, as well.
The report, which comes to us from the Sunday Times by way of Automotive News Europe, indicates that the company is evaluating locations for a North American factory, with options centering around Southern right-to-work states like South Carolina, where BMW operates its plant in Spartanburg and a wide array of other automotive operations are based as well. The JLR plant would reportedly ramp up to a capacity of 200,000 units per year.
In related news, while that new plant JLR is inaugurating in Changshu, China, is initially slated to produce the Range Rover Evoque, it is also expected to start building the new Discovery Sport as well - just like the Halewood plant in the UK that has handled Evoque assembly from the start and which just built its first Discovery Sport, as well.