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Reliving the Jaguar XJ220 with a father-son duo

Jaguar may have canceled the C-X75 project, but there was a time when the Leaping Cat marque did make supercars. Sure, there were the XJR-9 and XJR-15 homologation specials made by TWR, but more famous was the XJ220. Although its reign may have lasted only a year before the McLaren F1 came along, for a brief time in the early 1990s, the XJ220 was the fastest car in the world – which is even more impressive when you consider that it was only powered by a 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6 when its rivals were using mostly V8s and V12s. That makes the XJ220 a rather noteworthy supercar from the dawn of the 200-mph era. The thing is, while Jaguar has come to embrace the XJ220 as an exceptional part of its history, it doesn't have the time or energy to devote to servicing the 275 that were made between 1992 and 1994. So it turns to Don Law Racing. The father-son team – made up of a master mechanic and his hot-shoe offspring – is tasked with keeping the XJ220 alive both in body and in spirit, and do so with a great deal of well-deserved pride. Drive went out to their workshop in Staffordshire to tell their story.

Jaguar Land Rover to cut workforce by 2,000 in push toward electric future

Jaguar Land Rover said on Wednesday it would cut 2,000 jobs from its global salaried workforce, just days after announcing its luxury Jaguar brand will be entirely electric by 2025 and e-models of its entire lineup will be launched by 2030. "The full review of the Jaguar Land Rover organization is already under way," the company said in an emailed statement. "We anticipate a net reduction of around 2,000 people from our global salaried workforce in the next financial year," it said. However, it added that the organizational review did not impact hourly paid, manufacturing employees. JLR, owned by India's Tata Motors, said earlier that its Land Rover brand will launch six fully electric models over the next five years, with the first in 2024. Known for its iconic, high-performance E-Type model in the 1960s and 1970s, Jaguar faces the same challenges as many other carmakers as it transitions to electric vehicles while trying to retain the feeling and power of a luxury combustion engine model. Last month, Tata Motors said it was concerned by semiconductor shortages and Brexit-related supply disruptions as its luxury car sales recover, although the Indian automaker added these had not yet hit production. Tata Motors posted three straight quarters of losses as the COVID-19 crisis dented sales, exacerbating uncertainties over Britain's exit from the European Union, weak demand and rising costs, but had bounced back to clock a profit in its third quarter to the end of December. The 2,000 reduction in JLR's non-factory jobs was reported earlier on Wednesday by Sky News.

Jaguar XE SV Project 8 is a 592-horsepower monster

Move over, F-Type, Jaguar has a new performance flagship. The Special Vehicle Operations division of Jaguar Land Rover applied its expertise to the XE sports sedan to create an absolute monster of a car. Named the XE SV Project 8, it features a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 pumping out 592 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. That power goes through an eight-speed automatic and an all-wheel-drive system with an electronically controlled torque-vectoring rear differential. In practice, this will rocket the super sedan to 60 mph in a claimed 3.3 seconds on the way to a 200 mph top speed. The XE SV Project 8 is not only about raw power and speed, though. Lightweight carbon fiber bumpers, front fenders, and hood have been fitted. The fenders are significantly wider, too, which cover 265-mm wide tires up front, and Hellcat Widebody-rivaling 305-mm wide tires in the back. The added grip is supplemented by stiffer springs and retuned anti-roll bars and shocks. The front splitter and rear wing are adjustable, as is the ride height. Carbon ceramic brakes are also included with six-piston front calipers and single-piston rear calipers. All of these pieces should come together to make the XE SV Project 8 just as impressive in the corners as in a straight line. View 12 Photos The interior has undergone an overhaul, too. The standard model has seating for four, featuring front buckets with magnesium frames, and more sculpted rear seats. Carbon fiber and Alcantara can be everywhere throughout the cabin. All of the typical Jaguar comforts are still present, as well, including 4G Wi-Fi, climate control, LCD displays, and a 380-watt sound system. The dial shifter in the regular XE also gives way to an F-Type-style lever allowing for manual shifting via the lever instead of paddles if you so choose. There is an additional interior configuration for the XE SV Project 8 that won't be available in the US and Canada. Called the Track Pack, it completely removes the rear seats, and the front buckets are replaced with carbon fiber units. In place of the rear seats is a roll cage with harness points for fitting the included four-point harnesses. The pack also adds a fire extinguisher system along with a black roof and stripes. The Jaguar XE SV Project 8 will make its full public debut this week at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Only 300 of the cars will be built, and all of them will be assembled at the Jaguar SVO facility.