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2016 Jaguar F-Type debuts available manual transmission, AWD

If you're like us, you fell in the deepest, darkest sort of love with Jaguar's F-Type the moment its voluptuous form first surfaced. The car's full-bodied engine specs only furthered our ardor, and the droptop Jag sealed the deal before we even turned a wheel - all it took was hearing its engine bark to life.
And yet, even after driving the original convertible and the subsequent coupe, we've never quite shaken the notion that Jaguar erred a bit too heavily on the Grand Touring side of the equation for a proper sports car. That's partially because even the base model comes with a boatload of weight-adding luxury features. But perhaps more importantly, it's because the F-Type has only been available with an automatic transmission. Admittedly, the gearbox in question is a damned good paddle-shifted eight-speed ZF unit, but it's always chafed a bit that Jaguar wasn't committed to offering purists a manual - even if such a model would never be a high-volume proposition.
Apparently we weren't the only ones bothered by three-pedal omission. According to Russ Varney, F-Type Vehicle Program Director,

Jaguar recalls 7k F-Types for two seperate issues with electrical system

Jaguar is the latest automaker to join in on the recall action from this morning, as the British automaker has announced steps it's taking to remedy two separate problems. The larger of the two recalls deals with an issue related to the seatbelt sensors specifically on the F-Type (we're inquiring with Jaguar if the recall pertains to the coupe, convertible or both models). According to the notice issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "the seatbelt harness connector which connects the Seatbelt Tension Sensor (STS) to the Occupant Classification Sensor Control Module (OCSCM) may not have been correctly wired," which could result in the front passenger air bag remaining activated even when a shorter individual (child or adult) occupies that seat. As a result, the British automaker is notifying the owners of such F-Types manufactured between August 31, 2012, and October 22, 2014, to bring their cars in to their local dealership to correct the configuration of the harness connector wire. The second Jaguar recall addresses a wider range of models but a much smaller number of actual vehicles. It affects the F-Type as well as the 2015 XF and XJ sedans, but only 272 of them in the United States. In those affected vehicles, the Front End Accessory Drive belt, Power Assisted Steering pump pulley and the battery positive cable at the alternator may detach. Since those issues could increase the risk of fire or the loss of power steering, Jaguar is calling those few affected units in to dealers to have the requisite components checked, and if necessary, repaired. Details of both recalls can be found in the notices below. Report Receipt Date: NOV 07, 2014 NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V714000 Component(s): ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Potential Number of Units Affected: 7,079 Manufacturer: Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC SUMMARY: Jaguar Land Rover North America LLC (Jaguar) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 F-TYPE vehicles manufactured August 31, 2012, to October 22, 2014. In the affected vehicles the seatbelt harness connector which connects the Seatbelt Tension Sensor (STS) to the Occupant Classification Sensor Control Module (OCSCM) may not have been correctly wired. The OCSCM senses whether there is an occupant in the front passenger seating position, and the STS senses whether tension on the seatbelt indicates a child restraint is being used in the front passenger seating position.

Harry bravely drives Jaguar XJ-S V12 1,000 miles to Monaco

There are a great many cars we'd like to take on a transcontinental journey – especially across Europe. And a good portion of them would probably be grand tourers with twelve-cylinder engines. We're just not sure we'd be as brave as Harry Metcalfe, who drove his 1980 Jaguar XJ-S V12 from his home in the UK all the way down to Monaco. Don't get us wrong, the XJ-S looks like a rather comfortable ride, and with the V12 is surely both smooth and powerful. It's just that Jags didn't have the best reputation for reliability back then, and we'd have been at least a little worried that we wouldn't make it all the way across France on this trip. Nor are we sure we would have wanted to without air conditioning. The model in question, as you'll find out if you watch the video, is an early 1980 example, produced just before Jaguar updated the line with the High-Efficiency versions. As such, it's got a bit more power and shorter gearing than later models. The XJS (as it would later be labeled) would undergo a number of updates over the following years, and would stay on the market until 1996 when the XK came along to relieve it. By Harry's reckoning, his early XJ-S was every bit as good as the Porsche 928 and other front-engined GTs of the era, and would have been more fondly remembered if it hadn't had to live in the shadow of the E-Type that came before. You'll want to watch the 17-minute video of the journey, undertaken for a cover story to appear in the September issue of Octane, to see for yourself. Related Video: