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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:

90th Anniversary Edition signals end of Jaguar F-Pace in Europe

Jaguar is gradually paring down its global range of models as it prepares to start from scratch in a bid to move upmarket. After the XE and the F-Type, it's the F-Pace's turn to sign off in many countries. Launched in 2016, the company's first SUV — and one of its all-time best-selling models — will retire from the European market later in 2024 with a limited-edition model called 90th Anniversary Edition. No, the F-Pace isn't turning 90; the name is a reference to nine decades of Jaguar's internal-combustion engines. Based on the R-Dynamic version, the commemorative SUV gets an edition-specific exterior emblem on the hatch and not much else. It features the same blacked-out trim as the R-Dynamic, and Jaguar notes that buyers have several options to choose from including a panoramic roof and tinted windows. Inside, you'll find sport seats for the front passengers, contrast stitching, and aluminum trim. The S, SE and HSE trim levels can be ordered with the 90th Anniversary package, and the SUV is on sale now in several global markets. We won't get it in the United States, however. "We have not announced end of production or the final model year [for the F-Pace on the American market]. [Production of] the F-Pace will continue in our Solihull plant for the foreseeable future," a spokesperson for the British company told Autoblog via email. Now what? We'll need to be patient to find out what's next. Jaguar has announced plans to shift up a notch or two in the industry's pecking order to take on Bentley, among other brands; as it stands, it's positioned on about the same level as BMW and Mercedes-Benz. This bold move will be accompanied by a shift toward an electric-only range of models. Earlier rumors have detailed three models: a sporty sedan aimed at the Porsche Taycan, a more luxury-focused sedan about as long as the now-retired Bentley Mulsanne, and a big SUV aimed at the Bentayga. If everything goes according to plan, the first of these three models will land in 2025 on a new, purpose-designed architecture. Until then, with the F-Pace nearly out of the picture the global Jaguar range will consist of the electric I-Pace, the E-Pace crossover and the XF sedan. Related video: Featured Gallery 2024 Jaguar F-Pace 90th Anniversary Edition, official images Jaguar SUV Luxury

Jaguar will build 9 XKSS continuation cars at $1.4m each

The Jaguar D-Type was, for its time, a cutting-edge race car. It was also a car that could, theoretically, drive from Jaguar's Browns Lane factory to the race in France and back. This was an era in which top-tier race cars weren't all that different from their road-going counterparts. You couldn't really do the same in an Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro, now could you? The XKSS was a D-Type with the barest nod to road-going conveniences, like proper wind protection. With some unsold D-Type racers cluttering up the shop after three successive Le Mans wins, Jaguar converted 16 into XKSS spec, and had more in the works. It wasn't a comprehensive transformation, really. A windshield and a passenger door were added; a cabin partition and the striking fin behind the driver were removed. Otherwise, it wasn't much different than the all-conquering Le Mans-winners. And then tragedy struck. A fire destroyed nine of the cars, and the company never picked up where it left off after the mess was cleaned up. Hence Jaguar aficionados, and the company itself, keenly felt the absence of the "lost" cars. After the success of the continuation E-Type lightweights built by the Jaguar Classic division of Special Operations, the company will finish the run. Nine cars will be hand-crafted for a select group of customers and collectors, much as the company did for the lightweights. Jaguar expects the cars to fetch more than $1.5 million each. Considering the mystique of these "lost" cars, and the fact that Steve McQueen is heavily associated with the XKSS, they may trade hands for considerably more after the initial owners part with them. Jaguar expects to start delivering the continuation XKSS cars early next year. Related Video: New York Auto Show Jaguar Convertible Performance Classics jaguar special operations jaguar xkss