1994 Jaguar Xj V12 Convertible on 2040-cars

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2018 Jaguar updates include a new 247-hp four for XE, XF, and F-Pace

Jaguar has announced changes and updates to its 2018 XE, XF, and F-Pace models, and the big one is a brand-new Ingenium four-cylinder engine. It replaces an older four-cylinder that was available on the 2017 XE line, and it will be the first gasoline four available on both the bigger XF sedan and the F-Pace crossover. This latest Ingenium engine is a turbocharged 2.0-liter gasoline four-cylinder like the older Jag engine it replaces; this one has its exhaust manifold integrated into the cylinder head, and it uses a twin-scroll turbocharger. It produces 247 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque, which are improvements of 7 hp and 18 lb-ft over the XE's old turbocharged four. Plus, peak torque is also available a bit lower than with the previous engine, at 1,200 rpm versus 1,750. It shares its architecture with the Ingenium diesel four-cylinder. The XE also gets some powertrain love at the top of the range, borrowing an engine from its bigger siblings. Jaguar is introducing a new XE S model with the 380-horsepower supercharged 3.0-liter V6. Previously, the most powerful engine available on the XE was the 340-horsepower version of that V6, which will still be available. The XE gets another upgrade in the form of an available 12.3-inch instrument panel display, when optioned with the Jaguar Touch Pro infotainment system that's also available on the other models. The big news for the XF is that its base price drops ever so slightly now that a four-cylinder model has been added. The rear-drive model with the new Ingenium engine starts at $48,770 as opposed to $49,245 for the cheapest 2017 XF, which had a diesel four-cylinder and rear-wheel drive. The downside is that diesel buyers will be paying $50,270 for the 2018 version of the same car. Some other technology upgrades have permeated the lineup as well. These 2018 Jaguars will be available with a forward cross-traffic alert and a system that will show steering angle and distance to objects on screen during slow forward maneuvering. The latter seems mainly useful for tight parking spaces. These features are available with Jaguar's Surround Camera System. Jaguar also introduced a system that will allow users to pay for gas (or diesel) from the car's touch screen using Apple Pay, Android Pay, or PayPal. The system will be introduced first in the UK and later this year in other markets, and it can only be used at Shell gas stations. Related Video:

Junkyard Gem: 1984 Jaguar XJ6

The original Jaguar XJ first appeared in American showrooms for the 1969 model year, after an excruciatingly long development process that included a final-innings merger of Jaguar's parent company with a manufacturer of heavy-duty vehicles. And then Jaguar used that same basic platform for various iterations of the XJ until the last V12-engined cars hit the showrooms for 1992. Six-cylinder XJs switched to the new XJ40 platform for 1988, however, which makes today's Junkyard Gem one of the later Series 3 XJ6s to hit our roads. This one was in very nice condition when it arrived in this Denver self-service yard recently, so be prepared for pain if you're an XJ lover (no, not the other kind of XJ). Just over 100,000 miles on the odometer, which is just over 2,700 miles traveled for each year of this luxurious saloon's life on the road. Other than some damage that I'm nearly certain was caused by junkyard shoppers, the interior is just about perfect. Most of the upholstery looks new, the door panels are pristine, and the wood trim isn't cracked. The only obvious flaws are some cracks in the dash pad and a bit of fraying on some leather here and there. Of course, the sun's glare is a little harsher in the Western United States than it is in Coventry, so you must expect some interior damage. It lived in Texas for a while during the early 2000s. There's a University of Wisconsin sticker on the rear window, so this car may have done a few cross-country moves during its life. How much did it cost new? The MSRP was $31,100 for the 1984 XJ6, which comes to about $90,435 in 2022 dollars. I was driving a 1968 Mercury Cyclone that cost $200 in 1984 dollars when this Jag was new, and a new XJ6 seemed about as far out of reach to me as an intergalactic starship (though beater early-1970s XJ6s were well within my price range— if not my wrenching skill-set— at the time). Anyone who has heard "Dead Man's Curve" knows that you just don't mess with the curves on Sunset Boulevard or with a Jaguar straight-six (the XJ was in the early stages of development when the song came out, so the narrator of the classic teen-tragedy song wrecks his Sting Ray while racing an XKE). This one displaces 4.2 liters and made 176 horsepower when new. The V12-powered XJ-S coupe had 262 horses, but cost $34,700 ($100,900 today).

Jaguar opens new engine plant in the UK

The heads of Jaguar Land Rover are having a busy couple of weeks opening factories. Just days after inaugurating the company's first overseas plant in China, the automaker's new Engine Manufacturing Center in the UK is being inaugurated, as well. The plant near Wolverhampton, England, marks the first time in decades that JLR is building its own powerplants in-house. Further signaling the importance of this launch for the business, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip were on hand and even tweeted about it.
The factory's first major project is to build JLR's latest Ingenium four-cylinders, starting with the 2.0-liter diesel version. "Our new Engine Manufacturing Centre is an important step in advancing the competitiveness and capability of the UK automotive sector. The production of in-house engines will support the expansion of the UK supply chain providing critical mass for inward investment," said Trevor Leeks, plant operations director in the automaker's announcement.
Opening the doors to the Engine Manufacturing Center has been years in the making for JLR. The plant was first announced in September 2011 and broke ground in June 2012. Building it cost the company 500 million pounds ($800 million) and created 1,400 new jobs. Of course, being a state-of-the-art factory, considerations were made to make the place as energy efficient as possible. That meant installing the UK's largest solar array with 21,000 panels to produce about 30 percent of the site's electricity needs.