Jaguar Xj 4dr Sdn Xj8 Lwb Sunroof Leather Cd Parking Sensors Low Miles Clean on 2040-cars

Auto blog

ECD Auto Design Jaguar E-Type Electric First Drive: EV restomods have a bright future

KISSIMMEE, Fla. — If youÂ’ve ever dipped a toe into the restomod world before, thereÂ’s a good chance youÂ’ve heard of the Florida-based company ECD. Originally known as East Coast Defender for the companyÂ’s earliest efforts restomodding Land Rover Defenders, itÂ’s now just “ECD Auto Design.” ThatÂ’s because thereÂ’s a whole lot more than just Defenders being cranked out of the workshop these days. And while weÂ’ve already driven its Land Rover offerings in the Defender and Range Rover Classic, today itÂ’s time to take the companyÂ’s latest creation for a spin: the ECD Jaguar E-Type. ECD announced its foray into the E-Type world about a year and a half ago, and by the time we showed up, itÂ’d already produced seven restored and/or heavily modified E-Types. Before we get too far into first impressions, though, some history. The E-Type, formally known as the XK-E here in the states, was produced between 1961 and 1974. It was a bombshell of a sports car when new, touting impressive performance for a solid price from both its inline-six and V12 engines. Jaguar went through three main iterations of the XK-E before wrapping up sales here: Series I, Series II and Series III. And while ECD has restored a Series I, itÂ’s focusing on the more widely available (and more affordable) Series II cars for this project. The E-Type was available as a coupe or convertible, and while ECD is allowing you to stick with either of the original powertrains for restoration builds, itÂ’s also offering some rather tempting swaps. If thereÂ’s something you should know about ECD, itÂ’s that this company loves a good American V8. YouÂ’ll find an LS- or LT-based General Motors V8 in most of its Defender builds, and thatÂ’s exactly what ECD is offering in the E-Type, too. GMÂ’s 450-horsepower LT1 can be plopped under the long hood of the E-Type should you want to turn it into a tire-destroying muscle machine. On the other end of the spectrum is an electric conversion option, which is the E-Type variant we got to drive. Before you scream “sacrilege!” we wonÂ’t bury the lede on this one: An all-electric E-Type is actually a hoot to drive. Admittedly, what makes it fun to drive is also what makes other modern-day sports cars fun to drive. ItÂ’s lightweight at just 2,940 pounds (thatÂ’s 60 pounds less than the V8-powered version), features a 51/49 weight balance, has a 305-horsepower motor doling out power solely to the rear wheels Â… and you can take the roof off!

Jaguar planning all-electric E-Pace crossover

Jaguar hasn't quite finished rolling out the new F-Pace (pictured above), and already reports are circulating of another crossover model to join it in the near future. According to Automobile, it'll be called the E-Pace. Here's the kicker: it'll be all-electric. The E-Pace would take advantage of ultra-efficient aerodynamics in order to drop its drag coefficient to just 0.28 g, thereby increasing efficiency. It'd also be the first fully electric model from Jaguar, and would likely be even smaller than the sporty new F-Pace. Through-the-road all-wheel drive would give it poor weather traction, and the electric motors would provide plenty of low-end punch. The model would go up against the Tesla Model X and a potential production version of the Audi E-Tron Quattro concept revealed in Frankfurt. Rather than handle production in-house, the E-Pace could emerge as the mysterious upcoming model which Jaguar Land Rover is planning to have Magna Steyr build on its behalf. The factory in Graz, Austria has long built the G-Class for Mercedes-Benz, continues to assemble the Mini Countryman, and has also handled models like the Aston Martin Rapide and BMW X3. Automobile figures that Jaguar would need to make at least 20,000 units each year to make the model profitable. For comparison's sake, Tesla is projected to move about 33,000 Model S units in 2015. Even if the E-Pace falls short of this target, the project could be worthwhile for JLR purely for publicity purposes and to help cut its average fleet emissions. Related Video:

Jaguar to go racing with F-Type GT3?

Most British automakers have some manner of racing program. Aston Martin, Lotus and McLaren race as a matter of course. Bentley recently got back into racing, Morgan has dabbled here and there, even Land Rover has its off-road racing programs. The only one, it seems, that isn't racing these days is Jaguar... but that could be about to change. The latest intel from the UK suggests that Jaguar is closely evaluating the prospect of building a GT3-spec racer based on the F-Type. Like the Bentley Continental GT3 co-developed with M-Sport (not to mention Coventry's own successful partnership with TWR), the Jaguar program would need an established racing outfit to help develop the car and field it, and the automaker is said to be evaluating three potential partners. The development of the GT3 racer would allow Jaguar to compete (or sell cars for others to compete) in a variety of racing series around the world, including the Blancpain Endurance Series, the European Le Mans Series and, if properly adapted, other series like the United SportsCar Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Jaguar's car would have to compete with such rivals as the Aston Martin Vantage GTE, Audi R8 LMS, Ferrari 458 GT, Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 and Porsche 911 GT3 R. Current FIA GT3 regulations use a Balance of Performance equation that allows for a curb weight between 1,200 and 1,300 kilograms (2,645 to 2,866 pounds) and produce between 500 and 600 horsepower. A more cost-effective GT4 racer could follow. But the best part is that Jaguar could, according to the report in Autocar, develop a road-going version as well, even more focused than the Project 7 pictured above and similar to what Bentley did with the Continental GT3-R. Jaguar of course has had a rich history with motor racing, reaching back to its dominance at Le Mans in the 1950s with the C-Type and D-Type, extending through the TWR partnership in touring car and endurance racing in the 1980s and 90s, to the short-lived Formula One team that became Red Bull Racing. It launched a GT2-spec XKR a few years ago and was tipped to be developing a new LMP1 prototype, but neither are on the track today, where Jaguars only compete in vintage racing. Featured Gallery Jaguar F-Type Project 7 View 29 Photos News Source: Autocar Motorsports Jaguar Racing Vehicles gt3