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2014 Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake

We'd consider giving up vital organs for the opportunity to drive any number of vehicles on the Nürburgring: supercars, racecars, track cars, even hot hatches... but a station wagon? That might not seem like a top choice at first blush, but this is no ordinary wagon. This is the Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake.
Now if that name leaves you scratching your head, there are several good reasons for that - not least of which is the unfortunate reality that, unlike so many performance-oriented crossovers and sport-utes, the Sportbrake is not offered in North America. But suppose it were, or that weren't a factor. You'd likely still be left wondering how the name Jaguar ended up on a station wagon in the first place, and how that machine wound up bearing the letters R-S, the suffix affixed only to Coventry's most hardcore performance models.
Our brief story goes back a little over two years to when Jaguar revealed the XF Sportbrake at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, giving its mid-level sedan an elongated roof and added cargo capacity. The Sportbrake may not be the first wagon to wear the Leaping Cat badge, but following the lamentable X-Type Sportwagon, it could be argued that the XF is the first authentic Jag estate.

Bloodhound SSC makes its speed-ready debut in London

Bloodhound SSC, the 1,000-mph land speed record contender, broke cover this week in Canary Wharf, London, in the heart of the Docklands financial district. "This is the best of British engineering meets the best of British banking," quipped Philip Dunne, MP, minister of state for defense procurement, which has provided backing for the team in terms of Army and Royal Air Force personnel and equipment. The team announced that Bloodhound will do its first test runs in Newquay, Cornwall, next spring before traveling to Hakskeen Pan in northwest South Africa in the fall. There, on October 15, 2016, it will make its first attempt on the land speed record, which currently stands at 763.035 miles per hour. That speed was set by Thrust SSC in the Black Rock desert on October 15, 1997 by Bloodhound's driver, Andy Green. Nineteen years later to the day, Green will be shooting for a speed over 800 mph. Over 8,000 people will come to Canary Wharf to see this extraordinary jet- and rocket-powered car over the next couple of days. This is the first-ever viewing of the machine in assembled form. The right-hand side is fully dressed in desert spec, complete with forged aluminum wheels and aerodynamics. The left-hand side is in 'naked' Newquay test spec, with panels removed for easy access and the whole thing riding on rubber tires that can run on tarmac. First impressions are of a big yet muscular car simply crammed with engines, jets, and rockets. The most recognizable thing, apart from the seven fire extinguishers, is the Jaguar AJ133 5.0-liter V8, lifted from an F-Type, which will run the fuel pumps that deliver over 211 gallons of high-test peroxide over the rocket motor's 20-second burn time. The EJ200 Typhoon military jet engine occupies the top floor and provides nine tons of thrust, and underneath is the single Nammo rocket motor providing an additional four tons. "When we go for 1,000 mph, we'll need another two rocket motors," says Mark Chapman, Bloodhound's chief engineer. "That total additional eight tons of thrust is what we'll need to get from 800 to 1,000 mph." He explains that the rear of the car will have to be redesigned to accommodate the two additional rocket motors, and the suspension might have to be adapted with longitudinal rear spring units like the fronts. There are still unknowns in the project, such as the area of vacuum that will follow the car several meters behind.

Jaguar F-Pace SUV teased on YouTube [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Stuart Schorr, Jaguar Land Rover North America's VP of communications, reached out and explained that the Detroit section of the F-Pace video was recycled from the car's confirmation announcement at the 2015 North American International Auto Show, shown here. "There is 100 percent no subliminal message and Frankfurt is the debut location," Schorr told Autoblog. The story has been edited to reflect this information. With the Jaguar F-Pace slated to debut in less than 90 days, at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, the teasers are starting to ramp up. That means videos like this, featuring Jaguar design master Ian Callum, which give us short, sweet peeks at the British brand's very first crossover. The big teasers come in the form of Callum's drawings of the F-Pace, combined with short clips of its headlights and taillights as it zooms around the streets of downtown Detroit. That said, none of the images shown are so dramatically different from the C-X17 Concept, the vehicle that previewed the production model and makes an appearance here. We aren't really sure why the Motor City features in the teaser, considering the F-Pace is being unveiled in Germany, but one of the final sequences sees a set of taillights streak past Cobo Center, home of the annual Detroit Auto Show. It's a weird decision to be sure, and leaves us wondering just how much truth there is to reports of the Frankfurt debut. Why would Jag make such a decision if the D weren't going to play some role in the car's future? Take a look at the video up top, and let us know what you think of Jag's first F-Pace teaser. Is there any particular design detail we missed? What do you think of the potential Detroit connection? Head into Comments and let us know.