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2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR Second Drive Review | A thunderingly good performance cat

Jaguar entered the high-performance SUV game late with the F-Pace SVR, but hopping on the unstoppable freight train now is better than ignoring it completely. Just like its European competition, the Jaguar has a delightfully overpowered engine and luxury in spades, as well as handling that borders on the uncanny. But if there’s a downside to the F-Pace SVR, itÂ’s that it falls victim to the same issue that plagues its competition: not enough differentiation. From a size, shape, power and features perspective, the SVR doesnÂ’t stand out next to others like the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63, BMW X3 M, Porsche Macan Turbo or Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. But, there is a but: One factor makes the 2020 Jaguar F-Pace SVR unique among the competition. Jaguar gave the F-Pace SVR 550 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque – great numbers, but itÂ’s how the SVR makes them thatÂ’s the kicker. Instead of a smaller, twin-turbocharged engine, Jaguar tapped its 5.0-liter supercharged V8 for duty. This makes it doubly unique: the largest displacement in its class, as well as the only one to feature a supercharger, making the driving experience palpably different than the rest. With a blower and all that displacement, thereÂ’s no lag. Power hits early and with authority, throwing us back in the nicely sculpted leather buckets. The SVRÂ’s mid-range is especially impressive, and thereÂ’s no drop-off in power as the engine approaches redline. Turbocharging technology is virtually lag-free in most applications these days, but the SVRÂ’s engine is still sharper and responds quicker than the rest. The others may be as quick or quicker than the Jaguar in a straight line (the SVR hits 60 mph in 4.1 seconds), but none are able to match it in throttle response or engine character. And then thereÂ’s the sound, that glorious exhaust cackle thatÂ’s a near carbon-copy of the F-Type SVR. Our future may be electric, but the pipes on this crossover are welcome in this world for as long as they care to stay. Their cacophony of growling and crackling is louder and meaner than any other high-performance SUV on sale today. Some hooligan who thinks just like us mustÂ’ve engineered it. The only thing missing among the loud noises is that of a supercharger whine. Not even a hint of it is audible from inside the cabin, and the supercharger is the biggest performance factor that sets this car apart. Let us hear the whine, Jaguar.

Jaguar Land Rover recalls Takata airbag-equipped cars

In the latest chapter of what feels like the never-ending recall, Jaguar Land Rover announced that it's calling back 2009-2011 Jaguar XFs and 2007-2011 Land Rover Range Rovers for defective Takata airbags on the front passenger side. These Takata airbags have propellant that may have degraded and, if activated, could release metal shrapnel. The company is breaking up the recall into four phases, since currently there are not enough parts to do a full recall. Since the airbags can be more seriously affected by high heat and humidity, the first phase will cover vehicles that were sold and/or registered in regions with high temperatures and humidity. The regions included are as follows: Alabama, California, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, Texas, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the US Virgin Islands. Other phases will begin as parts become available, and priority will be given to regions at greater risk of having defective equipment. Jaguar Land Rover encourages owners of affected vehicles to go to www.SaferCar.gov to check if their vehicle is included in the current recall. The first phase includes 54,000 of 108,000 affected vehicles. The company is also notifying owners of the issue, who will eventually get a second notification when parts are available so they can schedule a time to have the airbags replaced. Related Video:

Jay Leno's Garage features funnyman's 1963 Jaguar E-Type

Jay Leno looks inward on this episode of his eponymous garage, checking out a 1963 Jaguar XKE that he bought earlier this year. It is an example of his favorite kind of car, that being original and unrestored. He bought the E-Type from its first owner, a woman who purchased it new, held on to it for 50 years and took excellent care of it. Having never been in an accident, Leno says even the paint is 85- to 90-percent original.
In the video, the XKE sits in front of two heavily modded XK120s and another '63 XKE, but Leno said all he's done - and all he plans to do - is clean it up and put on a modern set of wire wheels for safety.
He's not on any junket and there are no guests, it's just a guy talking about an object dear to his heart. If you need a refresher on the excellent genes of the new F-Type, check out the video below.