1999 Jaguar Vanden Plas ( No Reserve) on 2040-cars

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Ian Callum wanted to call Jaguar's crossover X-Type [w/poll]

Jaguar raised some eyebrows when it announced that it would call its upcoming crossover F-Pace. But the British automaker didn't just pick the name out of a hat. Speaking with Auto Express, Jaguar's design director Ian Callum said the company entertained several possible nameplates for its first crossover, and that he personally advocated for resurrecting the name X-Type. The nameplate was, of course, previously used on the marque's entry-level sedan – the predecessor to the upcoming XE that was based on the front-drive platform of the Ford Mondeo and which was also offered with all-wheel drive. The connection with that much-maligned model is reportedly ultimately what dissuaded the company's marketing gurus from using the nameplate again, even if it might have been more suitable. Another nameplate Coventry reportedly considered was XQ, but the latter letter's use by rival Audi for its crossovers and by former sister company Aston Martin for its personalization range ruled the prospect out for the Leaping Cat marque. Auto Express notes a connection between the name F-Pace and Jaguar's 1960s ad campaign hailing its products as offering a combination of "Grace, Space and Pace." For his part, Callum didn't dismiss the possibility the slogan could could lead to additional models wearing similar nameplates like F-Grace or F-Space. What do you think – did Jaguar pick the right name for its first foray into the crossover market? Share your thoughts in Comments and cast your vote in our poll below.

Petrolicious examines a very special Jaguar C-Type

There are rare Jaguars, and then there's this stunning C-Type Lightweight Le Mans. Built in response to the dominance of the Mercedes-Benz 300SL at the 1952 24 Hours of Le Mans, Jaguar made only three C-Types for 1953 and managed to capture first, second, and fourth. These cars featured four-wheel disc brakes – a rarity at the time even in endurance racing – and a lighter aluminum body. The two SU carburetors were swapped out for three Webers, meaning more power and, according to RM Sotheby's David Swig, better throttle response. Swig would know. In the latest video from Petrolicious, he takes the fourth-place C-Type for a ride, giving us a look at the sleek open-roof racer in action, while our ears enjoy the delicious sound of the 3.4-liter, twin-cam straight-six. "What I love about these cars is how communicative they are on the road," Swig told Petrolicious. "How when you're going through a corner, you feel in the seat of your pants and through the steering wheel every little movement, every little pebble that you drive over." Beyond the driving experience, there's something to be said of the historical seat Swig is occupying. "No less than five Le Mans-winning drivers of this period have sat behind the wheel of this car," Swig said, "which almost give you goosebumps." Should you have the money, you can actually put this iconic racing Jaguar in your garage. RM Sotheby's will offer it for auction as part of its glitzy Monterey Car Week event next month. While you can look forward to our coverage of that event come August, you can enjoy the sight and sound of this iconic C-Type in the latest episode from Petrolicious.

Jaguar is developing an electric car to join I-Pace crossover

NEW YORK — Straight from nabbing the World Car of the Year award at the New York International Auto Show for the new 2019 I-Pace electric crossover, as well as publicly unveiling the 2020 XE sport sedan, Jaguar's design chief says the brand is also developing a car with a fully electric powertrain. "We are doing more battery cars at Jaguar, yes," Ian Callum told Autoblog. "That's all I'm saying." Callum wouldn't divulge further details except to add, "When you're doing electric cars, they're new cars. They're not just batteries put in an old car. You can't do that." Jaguar has been rumored to be planning a potent all-electric version of the XJ based on its flexible new Modular Longitudinal Architecture. Jaguar Land Rover has said that it plans to offer each new or significantly redesigned model in electrified variants starting in 2020. Land Rover is also showing a mild-hybrid version of the 2020 Range Rover Evoque and 2019 Range Rover Sport, plus plug-in hybrid variants of the 2020 Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. In addition to being named World Car of the Year, the I-Pace took home World Car Design of the Year and World Green Car of the Year. The F-Pace, the brand's flagship SUV, won World Car of the Year in 2017. Callum also said he believes that sedans have a future, even as he acknowledged the importance of SUVs as the brand's volume-selling "breadwinners." Jaguar is an increasingly rare breed of automaker with more cars, at four [the F-Type, XE, XF and XJ] than SUVs [the I-Pace, E-Pace and F-Pace]. "The vehicle mix is the right balance," he said. "I personally don't believe that sedans are going to disappear. People will continue to go with sedans. The range you see currently will be eventually replaced by like-sized cars. That's all I can say about that at the moment, but the XJ will be replaced, and eventually the XE and XF will be replaced. I really believe the cars are here forever, I don't think they're going to disappear in favor of SUVs."