1999 Jaguar Xj8 Base Sedan 4-door 4.0l on 2040-cars

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Watch four hours of fantastic machinery at Le Mans Classic 2016

The 24 Hours of Le Mans came and went, but it wasn't the end of the automotive activities at Circuit de la Sarthe. This past weekend, the venerable racetrack was host to the 2016 Le Mans Classic, in which seven decades of vintage racecars once again competed for glory. The event started with qualifying on Friday, July 8, and racing on the following Saturday and Sunday. Six "grids" of cars each included a different historic racing era, including the early days from 1923 to 1939, as well as that famous period from 1966 to 1971 that featured the all-conquering Ford GT40. The wide range of eligibility also permitted some unusual machines to show up, such as a 1950 Cadillac Series 61 and a 1974 Dodge Charger. This year also marked the debut of the Group C class for more recent Le Mans racers from 1982 to 1993. The 1991 Le Mans-winning Mazda 787B was not present, but one of the Peugeot 905 race cars that gave the marque a remarkable 1-2-3 finish at the 1993 Le Mans came back for the event. The Le Mans Classic also featured the Jaguar Classic Challenge just for cars made by the feline automaker, and the race attracted a bit of human star power. Chris Harris of Top Gear participated in the marque-specific race while behind the wheel of a new continuation Lightweight E-Type. And although the event happened over the weekend, you can catch most of the action via the recorded live stream above. It features a full four hours of vintage racing with commentary in both French and English. It's a great chance to see one of the best combinations of classic cars and historic venues out there. Related Video: Related Gallery Jaguar Continuation Lightweight E-Type View 46 Photos Image Credit: Le Mans Classic Jaguar Automotive History Classics Videos France chris harris vintage racing le mans classic circuit de la sarthe

Jaguar's V8-powered F-Pace SVR gets quicker and meaner-looking for 2021

Jaguar is making several visual and mechanical changes to the F-Pace SVR for the 2021 model year. The modifications turn the SUV into a quicker, meaner-looking cat with an appetite for all things Cayenne-flavored. Power for the SVR still comes from a supercharged, 5.0-liter V8 rated at 550 horsepower, but its torque output increases from 502 to 514. Although that's not a drastic improvement, it's enough to lower the SUV's zero-to-60-mph time to 3.8 seconds (three-tenths of a second quicker than before), and to raise its top speed from 176 to 178 mph. Jaguar also gave the F-Pace the XE Project 8's torque converter, and a Dynamic Launch function that relies on driveline inertia to ensure the power flow to the wheels isn't interrupted when the transmission shifts. Revised suspension components and a retuned steering system complement the driveline tweaks. Engineers also developed a recalibrated braking system with an electric booster that improves stopping performance. All-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission linked to shift paddles continue to come standard. Stylists made subtle visual changes that add up to give the F-Pace a cleaner, sharper design while reducing drag by 35%. Up front, the hood now stretches all the way to the edge of the grille, the headlights gain two individual strips of LED accents, and the trim around the air dams on the lower part of the bumper has been reshaped. Out back, the lights ditch the hemisphere-shaped insert -- a nod to the F-Type -- for a completely horizontal design. The nip-and-tuck is aligned with the one Jaguar performed on the non-SVR variant of the F-Pace. In 2020 more than ever, technology is the yardstick used to measure luxury cars, so Jaguar invested a significant amount of time and money into making the SVR smarter and more connected. It added a 12.3-inch high-definition touchscreen for the Pivi Pro infotainment system, the ability to receive over-the-air software updates, a wireless device charger, and active road noise cancellation technology, among other features.  As the flagship of the F-Pace family, the SVR needs to look and feel suitably posh inside, and our time behind the wheel of the outgoing model suggests that wasn't always the case. Jaguar tells us it addressed this shortcoming. The 2021 SVR's interior gets a split-rim steering wheel, a redesigned center console with more storage space and a shorter gear selector, plus a new-look climate control panel.

Next-gen electric Jaguar XJ could pack as much as 800 horsepower

A report in Car magazine puts more meat on rumors about the next-generation Jaguar XJ. As has long been expected, the flagship English sedan is still predicted to move to an all-electric platform. The report says the XJ could be the first to move to Jaguar Land Rover's new Modular Longitudinal Architecture (MLA) suitable for ICE, hybrid and battery-electric vehicles. That's the same platform that's supposed to be used for the XJ's twin, a more car-like Land Rover nicknamed the Road Rover by outsiders. The XJ could inherit I-Pace powertrain internals, with a couple of twists. The I-Pace hides a 90-kWh battery sending juice to two electric motors, one on each axle. Total system output comes to 394 horsepower and 512 pound-feet of torque. According to Car, the XJ could upgrade battery capacity to 100 kWh, and use it to power four electric motors placed at the wheels. Each of those motors could be rated up to 200 horsepower. This reads like pie-in-the-sky concept spec, but if Jaguar were to do such a thing, the XJ would immediately claim the power trophy among its luxury electric competition. Arguably the bigger question is when are we going to see it? Various corners have predicted a launch in 2019 for at least three years, and most recently just a year ago. Unless spy photographers have decided to ignore Coventry, we haven't seen a single mule or camo'd prototype, making the sedan seem no closer now than in 2016. What's more, Car's use of conditionals makes it sound like Jaguar hasn't nailed down the final specs. We know — or think we know — the XJ exterior will stick with the five-door liftback style. We get the feeling all else, as with so many things at JLR these days, is TBD. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.