2002 Jaguar Xjr Base Sedan 4-door 4.0l on 2040-cars

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Automakers want to stop the EPA's fuel economy rules change, and why that's a shortsighted move

With a Trump Administration looming, the EPA moved quickly after the election to propose finalizing future fuel economy rules last week. The auto industry doesn't like that (surprise), and has started making moves to stop the EPA. Ford CEO Mark Fields said he wanted to lobby Trump to lower the standards, and now the Auto Alliance, a manufacturer group, is saying it will join the fight against cleaner cars. The Alliance represents 12 automakers: BMW, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, GM, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota, VW, and Volvo. Gloria Bergquist, a spokesperson for the Alliance, told Automotive News that the "EPA's sudden and controversial move to propose auto regulations eight months early - even after Congress warned agencies about taking such steps while political appointees were packing their bags - calls out for congressional action to pause this rulemaking until a thoughtful policy review can occur." The EPA was going to consider public comments through April 2017, but then said it would move the deadline to the end of December. That means that it can finalize the rules before President Obama leaves office. The director of public affairs for the Consumer Federation of America, Jack Gillis, said on a conference call with reporters last week when the EPA originally announced its decision that it is unlikely that President Trump will be able to roll back these changes. Gillis also said on the same call that any attempt by the automakers to prevent these changes would be history repeating itself. "These are the same companies that fought airbags, and now promoting the fact that every car has multiple airbags," he said. "These are the same companies that fought the crash-test program, and now are promoting the crash-test ratings published by the government. So, it's clear that they're misperceiving the needs of the American consumer." There are more reasons the Allliance's pushback is flawed. Carol Lee Rawn, the transportation program director for Ceres, said on that call that the automotive industry is a global one, and many automakers are moving to global platforms to help them meet strict fuel economy rules around the world.

Jaguar C-X75 James Bond movie car is going up for auction

Back in 2010, Jaguar presented a show-stopper of a concept: the C-X75. Besides its curvaceous body, it boasted a wild hybrid powertrain with a gas turbine engine providing electricity. Sadly, it never reached full production, and it only reappeared as a villain car in the James Bond film Spectre. But between the concept and the film, there were a few production prototypes built as part of a planned 250, and a few stunt cars. Auction company RM Sotheby's is offering one of the latter cars. This Jaguar C-X75 stunt car is actually the first stunt car built, according to the auction house. The stunt cars were built by Williams Advanced Engineering, the same company that has been competing in Formula 1 for decades. The stunt car has little in common mechanically with the concept, or the five prototype cars Jaguar built with four-cylinder hybrid powertrains. Under the skin is a custom tubeframe chassis and long-travel rally car suspension. Powering it is a version of the Jaguar F-Type's V8 engine with a dry-sump oiling system. It's coupled to a sequential manual six-speed transmission and a rear transaxle with a mechanical limited-slip differential. Brakes are AP Racing units and are adjustable from the cabin, and they feature a hydraulic handbrake. One consequence of this stunt car's burly underpinnings is that the cockpit is more like that of a race car, with a small Momo steering wheel and toggle switches and controllers all over. But this unsophisticated cabin has played host to some famous folks. The car was used for getting shots with the actors, with a driver's seat mounted to the top. Since this was a villain car, the actor in the driver's seat was Dave Bautista. The car also was featured at the Mexico Grand Prix to promote the movie, and Felipe Massa took it for a test drive. RM Sotheby's hasn't given an estimated price for the car, but expect it to be expensive. If you have the means, it will be crossing the block at the auction company's Abu Dhabi sale on November 30. The car will come with a bill of sale, a movie call sheet and a specification sheet from Jaguar Land Rover Special Vehicle Operations. We're not sure that this car would be able to be titled in the U.S., but we bet it would be just as fun, if not more so, on a race track, rather than public roads.

2018 Jaguar F-Type gets four-cylinder turbo engine option

At the 2017 New York Auto Show, Jaguar has revealed the final piece of the 2018 F-Type puzzle: a four-cylinder entry-level model. It rounds out an expanded lineup of F-Type variants that have all gotten a bit of a facelift and some additional content for 2018, which we told you about back in January. But the little four-cylinder is definitely the biggest surprise. Underhood is the state-of-the-art 2.0-liter, turbocharged, gasoline-fueled Ingenium engine, which is making its way into several Jaguar-Land Rover products for the first time in the 2018 model year. It has a full suite of contemporary technologies, like a variable-lift electrohydraulic valvetrain that eliminates the need for a traditional throttle, an integrated exhaust manifold, and a dual-scroll turbocharger. You might recall that the Ingenium gas engine is replacing an older 2.0-liter turbo four in the XE, and also will show up in the F-Pace and XF. Add the F-Type to this burgeoning list, and don't expect it to stop there. The Range Rover Velar has also been announced for the US with this engine. In the F-Type, the 2.0T makes 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, which is higher than some of the other applications for this engine in the US. There's only one powertrain arrangement for the 2.0T in the US – rear-wheel drive and backed up by an eight-speed automatic – but buyers will be able to choose from a coupe or convertible body style. Jaguar claims the 2018 F-Type will scoot to 60 mph in as little as 5.4 seconds. It's also the lightest F-Type, by a smidgen. The 2.0T coupe weighs 3,360 pounds, which is 95 pounds lighter than the next-lightest coupe, the 3,455-pound, 340-horsepower supercharged V6 coupe equipped with a manual (and 117 pounds lighter than that car with an automatic). There's probably a fuel-economy benefit in EPA testing as well, but Jaguar doesn't have EPA numbers yet, so stay tuned on that. Don't forget that the 400 Sport variant will join the 2.0T on the stand. It's a one-year-only special edition model with a supercharged V6 uprated to 400 hp, but sadly there's no manual version on offer. Related Video: Featured Gallery New York Auto Show Jaguar Convertible Coupe Luxury Performance 2017 new york auto show ingenium