1992 Jaguar Xjs V12 Convertible on 2040-cars

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Carlex Jaguar XJ Coupe restomod is neither British nor understated

The Jaguar XJ Coupe was already an unconventional Jag. The dramatically long two-door was built on a Series II sedan chassis and kept most of the styling in tact, just losing two doors and gaining a whole lot of subtle elegance. However, the customizers at Carlex Design have created an XJC that takes things to the next level (and maybe a few levels beyond that). Based in Poland, Carlex has a history of cranking out modified vehicles for well-off clientele. Past projects have included a race-inspired Land Rover Defender, a yachting-inspired Mercedes G63, an aggressively styled Hyundai Santa Fe, and a gargoyle-esque Ford Ranger. The Jaguar XJ Coupe is clearly a favorite, though. The newest XJC takes the British classic and gives it racier look. De-bumpered and widened with blister flares, it evokes a touring car racer from back in the day. Actually, it's more accurate to say this is what a modern restomod inspired by a fictional 1970s race car would look like, as the real XJ Coupe race cars didn't quite look like this. That's because the wheels are gigantic, big enough to bathe a medium-sized dog in. No in-period race car would have had saucers that large. And while the side view maintains faithful to the classic, its face betrays its era. Circle to the front end and LED headlights and afterburner-style high beams complete the Jag's four-eyed gaze. The original's elegant grille has been replaced with a toothy maw that would look more at home on a SEMA Jeep. Underhood the Carlex sports a V8 (of unspecified origin) delivering 400 horsepower. The company says its brakes are new, and that suspension and air conditioning are suitable for everyday use. The interior has been upholstered in what Carlex calls hand-aged leather. The deep brown color gives it the feel of a mahogany-walled boardroom. Aside from the fluting everywhere, the interior is fairly clean, and less busy than the original XJC's. If we had to pick we'd go with the unflared body of Carlex's old XJC design, but replace its Kardashian-designed dash with this one. Carlex didn't disclose price or production run, but only that a few examples would be built each year. Or, you can try to find one of Jaguar's original XJ Coupes, which were only produced between 1975 and 1978, with a run of fewer than 10,000 units over the four-year span. Given its obscurity it's kind of a strange car to restomod, but perhaps we in the U.S.

2021 Jaguar F-Type Luggage Test | Get away, and look extremely good doing it

Just like the Porsche 911 I performed a luggage test on not too long ago, the 2021 Jaguar F-Type is not a luggage-hauling machine. It’s a sports-car-oriented grand tourer, and it also happens to be stonking fast with a supercharged V8 under the hood. Since the engine is in the front, that leaves the rear trunk for all the cargo coming onboard. Assuming you want to take your F-Type on vacations and longer journeys (you do), the respectably-sized boot will come in handy. Jaguar says the coupe (what weÂ’re testing) has 14.4 cubic feet of space, whereas the convertible just about cuts that space in half with only 7.3 cubes. From a numbers perspective, the Jag just edges out the 911 (13.8 cubic feet of space combined between the frunk and rear seat). However, weÂ’ve learned to never take those numbers at face value. I use different equipment than Riswick does in Portland: Two carry-on suitcases sized (24 inches long, 15.5 wide, 10 deep); one carry-on suitcase (21.7L x 13.7W x 9 D); one medium-size suitcase you have to check (24.5L x 16.8W x 11.5D) and one larger, full-size suitcase (33.8L x 21.5W x 13D). The second full-size suitcase didnÂ’t get the call up, because one look at the luggage compartment was all I needed to know that two of them werenÂ’t going in there. Getting into the luggage compartment is luxurious enough for a Jag. Use the button on the fob, a toggle switch on the interior, or press the button under the lid. ItÂ’s fully powered going up and down, so you can devote all of your bodyÂ’s energy to wrestling the car around corners. The space itself is rather shallow and hindered by a privacy cover that hangs low. YouÂ’ll need to remove that shade to take advantage of the entire space, but we started with it on to see what could fit under it. This F-Type is low, so even though you have to lift things over the rear bumper, itÂ’s not horribly strenuous. I initially slid two of the carry-on suitcases in. Those fit lying flat, but there wasnÂ’t much extra space. To take advantage of what was left, I squeezed in the fancy bag (22L x 8.8W x 12D). With the privacy shade intact, youÂ’re not going to fit any more suitcases than that due to height restrictions. A very shallow item could slide on top of the inboard suitcase, but it would have to be very short. Another configuration I tried showed that the medium suitcase and one carry-on could fit. Additionally, the full-size suitcase also fits if itÂ’s in there alone.

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