1989 Jaguar Xjs Base Convertible 2-door 5.3l on 2040-cars

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Jaguar F-Type's next generation could be mid-engined

Jaguar's heritage is built on sports cars powered by a big, front-mounted engine covered by a long hood. The F-Type perfectly fits into this mold, but the company is ready and willing to set tradition aside in order to inject more performance into its next two-door model. Ian Callum, Jaguar's former design director, told Autocar that he had worked with Julian Thomson, his successor, to outline what the next F might look like, and the Chevrolet Corvette's recent transformation seemingly inspired them. His proposal calls for moving the engine from directly in front of the firewall to right behind the cabin. Making the F-Type mid-engined would shift its proportions in a wider, lower, and more aggressive direction. Sound familiar? It will if you've kept up with Jaguar news over the past few years. "We could get quite close [to the C-X75]," Callum said. The jet turbine-powered, James Bond-fighting C-X75 concept released in 2010 was on track for production, but it was canceled at the last minute. Callum's comments confirm there is still a small but vocal group of engineers in Jaguar's research and development department who want to see a mid-engined coupe join the company's portfolio. Whether such a model will appear is up in the air. Callum retired to form his own design firm a few weeks ago, so the F-Type's fate is no longer in his hands. He added that the option of making the second-generation model another front-engined, rear-wheel drive two-door is still on the table. The current F will soldier on for another three years after receiving significant updates for the 2021 model year, so Jaguar will need to decide whether to stay the course or shift to a mid-engined configuration relatively soon. Either way, enthusiasts will be pleased to hear the F-Type will return.

Jaguar to build 25 D-type racing cars to finish off 1956 production run

It's good to pick up where you left off, even if it's been more than 60 years. In 1956, Jaguar planned to built 100 D-type racing cars, but only 75 were completed. The missing 25 cars will now be built at Jaguar Land Rover Classic Works in Warwickshire, England, and they will all be built according to the original, authentic specifications. Customers can choose between 1955-style "Shortnose" cars and 1956-style "Longnose" versions; the prototype is of the latter specification. All of them will have the original six-cylinder XK engine, and they will come with a lot of Le Mans heritage, as D-types won the famous 24 hour race in 1955, 1956 and 1957. During their competition years, D-types were driven by such motorsport legends as Mike Hawthorn, Stirling Moss and John Fitch. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The newly built D-types will be the third continuation models from Jaguar's classic works. Earlier, they announced they were building nine XKSS cars to finish off a production run that was cut short by a 1957 fire, and in 2015 the division built six Lightweight E-Types. The XKSS itself was strongly related to the D-type, as originally it was based on unfinished D-types sitting around in the workshop after Jaguar temporarily retired from racing. As Jaguar Classic's Engineering Manager Kev Riches says of the continuation cars: "Each one will be absolutely correct, down to the very last detail, just as Jaguar's Competitions Department intended." No pricing details have yet been announced, but they will surely follow the D-type's official debut at the Retromobile classic car show in Paris this week. Related Video:

Jaguar XE SV Project 8 takes Laguna Seca production sedan record

Jaguar has claimed another Laguna Seca record with Randy Pobst at the wheel. This time around, the Jaguar XE SV Project 8 became the fastest four-door sedan to lap the track, with a time of 1 minute, 37.54 seconds. The record follows the production electric car record set in late August with an unmodified I-Pace HSE, and it's also the fastest recorded Jaguar time on the track; the previous fastest Jaguar there was the 575-horsepower F-Type SVR. As it seems most Laguna Seca records have been set by Pobst, the previous four-door production sedan record was also his handiwork, in a Cadillac CTS-V. That time was about a second slower than the XE SV Project 8, at 1 minute, 38.52. The fastest Pobst time at Laguna Seca stands at 1:28.65, driven with a Dodge Viper ACR MkV. The Laguna Seca record isn't the first lap record claimed by the XE SV Project 8, as it took the production sedan honors at the Nurburgring Nordschleife in November 2017, with a time of 7 minutes, 21.23 seconds. Only 300 vehicles will be built, at the JLR Special Vehicle Operations facility in Coventry, England. The XE SV Project 8 hits 60 mph in just 3.3 seconds, thanks to its 591-horsepower, supercharged V8 engine, which propels it all the way to 200 mph. There are two versions available, a more road-suitable four-seater and a special Track Pack car with lightweight carbon fiber racing seats.Related Video: