1990 Jaguar Xjs Base Convertible 2-door 5.3l on 2040-cars

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David Brown Automotive launches old-is-new-again Speedback [w/video]

Back in January, we reported on a new British coachbuilder called David Brown Automotive. In February, the startup released the first details and images of its inaugural project, and now it has revealed the finished product.
It's called Speedback, and it's based on the Jaguar XKR. But while it's built on a modern chassis (relatively, anyway - the XK arrived in 2006 and is soon to be discontinued), it's been rebodied to look like a classic British GT. That means that, while it may look like a classic Aston Martin, it's got a thoroughly modern 5.0-liter supercharged V8 under the hood with over 500 horsepower on tap.
Otherwise, little in the way of details have been disclosed - including what you can bet will be an astronomic price that tends to come with these sorts of coachbuilt customs. But the important parts are what you can see, and that means the finest British craftsmanship inside and out. Whether you like the particular style or not, of course, is entirely a matter of taste.

Jaguar Land Rover data leak reveals employee records, upcoming layoffs

A massive data leak has revealed the personnel files of hundreds of employees at Jaguar Land Rover's factory in Solihull, England. The documents reveal details such as sick days used, disciplinary issues and — most notably — red lines indicating potential firings in the weeks or months ahead. In total, the personal records of more than 600 workers were released. JLR is scrambling to contain the crisis. The breach was first reported by the Huffington Post UK, with the automaker initially claiming the story was "fake news." That publicity gaff certainly didn't help matters, especially for employees staring at their name with a red line slashed across it. Last month, the British automaker had said it would be eliminating roughly 1,000 employees at factories in the U.K. The Solihull plant, which produces models like the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, Jaguar F-Pace and Jaguar XE, was among those mentioned in the statement. JLR, which is owned by the Indian conglomerate Tata Motors, is facing a steep drop in sales, particularly in its home market. The main culprits include a huge slump in sales of diesel-powered vehicles - a vital part of JLR's business in the U.K. and throughout Europe - along with fears about how the upcoming "Brexit" will affect business operations. In the HuffPost UK story, one worker called the situation "disgusting" and "embarrassing," adding that people at the factory now know whether they, or their colleagues, are soon due to lose their job. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Image Credit: Getty Hirings/Firings/Layoffs Plants/Manufacturing Jaguar Land Rover economy data

2017 Jaguar XE First Drive

For the first time in decades, the prize for the best-driving compact luxury sport sedan is very much up for grabs. BMW's 3 Series, the segment's longstanding archetype, has grown a bit soft, distant and pricy. Its Japanese rival from Infiniti, the Q50, lost the plot thanks to its video game steering and dated powerplant. The Audi A4 is due for replacement and the fantastic Mercedes-Benz C-Class skews luxury over sport. The Cadillac ATS? With an excellent chassis hobbled by middling powertrains and the devil's own infotainment system, it isn't selling. Unlikely as it sounds, the Lexus IS is probably the segment's best driver, but you've got to learn to love those turn-to-stone looks. So, where's a segment malcontent to look? Provided he or she is patient enough to wait for this car's spring 2016 arrival, allow us to recommend the 2017 Jaguar XE. Let's be honest. Jaguar really needed to come out with guns blazing. The last time the British brand battled in the compact premium sport sedan segment, its much-maligned X-Type slinked into the underbrush, tail between its legs after just a single generation. While the X was in some ways a better car than history will begrudge it, there's no getting around that Jaguar brought a front-wheel-drive-based knife to a rear-wheel-drive gun fight. This new XE will need to be a very different kitty, and it is. Internally known as X760, Jag's latest rides atop an all-new aluminum-intensive modular architecture wearing a handsome mosaic of aluminum and steel body panels. While the XE's design has struck us as very familiar since it first bowed in September, it's an attractive shape. Its longish, 111.6-inch wheelbase and wheels-at-the-corner stance gives the design a planted look emphasized by its wide rectangular grille and prominent lower air intakes. Jaguar claims a super-slick .26 coefficient of drag, but that's the skinny-tired overseas base model that we'll never see – ours will likely ring up a few hundredths higher. The aluminum body-in-white is itself an impressive piece of work, weighing just over 550 pounds. Vehicle engineering manager Jonathan Darlington says it's 20-percent stiffer torsionally than the XF, and "the lightest in the sector by far." What's more, the chassis incorporates liberal amounts of recycled aluminum (a claimed world first) and increased use of structural adhesives.