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Xcar focuses on famed Jaguar test driver Norman Dewis

If you have any interest at all in motoring history, especially when it comes to European sports car racing from the '50s and '60s, do absolutely whatever you can to set aside 38 minutes for this interview with former Jaguar test driver Norman Dewis from XCar. Dewis had a hand in developing the British brand's vehicles from 1952 to 1985, and as expected over that time, he amassed some fantastic stories. Xcar did a great job of teasing a few of those great tales out of him here. From the very beginning, Dewis was gifted with a natural talent to read a car as a test driver. When he was just 16, he was taken out on his first chance to evaluate a vehicle and picked out even more intricacies than his instructor. Dewis eventually wound up at Jaguar, and that's where his career really took off. Among his many accomplishments there, he had a role in developing disc brakes both for racing and the road, set multiple world top speed records, and helped bring the E-Type to the world. Dewis even made the famous overnight drive in an XKE convertible from England to display it at the Geneva Motor Show. Dewis tells a first-hand account of being in the Jaguar paddock during the tragic accident during the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans that took the lives of dozens of spectators. It's a story that we usually can only read about or watch in black-and-white films. Hearing Dewis' side really brings this history to life.

2022 Jaguar I-Pace Road Test Review | 762 miles in Jag's EV

A legion of new electric cars has been launched over the past couple years, so it’s easy to forget about one of the earliest entries in the electric revolution: the Jaguar I-Pace. In fact, the I-Pace is so old now that itÂ’s getting a mid-cycle refresh of sorts for the 2022 model year. Autoblog had its “First Drive” of this futuristic-looking crossover-hatchback nearly four years ago, so itÂ’s time to see where the electric Jag stands now that it has more competition.  To really get a sense of where the I-Pace fits today, I decided to take it on a road trip from Detroit, Michigan, to Buffalo, New York, and back. This would test the carÂ’s real-world highway range, its charging ability and luxury prowess as a premium crossover. It also ended up being a test of the Rust BeltÂ’s charging infrastructure and ability to facilitate EV road tripping. The trip starts with a 100% charge in Michigan, 50-degree weather and a 381-mile drive ahead of me. According to the sticker for this 2022 Jaguar I-Pace EV400 HSE, it has a 222-mile range on a full charge — thatÂ’s down from the 234 miles it was rated for in 2021. I set out, and itÂ’s all good vibes at the start. This I-Pace has the standard 20-inch wheels (not the optional, giant 22s), which pair perfectly with the air suspension to provide a truly comfy ride. The adaptive cruise control makes dealing with rush-hour traffic through Detroit easy, and the I-PaceÂ’s dual-motor powertrain, good for 394 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, is a delight to unleash when the road opens up. Even at 60 mph-plus, the I-Pace has plenty of go to pin you back like other quick EVs do today. As I make my way into Ohio and navigate through Toledo, some gripes pop up. The lane-centering system is finicky and downright scary at times. Poor lane markings cause it to abruptly yank the car left or right, and you need to be quick at the wheel to keep it from driving onto the shoulder or worse — other cars with similar lane-following tech perform significantly better on the same roads. ItÂ’s even more frustrating when I learn how good it is on a highway with clear and proper lane markings, tracking beautifully Â… until the road no longer cooperates. Its inability to cope when lane markings suddenly deteriorate makes this system hardly worth using. Watching out for its bad behavior is more mentally taxing than just turning the system off and driving without.

2021 Jaguar F-Type convertible and coupe spied at the Nurburgring

We got our first look at the 2021 Jaguar F-Type back in May this year, and we were impressed with the edits Jag has in store. The F-Type hasn’t changed a whole lot since it went on sale in 2013, and this redesign looks like the most comprehensive update itÂ’s ever received. These latest shots show the British sports car running around the Nurburgring in both coupe and convertible body styles. We havenÂ’t seen the drop-top yet, so this marks our first look at this version of the new F-Type. Of course, the black soft top is up on this one, but it looks just how weÂ’d expect the convertible to appear. Both the convertible and coupe spied here appear to be high-performance V8 models with quad exhaust tips protruding aggressively beyond the rear bumper. Both these models are making use of their differing active rear wings on the track. The lit-up taillights in back draw our eyes with a shallow U-shaped design. One difference we note among the two is the rear valance/diffuser design. The coupe looks like itÂ’s rocking the design derived from the current SVR, while the convertible looks like an R. However, the tiny wing on the coupe looks nothing like the large one used on the current SVR. What might Jaguar be planning? What we do know is that this Jaguar is most likely still going to look stunning. The shape and silhouette of the car will stay the same, but the sheetmetal and styling elements are definitely going through a significant evolution. The big grille and thin headlights are in line to give the face an entirely new look. Even though Ian Callum has decided to step away from Jaguar Land Rover, he was undoubtedly involved with the design process of this F-Type.  We hope to see even more of this stylish British rocket as Jaguar presses on with development. Expect powertrain upgrades aplenty when itÂ’s finally revealed. These few prototypes weÂ’ve seen out driving spell good news for fans of V8 engines, too.