Jaguar 1969 E-type 2+2 Coupe, With 4 Speed Gearbox on 2040-cars

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Jaguar Land Rover to cut thousands of UK jobs

LONDON — Britain's biggest carmaker Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is set to cut thousands of jobs as the company faces lower demand in China and a slump in sales of diesel cars in Europe. The central English firm builds a higher proportion of its cars in Britain than any other major or medium-sized carmaker and has also spent millions of pounds preparing for Brexit, in case there are tariffs or customs checks. Britain's business minister Greg Clark said on Thursday it is clear why a no-deal Brexit would add to the problems with further costs and disruption. JLR lost 354 million pounds ($450 million) between April and September 2018 and had already cut around 1,000 roles in Britain, shut its Solihull plant for two weeks and announced a three-day week at its Castle Bromwich site. Its Chief Executive Ralf Speth warned in September that the wrong Brexit deal could cost tens of thousands of car jobs and posed a threat to production at the automaker. The Tata Motors-owned company, which employs around 40,000 people in Britain and has boosted its workforce at new plants in China and Slovakia in recent years, unveiled plans to cut costs and improve cash flows by 2.5 billion pounds last year including "reducing employment costs and employment levels." Those cuts will be "substantial" and run into the thousands, the source told Reuters. "The announcement on job losses will be substantial, affecting managerial, research, sales, design," said the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, not affecting production-line staff "at this stage." The company declined to comment when contacted by Reuters on Thursday. Ford also said on Thursday it will cut thousands of jobs in Europe, exit unprofitable markets and discontinue loss-making vehicle lines as part of a turnaround effort aimed at improving profit margins in the region. Brexit warnings JLR, which became Britain's biggest carmaker in 2016, had been on course to build around 1 million vehicles by the turn of the decade, reported on Thursday a 4.6 percent drop in full-year sales to just under 600,000 vehicles. Demand in China, which had once been one of its strongest countries but has since been hit by a slowdown, fell by 21.6 percent, the biggest drop of any of its markets. "The economic slowdown in China along with ongoing trade tensions is continuing to influence consumer confidence," said Jaguar Land Rover Chief Commercial Officer Felix Brautigam.

2024 Jaguar F-Pace Review: Fun, pretty and luxe, the big Jag's better with age

Pros: Engaging to drive; good looks; high-class cabin; crazy-good sport seats; big cargo area and generally more spacious than compact rivals Cons: Pricier than compact rivals, smaller than midsize ones; base engine acceleration a touch off the pace; convoluted climate controls The Jaguar F-Pace has now been around for quite some time – eight years have passed since we first got behind the wheel in far-flung Montenegro. While most vehicles would be well past their best years and already replaced by now, the 2024 Jaguar F-Pace is an example of something that has actually gotten better with age. Its infotainment technology is up to date and far easier to use than anything Jaguar Land Rover has offered before. Its cabin quality and design are better, the engines have been upgraded, and we even think the design tweaks made a few years ago improved upon an already knockout design. In many ways, the F-Pace is reminiscent of another small SUV thatÂ’s thrived past the usual best-by date: the Porsche Macan. It too is fun to drive, with exceptional steering, sharp handling and compelling performance, especially from the six- and eight-cylinder models. They are both for SUV shoppers looking to enjoy their time behind the wheel (and look good doing it), and are OK paying more money than other compact luxury SUVs. There is one major difference, though: The F-Pace is not only much bigger than the Macan, itÂ’s bigger than most of those other compact luxury SUVs. ItÂ’s closer to a midsize, with the closest size comparable being the Lexus RX. That grants it a spacious back seat and a surprising amount of cargo space. We were honestly not expecting to like the F-Pace as much as we did during a recent test drive of the P400 R-Dynamic S. It seemed likely that all those years in between times behind the wheel wouldnÂ’t have been kind. Far from it. We like it even better, and think those in the market for an SUV in its price range should give it a shot. Interior & Technology   |   Passenger & Cargo Space   |   Performance & Fuel Economy What it's like to drive   |   Pricing & Trim Levels   |   Crash Ratings & Safety Features What's new for 2024? Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can now be connected wirelessly. Jaguar also trimmed the F-Pace lineup down to three versions, all tied to a different engine. This results in the base price ballooning by $8,000 since the new base trim level is the R-Dynamic S.

Lapping Le Mans with 1956's version of a dash cam

Mike Hawthorne and Ivor Bueb won The 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1955 driving a Jaguar D-Type. The following year, a few days before the race, a British broadcaster put cameras on Hawthorne's car, hung a mic from a plate on his race suit and had him narrate a lap of the Circuit de la Sarthe.
It is compelling viewing. A new pit complex was built after the massive accident on the front straight in 1955, but this was still a time when crews prepped for the race on roads that were open to the public. Hawthorne's lap includes maneuvers to avoid bicyclists and cars, and gems like letting us know that doing 185 miles per hour down the Mulsanne Straight was where you could "relax a little, recover your energy." Watch him work it like the men of old in the video below.