2001 Luxury Jaguar S Type Low Miles on 2040-cars

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Bloodhound SSC makes its speed-ready debut in London

Bloodhound SSC, the 1,000-mph land speed record contender, broke cover this week in Canary Wharf, London, in the heart of the Docklands financial district. "This is the best of British engineering meets the best of British banking," quipped Philip Dunne, MP, minister of state for defense procurement, which has provided backing for the team in terms of Army and Royal Air Force personnel and equipment. The team announced that Bloodhound will do its first test runs in Newquay, Cornwall, next spring before traveling to Hakskeen Pan in northwest South Africa in the fall. There, on October 15, 2016, it will make its first attempt on the land speed record, which currently stands at 763.035 miles per hour. That speed was set by Thrust SSC in the Black Rock desert on October 15, 1997 by Bloodhound's driver, Andy Green. Nineteen years later to the day, Green will be shooting for a speed over 800 mph. Over 8,000 people will come to Canary Wharf to see this extraordinary jet- and rocket-powered car over the next couple of days. This is the first-ever viewing of the machine in assembled form. The right-hand side is fully dressed in desert spec, complete with forged aluminum wheels and aerodynamics. The left-hand side is in 'naked' Newquay test spec, with panels removed for easy access and the whole thing riding on rubber tires that can run on tarmac. First impressions are of a big yet muscular car simply crammed with engines, jets, and rockets. The most recognizable thing, apart from the seven fire extinguishers, is the Jaguar AJ133 5.0-liter V8, lifted from an F-Type, which will run the fuel pumps that deliver over 211 gallons of high-test peroxide over the rocket motor's 20-second burn time. The EJ200 Typhoon military jet engine occupies the top floor and provides nine tons of thrust, and underneath is the single Nammo rocket motor providing an additional four tons. "When we go for 1,000 mph, we'll need another two rocket motors," says Mark Chapman, Bloodhound's chief engineer. "That total additional eight tons of thrust is what we'll need to get from 800 to 1,000 mph." He explains that the rear of the car will have to be redesigned to accommodate the two additional rocket motors, and the suspension might have to be adapted with longitudinal rear spring units like the fronts. There are still unknowns in the project, such as the area of vacuum that will follow the car several meters behind.

Jaguar design boss admits X-Type was a mistake

History has a way of repeating itself, especially in the auto industry. When Jaguar was owned by Ford, the British brand attempted to field a competitor for the BMW 3 Series, called the X-Type. Based on the bones of a Ford Mondeo, it aped the styling of Jaguar's flagship model, the XJ, while borrowing liberally from the Ford parts bin. That was 2001.
Now, in 2013, Jaguar is planning a new 3 Series challenger based on the platform previewed by the C-X17 Concept, while Ford is attempting to take the latest Mondeo upmarket. The moves have both brands recognizing where, why, and how the X-Type failed. "It didn't look mature or powerful or anything. It was just a car," Jaguar's current head of advanced design, Julian Thomson, told PistonHeads. Basing the X-Type on a front-drive car while giving it styling that was meant for a rear-driver lead to proportions that "were plainly wrong," Thomson told PH. Ford's European head of quality, Gunnar Herrmann, added that the X-Type was "a fake Jaguar, because every piece I touch is Ford."
For what it's worth, the X-Type's successor in the segment will sport rear-drive, with plenty of input from Ian Callum. Thomson described the new model, which would challenge the 3 Series as having, "Big wheels right to the ends of the car, low bonnet, short overhangs, very low cabins." Sounds good to us.

Jaguar Land Rover may build factory in Saudi Arabia

The Middle East is one of the fastest-growing markets for Land Rover, so it makes sense that the automaker is looking to set up shop in the region. According to Automotive News, Jaguar Land Rover is in talks with the people of Saudi Arabia to build a factory in the country at an expected initial cost of $1.2 billion. Still in the early stage of talks, the proposed facility could start up by 2017 using locally sourced materials such as steel and aluminum.
Such an arrangement could be beneficial for both entities as Saudi Arabia looks to diversify its oil-reliant economy and Land Rover could get local production capacity of around 50,000 units. The report also says that the agreement talks about the possibility for Jaguar models to be built at the same plant further down the road.
This won't be the first vehicle produced in Saudi Arabia - that honor goes to the KSU Gazal-1 - but it will be the first from a major global automaker.