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2020 Jaguar I-Pace Suspension Deep Dive | All kinds of weird and wonderful

I’ve driven the Jaguar I-Pace a handful of times, and it always proves to be an enjoyable experience. In case youÂ’re not up to speed, this is JaguarÂ’s dual-motor all-wheel drive all-electric SUV. ItÂ’s quick, it looks cool in a running shoe sort of way, and it delivers a decent 234 miles of range. Sure, it has its faults, particularly when it comes to the infotainment and climate control layout. But the electric JagÂ’s smooth ride comfort and direct steering feel are clear strong points, and its handling stays nicely balanced and displays sharp reflexes as far as IÂ’ve pushed it. That is to say, a strong pace, but nothing that would land me in jail. The suspension plays a big role in all of this, of course. I wanted to see what theyÂ’d done, so I recently put an I-Pace HSE up on jackstands and took a look underneath. Electric powertrain notwithstanding, I found this to be an utterly weird and fascinating machine.    From this vantage it is easy to see the big air spring (yellow arrow). The use of this type of spring medium allows the I-Pace to run at different heights. It mostly runs at standard height, but can also lower the car at highway speeds to lessen aerodynamic drag. ThereÂ’s an even lower mode to ease the loading of passengers and cargo, along with a raised-height off-road mode because, well, this is theoretically an SUV. It looks like it has a double wishbone front suspension, too, with a high-mount upper arm (green). But we canÂ’t be sure until we move in closer.   With the wheel turned, we can see that this is a double wishbone front suspension in the sense that it has a single ball joint (green) at the bottom. ThereÂ’s lots of nice-looking forged and hollow-cast aluminum bits and pieces, too. But it looks odd in some other respects. The lower arm (yellow), for example, seems to have a joint of some kind in it. Meanwhile, near the top, you can see how the tall upright (or hub carrier, if you like) is curved (red) to provide tire and wheel clearance. Use the wheel studs as a reference point and you can imagine how the tire assembly will nestle into that area.   The shock absorber (green) runs up the middle of what is a doughnut-shaped air chamber. A very tall tower of a doughnut, but you get the idea. But you canÂ’t call this a coil-over. Do I hear bag-over? Anyway, a position sensor (yellow) is connected to the upper arm so the height-control system can regulate itself properly.

Porsche tops J.D. Power quality index as Korean brands soar

While complaints about infotainment systems remain a thorn in the side of automakers for J.D. Power's annual Initial Quality Study, there's a lot to celebrate this year. The average number of problems reported per 100 vehicles fell to 112 in 2015 – a three-percent improvement compared to 116 in 2014. The results of this year's survey are based on the responses of over 84,000 people about problems within the first 90 days of buying or leasing a 2015 model-year vehicle. For the third consecutive year, Porsche tops the rankings with an average of 80 problems per 100 vehicles. Although, that's slightly more than the 74 the German sportscar maker scored in 2014. "While the Japanese automakers continue to make improvements, we're seeing other brands, most notably Korean makes, really accelerating the rate of improvement," Renee Stephens, vice president of US automotive quality at J.D. Power, said in the study's release. In fact, Kia ranks as one of the biggest movers in this year's list. The Korean brand jumped to second place from seventh last year. The company had an average of 86 problems per 100 vehicles, a 20-point improvement. Third place went to Jaguar with an average of 93 problems reported, versus last year's second-place finish with 87 of them. Fourth place was Hyundai, and fifth-place Infiniti also earned a gold star for improvement with 97 issues per 100 vehicles – 31-points better than last year. Fiat still anchored the bottom of the list. However, its 161 problems this year is a lot better than the 206 in 2014. Ranked by nationality, Korean brands (Hyundai and Kia) are now leading the industry in initial quality with an average of 90 problems reported per 100 vehicles. According to J.D. Power, this is the first time Europe's figure beat Japan with 113 and 114 issues, respectively. The American brands also averaged 114. Whereas General Motors dominated last year, the segment awards are spread out in 2015. GM, Hyundai, Nissan, and Volkswagen Group are all tied with four models each earning prizes. For more information, you can also see all of the graphs, here. J.D.

The Jaguar XJR-15 is a 215 mph, barely-legal road car that's for sale

The late 1980s and early 1990s were awash with supercars from automakers across the globe. Classic Driver in the UK is selling one of the rarest of all of these supercars, the road-going racecar that is the Jaguar XJR-15. The XJR-15 is the lesser known sibling of the Jaguar XJ220. Only 27 were ever built. The XJ220 may not have received the same recognition and reverence as the Ferrari F40, the Porsche 959, and the McLaren F1, but for a time it held the record for the fastest road-going automobile, 217.1 mph. All of the XJ220's engineering and prowess is owed to the development of the XJR-15, which in turn owes everything to driver Tom Walkinshaw and his experience in touring and Le Mans racecars. Unlike the twin-turbocharged XJ220, the XJR-15 features a big, naturally-aspirated V12 that turned out 450 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque when new. The engine has a dry sump oil system, a Cosworth forged crankshaft, connecting rods, aluminum pistons, and fuel delivery from a Zytec electronically controlled sequential fuel injection system. The engine is mated to a five-speed transaxle from Tom Walkinshaw Racing, while the suspension - fabricated wishbones and horizontal pushrod-spring dampers at the front and coil springs at the rear - is pulled straight from the XJR-9 racecar. At the time, the car was capable of hitting 60 mph in under four seconds and topped out at 215 mph, just shy of the mark later set by the Jaguar XJ220. The XJR-15 was also the first road car to make extensive use of carbon fiber. In fact, at 2,315 lbs, the car's listed weight is less than that of a new ND Mazda Miata. The body was designed by future McLaren F1 engineer Peter Stevens. While the McLaren and Porsche were more complete and well rounded machines, the XJR-15 was a bare bones, uncompromised track machine. The interior was barely more than a carbon tub fitted with a pair of one-piece seats. The car in this listing is chassis number 21 and only has 1,400 miles on the odometer. Some minor modifications to the hinges allow the hood and engine cover to be quickly and easily opened. The car is listed for GBP450,000, or about $560,000. Not cheap, but what rare, early 1990s supercar is? Related Video: News Source: Classic Driver via Car Buzz Jaguar Coupe Performance ferrari f40 jaguar xj220