2010 Jaguar Xf Premium Sunroof Navigation Rear Cam 48k Texas Direct Auto on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lunaz electrifying classic cars with coachbuilt, millimeter precision

One day last year, as David Lorenz waited by the side of the road for repair help with his classic car, he had an idea: Why not update all of that ancient mechanical "character" with a modern electric drivetrain? That would give an owner the beauty of the past, the mechanicals of the present, and the powertrain of the future. Jaguar does it with the E-Type Zero, and Aston Martin's in the game with the reversible EV powertrain swap for the DB6 Volante. And so Lorenz founded the British engineering firm Lunaz Design, named after his daughter Luna and headquartered at the Silverstone Technology Park. The company's first products are almost ready for order, starting with a 1953 Jaguar XK120 and a 1961 Rolls-Royce Phantom V. Lunaz conversions aren't a matter of pulling an engine and installing a battery pack; Lunaz reengineers classics. Managing Director Jon Hilton oversees a team bringing experience from carmakers such as Aston Martin, Ferrari, Jaguar, McLaren, and Rolls-Royce, with Hilton's resume including six years with Cosworth Engineering followed by eight years in Formula One. To develop the Lunaz offerings, a chosen car is stripped to the metal and weighed so that engineers understand the weight distribution at each corner, then the car is stripped to the chassis and 3D-scanned. This yields information allowing designers to create a powertrain that fits to the millimeter and stays true to the handling dynamics of the original vehicle. During the rebuild, the company says, any imperfections are remedied "using traditional coachbuilding techniques." The Jaguar and the Rolls-Royce get battery packs in two locations, one under the hood and one under the trunk floor. Lunaz says it can fit more battery for its in-house design into each car that way. The Jaguar's 80-kWh battery feeds two electric motors sending 375 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque to the rear wheels. The Phantom V uses a 120-kWh battery pack, but its output hasn't been released. While remaining true to the exterior and interior design of each car, Lunaz fits LED lights and modern tires, a modern suspension, better brakes with regenerative braking, power steering, an upgraded propshaft, and a fly-by-wire throttle. Safety and comfort additions include cruise control, traction control, and anti-lock brakes. Inside, the instrument cluster gets battery gauges, there's modern climate control, an infotainment screen with satellite navigation, and a Wi-Fi hotspot.

Junkyard Gem: 1965 Jaguar S-Type 3.8

The first Jaguar XJs appeared on American roads in late 1968, and decades of production made it the iconic Jaguar sedan most familiar to us today. Before the XJ, however, there was the Mark 2, and that powerful and stylish midsize saloon sold fairly well here during the 1960s. The S-Type (yes, the Leaper-badged Lincoln LS sibling built by Ford around the turn of the century took its name from this car) was an upgraded version of the original Mark 2, sold here for the 1964 through 1968 model years. Here's a rough but recognizable '65 S-Type 3.8, found in a Denver-area wrecking yard recently. The feature that set the S-Type apart from the ordinary Mk2 was this independent rear suspension, based on the one used in the bigger and costlier Jaguar Mark X. The base Mk2 and its old-timey solid rear axle remained available in 1965, with a sticker price of $5,419 (about $51,460 in 2022 dollars), while the S-Type cost $5,933 (around $56,340 now). Yes, those inboard disc brakes were just as much a nightmare to work on as you'd think, but they reduced unsprung weight and improved the handling and ride. This car was about the same size as a typical Detroit midsize sedan of the day, but far more expensive and much more prestigious. GM's swankiest S-Type-sized offering, the Buick Skylark, cost a mere $2,552 ($24,235 today) and had a notable lack of real wood inside. Actually, that Skylark with the optional 300-cubic-inch (5.0-liter) "Wildcat 355" V8 would have been a lot quicker than the S-Type, at least in a straight line, and your friendly Buick dealer probably could have arranged to have the hot-rod 401 (and its 325 horses) out of the Gran Sport coupe stuffed into a new Skylark sedan. The S-Type of 1965 got this sophisticated DOHC straight-six of 3.8 liters' displacement, rated at 220 horsepower. As you'd expect, someone grabbed the pair of SU sidedraft carburettors before I got here, perhaps before the car even arrived at this place. The 4.2-liter version of this engine used in the Mark X got three carbs. I suspect that this car was bought by a Denver-area Jaguar enthusiast for parts, decades back, and then was used for outdoor storage of components for future projects.  These cars are worth decent money in good condition, but this one would need the application of tens of thousands of dollars to be worth … tens of thousands of dollars. As someone who daily-drove an MGB for a few years, the sight of all this Lucas electrical hardware makes me sweat a little.

2018 Jaguar XJR575 First Drive Review | Everyone loves an underdog, right?

The number is right there, nestled smack in the middle against the windshield in red: 575. In case you missed it, there are another four red 575s stitched into the seat backs. You might excuse Jaguar for the numerical ostentation, but with manufacturers taking the horsepower arms race nuclear, the 6-year-old XJR sure could use a hook. What better way to stand out than an engine output humblebrag? The $122,400 Jaguar XJR575 gains 25 horsepower for 2018 thanks to software recalibration, which helps scoot the 17-foot-long four-door to 60 mph in a claimed 4.2 seconds. I'm gunning the XJR575 along the mountainous passes near the Alvao Natural Park in northern Portugal to find out whether the upgrade is enough to keep this underdog relevant in the fevered pitch of the high-dollar sedan market. Glance at the Jag in profile, and you might doubt its athleticism. Though nearly identical in length to a long-wheelbase BMW 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class (and 1.8 inches shorter than the Audi A8L), the XJR575's sloping rear window and rounder styling lend it a somewhat lazier, more lavish appearance. It's also long in the tooth, this design having been first introduced in 2009, but it wears its age surprisingly well. Frankly, you just don't see XJ-series Jags as often as their strong-selling competitors, and that keeps them looking fresher, somehow. In contrast, the Germans have kept their exterior lines purposeful and contemporary looking, with more frequent redesigns furthering their cause. Climb inside, and the XJR's premium trim lends a bit more modernity to the familiar cabin. For starters, the diamond-quilted and perforated leather seats offer solid support, but they might be a bit firm for long hauls. Unlike other XJs, the XJR and R-Sport trims don't offer a massaging feature, an unfortunate sacrifice that is available on most, if not all, of the competitive set. The rear quarters do, however, offer enough legroom for serious stretching out. Tall swaths of carbon fiber trim the door panels while another thin rim of carbon extends around the dashboard, a design shorthand for sportiness despite the fact that the XJR is only available stateside in long-wheelbase form. An Alcantara headliner aids the high-end argument. A few aging elements show cracks in the facade, among them the ungainly seams at the dashboard's center and switchgear that's grown more than a bit long in the tooth.