1994 Jaguar Xj12 Base Sedan 4-door 6.0l on 2040-cars

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Land Rover planning SVX hardcore off-roaders

The new Special Vehicle Operations division at Jaguar Land Rover has already given us an array of ultimate wheeled creations, but it isn't quite done yet. Next, according to Car and Driver, will be a new line of SVX models. Not to be confused with the Subaru coupe from the 1990s (which also had all-wheel drive, come to think of it), Land Rover's SVX models will be hardcore off-roaders. Details are few and far between at the moment, but they're said to take inspiration from rough-terrain events like the Dakar Rally and Camel Trophy as inspiration – different from the Ford F-150 Raptor that takes its cues from the Baja 1000. Last we heard, Land Rover was planning a hardcore Defender to send the model off to pasture in high-performance style, and considering an extreme Range Rover as well. If either of those rumors materialize, they look like they'd be prime candidates for the SVX line. JLR Special Vehicle Operations has already showcased what it can do with the high-performance Range Rover Sport SVR, the luxed-up Range Rover SVAutobiography, the exclusive F-Type Project 7 and the continuation classic Lightweight E-Type. C/D confirms that further SVR models are in store to replace Jaguar's R-S performance models, while the SVX line would likely remain exclusive to Land Rover.

New Jaguar F-Type to launch — maybe literally — with Hot Wheels' help

An updated and redesigned Jaguar F-Type is going to be revealed Dec. 2, which is less than a week away at this point. The info comes to us via a tweet from Jaguar, teasing out the reveal with a video. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Update: For a split second, the new F-Type appears to be flashed up onto the screen. We screenshot the video and pasted the photo down below. The side profile is similar to the previous F-Type, which comes as no surprise to us after seeing the spy shots. We can see the red LED taillight and a hint of the headlight design from the photo, too. The most intriguing part of this tweet is at the end, where Jaguar says it’s going to reveal the F-Type in partnership with Hot Wheels. Jaguar and Hot Wheels are not the most obvious of pairings at first, but both have a penchant for theatrics and stunts. Jaguar launched the tiny E-Pace with a barrel roll, completing a 270-degree corkscrew jump and launching it through 50 feet of open air. Nobody was expecting that. WeÂ’re not sure what to expect from the F-Type launch event, but the teaser video shows a Hot Wheels track with a loop. Will Jaguar try and top themselves? WeÂ’re not sure, but itÂ’s worth a watch on Dec. 2 to find out. As for what the actual car will be like, weÂ’ve seen several sets of spy shots (above). The most recent set places the Jaguar on the Nurburgring for track testing. Jaguar hasnÂ’t messed with the F-TypeÂ’s design much since it launched earlier this decade, but thatÂ’s no complaint. Even today, the F-Type is one of the best looking sports cars on sale. And even though Ian Callum isnÂ’t around anymore, weÂ’re sure he had a hand in this redesign. Expect a new interior, updated powertrains and more performance from the F-Type in its updated form next week. 

Geely poaches Jaguar designer Wayne Burgess

The fact is simple: Chinese automaker Geely just poached designer Wayne Burgess from Jaguar. Burgess will oversee a team of 100 designers and staff, in charge of projects encompassing all of Geely's brands, and report to Peter Horbury, Geely's EVP of design. Burgess, who started at Jaguar in 1997, was lately the production studio director for Jaguar Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations, and the head of Jaguar's production cars. His credits include the F-Type, F-Pace, I-Pace, and current XJ, as well as being an Ian Callum stand-in at events. The implications of this personnel move carry the easy-to-ignore weight of another domino falling in what could be a monumental Chinese long game. Geely owns an eponymous car brand in China, as well the Chinese-Swedish Lynk & Co, Sweden's Volvo, England's Lotus and London Electric Vehicle Company (makers of electric black cabs), Malaysia's Proton, and U.S. flying car startup Terrafugia. Burgess won't need to leave home, because Geely's opening a design center in Coventry, England, to go along with its other centers in Barcelona, Gothenburg, Los Angeles and Shanghai. If you're keeping track, Burgess' flight maintains the quickening pace of talent headed to Chinese automakers that we give scant attention. After Geely bought Volvo in 2010, it moved longtime Volvo designer Peter Horbury, now Burgess' boss, to Shanghai. At the time, the news evoked a chortle. Compare that to last week, when GAC Motor designer David Hilton said, "There are now more auto designers in Shanghai than in any other city in the world, including Detroit and L.A." Hilton, by the way, was Bentley's head of exterior design until September last year. The same month, ex-Rolls Royce pen Giles Taylor, who brought us the Cullinan, jetted to Munich to lead FAW's Hongqi luxury brand. One month before that, ex- Land Rover designer Phil Simmons had taken over at Great Wall brand Haval. One month after that, ex- Mazda and BMW designer Kevin Rice became VP of design at Chery. Ex- Audi man Wolfgang Egger took over at BYD in 2017. Oh yeah, Hilton's comments came in a Wall Street Journal article about this very migration. Mass distribution is nearing the developed world in the Northern Hemisphere, too. Lynk & Co wants to get its papers for Europe this year. Zotye just named its first batch of U.S. dealers in advance of a planned launch here in 2020. Guangzhou Auto was at the same U.S. dealer meetings at Zotye, aiming for a U.S. rollout in early 2020.