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Junkyard Gem: 1977 Jaguar XJ-S

The Jaguar XJ-S was big, powerful, swanky, and expensive, just the sort of luxury coupe a high-roller in the late 1970s craved. Unfortunately, these temperamental cars needed plenty of regular maintenance, and many of them suffered from neglect once they left the hands of their original owners. I see plenty of V12 Jaguars during my junkyard journeys, but it still gives me a twinge of sadness when I see another one parked among the ordinary Jettas and Grand Vitaras in the import-cars section of a big self-service wrecking yard. Here's a forlorn-looking, V8-swapped '77 in a San Francisco Bay Area yard. Chevrolet small-block V8 swaps were very common with the Jaguar XJs of the 1960s and 1970s, since an ordinary 350 would make power similar to that of the 326-cubic-inch V12 and parts obtainment was much easier. Still, swapping in a reliable-if-oil-leaky Detroit V8 didn't solve all the Jag's reliability woes: the Prince of Darkness retained a powerful grip on this car's soul. The patina on this car suggests decades spent forgotten in an outdoor storage area somewhere. There's a AAA map of California from the 1980s inside. This car listed for $20,250 when new. That's about $87,500 in inflation-adjusted 2018 dollars, but still $5,000 cheaper in 1977 dollars than a new Mercedes-Benz 450SLC (and a grand more expensive than a new Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham). Nobody in their right mind would have been willing to pay to restore this car, but we can hope that it provides some good parts to Jaguars that are still on the road. Related Video: Featured Gallery Junked 1977 Jaguar XJS View 16 Photos Auto News Jaguar Automotive History

2021 Jaguar F-Type is getting a major facelift

Having entered its seventh model year with only minor changes, it's no surprise that Jaguar is working on a more significant update of its F-Type sports car. Based on the spy photos of what is likely to be the 2021 Jaguar F-Type, it's getting a serious nose job. But interestingly, it also still appears to be closely related to the current model. Up front, the major change is in the headlight design. Instead of the vertical, swept-back units of the current car, the new one has low, horizontal lights. The lights are actually much more similar to Jaguar's more practical offerings such as the XE, XJ and F-Pace. The lights also have sharper angles that blend into cut lines and creases in the front end. The main grille doesn't look particularly different, but it will clearly be flanked by redesigned outboard grilles based on how well they're covered. The whole midsection seems to be carried over from the current model. This seems to kill the rumor that there would be a 2+2 F-Type. The tail end is pretty much the same, too, but the taillights lose the little round extensions inspired by the Jaguar E-Type. The wide-set tailpipes and big diffuser are like the V8-powered R model, so we expect that's what we're looking at. Since this F-Type looks to be mostly a styling overhaul, we expect most of the current powertrain lineup will transfer, too. That means a turbocharged four-cylinder for the entry-level models and a V8 for the top-rung cars. In the middle, though, the supercharged V6 may disappear in favor of Jaguar-Land Rover's new turbocharged inline-6. This seems plausible since Jaguar has already phased out the V6 on the XE, and the inline-6 is derived from the four-cylinder already in use, so it should fit relatively easily. Power should be right on par with the current car's 380-horsepower V6. In new Land Rovers, it makes between 355 and 396 horsepower depending on which version you get. We also assume all engines will still be coupled to an eight-speed automatic with no manual options in sight.

2021 Jaguar F-Type convertible and coupe spied at the Nurburgring

We got our first look at the 2021 Jaguar F-Type back in May this year, and we were impressed with the edits Jag has in store. The F-Type hasn’t changed a whole lot since it went on sale in 2013, and this redesign looks like the most comprehensive update itÂ’s ever received. These latest shots show the British sports car running around the Nurburgring in both coupe and convertible body styles. We havenÂ’t seen the drop-top yet, so this marks our first look at this version of the new F-Type. Of course, the black soft top is up on this one, but it looks just how weÂ’d expect the convertible to appear. Both the convertible and coupe spied here appear to be high-performance V8 models with quad exhaust tips protruding aggressively beyond the rear bumper. Both these models are making use of their differing active rear wings on the track. The lit-up taillights in back draw our eyes with a shallow U-shaped design. One difference we note among the two is the rear valance/diffuser design. The coupe looks like itÂ’s rocking the design derived from the current SVR, while the convertible looks like an R. However, the tiny wing on the coupe looks nothing like the large one used on the current SVR. What might Jaguar be planning? What we do know is that this Jaguar is most likely still going to look stunning. The shape and silhouette of the car will stay the same, but the sheetmetal and styling elements are definitely going through a significant evolution. The big grille and thin headlights are in line to give the face an entirely new look. Even though Ian Callum has decided to step away from Jaguar Land Rover, he was undoubtedly involved with the design process of this F-Type.  We hope to see even more of this stylish British rocket as Jaguar presses on with development. Expect powertrain upgrades aplenty when itÂ’s finally revealed. These few prototypes weÂ’ve seen out driving spell good news for fans of V8 engines, too.