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Jaguar Project 7 concept is an F-Type in a D-Type mold [w/video]

In addition to the XJR, XFR-S and XKR-S GT models Jaguar is bringing to the Goodwood Festival of Speed this weekend, the manufacturer announced that the F-Type-based, D-Type-inspired Project 7 design study will make its "dynamic" debut at the festival, with driving duties assigned to Mike Cross, Jaguar's chief engineer of vehicle integrity. Here's the cool part: With Jaguar's Director of Design, Ian Callum, leading the team responsible for Project 7, it went from the drawing board to track testing in only four months, Jaguar states, with a claimed 0-60 time of 4.1 seconds and top speed of 186 miles per hour.
Project 7, which was named in honor of Jaguar's seven wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, will be making runs up the hill at Goodwood over all three days of the festival, which starts at the Goodwood House in West Sussex, England, this Friday.
Far from a fragile concept car, Jaguar says, the single-seat Project 7 is a fully functional sports car. It uses the all-aluminum chassis and body of the F-Type, retains that car's 550-horsepower, supercharged 5.0-liter V8 and eight-speed automatic transmission but features lots of bespoke carbon fiber aerodynamic bits, some of which were inspired by the Le Mans-winning D-Type of the 1950s. The most obvious nod to that classic is the rear fairing with integrated rollover hoop - the F-Type's convertible top is gone. The windshield was also lowered, giving the roadster a more rakish silhouette as it sits on 20-inch forged-alloy wheels with carbon fiber inserts.

Lister introduces 666 hp, 208 mph limited edition Thunder

Lister is one of the most storied nameplates when it comes to Jaguar-based racing cars, with tons of Le Mans heritage on its shoulders. The company says it's Britain's oldest surviving racing car company. As well as racing cars, Lister has produced several road-going specials, such as the widened XJ-S derivative called Le Mans and the Storm, whose 7-liter V12-engine was not only based on the XJR-9 racing car, but also the biggest V12 engine fitted to a production car since WWII. Now, in addition to continuation specials like the reborn Knobbly, there is a new Lister on the market — boldly called the Thunder. The Thunder is based on the F-Type, but its supercharged 5-liter V8 has been re-engineered to reach 666 horsepower. It will reach 62 mph in just 3.2 seconds, 100 mph in 6.8 seconds and go all the way to 208 mph. To compare a production F-Type SVR to the Thunder, the Jaguar-badged car has 99 less horsepower and takes half a second longer to hit 62 mph. There will only be 99 units built, and they are priced at almost $200,000 in the UK — we reached out to Lister for a confirmation whether the cars will be made available to U.S. buyers. But they are selling out soon, as Lister today announced that in the 24 hours since the unveiling of the Thunder, 22 customers already put in an order, worth in excess of $4.37 million. But the Thunder will be much more than a limited edition plaque in the dashboard (and that 99 extra horsepower); the paintwork and the interior will be bespoke to the specially built car. The modifications to turn an F-Type into a Lister Thunder will be carried out at Lister's historic facility in Cambridge, UK. Related Video: Featured Gallery Lister Thunder Aftermarket Jaguar Luxury Performance lister

Here's today's round of auto plant closures in response to coronavirus

More automakers have shuttered factories, as businesses everywhere work to slow the spread of the Covid-19 coronavirus — and as the pandemic slows sales and disrupts parts supply chains. On Friday, the following closures were announced: • Volvo will close its factories in Sweden and the United States from March 26 to April 14. Volvo's U.S. facility, in Charleston, South Carolina, makes the S60 sedan. Its assembly plant in Torslanda, Sweden, turns out the XC90, SC60, and V90. Other Swedish facilities make engines and component parts. A Volvo factory in Ghent, Belgium, that builds the XC40 and V60 closed earlier this week and is expected to remain offline until April 6. Volvo's four factories in China have been reopened after a shutdown earlier this year. • Jaguar Land Rover announced that it will suspend production at its assembly plants in the UK over the coming week. The shutdown is expected to last until April 20. Elsewhere, production continues at the company's factories in India and Brazil, and JLR's joint-venture plant in China reopened at the end of February. • Bentley is closing its factory in Crewe, England, for four weeks, effective today. • Bugatti has put its atelier in Molsheim, France, on hiatus. No date was given for when assembly of its supercars might resume. • Mercedes-Benz on Monday will shut down its SUV factory in Alabama and its van assembly plant in South Carolina. Both will remain closed for a minimum of two weeks. Tesla yesterday revealed that it will suspend operations at its Fremont, California, vehicle assembly plant next week, on order from local officials there. Yesterday's factory closure announcements also included the U.S. assembly plants for Toyota (until April 6), Volkswagen (through March 29), Subaru (through March 29), and Hyundai (no time period specified). They join GM, Ford, Chrysler, Honda, Nissan, and Harley-Davidson, which earlier this week announced the suspension of production at their facilities. Plants/Manufacturing Bentley Bugatti Jaguar Land Rover Mercedes-Benz Volvo coronavirus