1995 Jaguar Xj6 Base Sedan 4-door 4.0l on 2040-cars

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550-hp Jaguar F-Pace SVR revealed ahead of New York Auto Show

"I love this car." So said Jaguar designer Ian Callum, quite genuinely, as the Jaguar F-Pace SVR drove onto the stage at the company's new headquarters in Mahwah, N.J. Despite accepting and even embracing Jaguar's decision to produce SUVs, it's quite obvious (because he says so repeatedly) that Callum is still a guy with a lust for high-powered sports cars. The F-Pace SVR melds these two elements to create something he gleefully describes as "ridiculous." Boasting Jaguar Land Rover's now-familiar supercharged 5.0-liter V8, the SVR produces 550 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque. Jag estimates it'll hit 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and a top speed of 176 mph, which will make it one of the quickest and fastest SUVs on the road when it arrives in dealerships this summer. View 15 Photos It's not just the big engine, however. Upgraded mechanical improvements and enhancements include stiffer springs, wider and lighter forged alloy wheels (21- or 22 inches), bigger brakes (15.5-inch front, 15.6-inch rear), an electronic active rear differential, a variable active exhaust that's 14.5 pounds lighter than the standard one, and specially tuned software for the adaptive suspension, electric steering, eight-speed automatic, all-wheel drive and Dynamic Driving Mode. Callum's team also massaged the aerodynamics with larger air intakes, rear bumper side strakes, and fender vents that lower pressure in the wheel arches to reduce lift and increase cooling. A unique hood features vents designed to, well, vent hot air from the engine compartment. There are also wheel arch extensions and lower body moldings to create a more muscular appearance, while the rear sees fat quad tailpipes that one would assume should bark and burp like any good Jaguar SVR. Inside, there are thinner, light-weight sport seats done up in snazzy quilted leather. The rear seat also gets sportier seats with a similar fixed headrest design as those up front. The pistol-like sport gear selector shifter, as used in the Jaguar F-Type, replaces the standard rotary shifter design. It still takes up way too much room on the center console. Pricing starts at $80,985. One would assume Mr. Callum will gets his for less than that. Related Video:

Consumer Reports no longer recommends Honda Civic

Consumer Reports annual Car Reliability Survey is out, and yes, there are some big surprises. First and foremost? The venerable publication no longer recommends the Honda Civic. In fact, aside from the walking-dead CR-Z and limited-release Clarity fuel-cell car, the Civic is the only Honda to miss out on CR's prestigious nod. At the opposite end there's a surprise as well – Toyota and Lexus remain the most reliable brands on the market, but Buick cracked the top three. That's up from seventh last year, and the first time for an American brand to stand on the Consumer Reports podium. Mazda's entire lineup earned Recommended checks as well. Consumer Reports dinged the Civic for its "infuriating" touch-screen radio, lack of driver lumbar adjustability, the limited selection of cars on dealer lots fitted with Honda's popular Sensing system, and the company's decision to offer LaneWatch instead of a full-tilt blind-spot monitoring system. Its score? A lowly 58. The Civic isn't the only surprise drop from CR's Recommended ranks. The Audi A3, Ford F-150, Subaru WRX/STI, and Volkswagen Jetta, GTI, and Passat all lost the Consumer Reports' checkmark. On the flipside, a number of popular vehicles graduated to the Recommended ranks, including the BMW X5, Chevrolet Camaro, Corvette, and Cruze, Hyundai Santa Fe, Porsche Macan, and Tesla Model S. Perhaps the biggest surprise is the hilariously recall-prone Ford Escape getting a Recommended check – considering the popularity of Ford's small crossover, this is likely a coup for the brand, as it puts the Escape on a level playing field with the Recommended Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, and Nissan Rogue. While Ford is probably happy to see CR promote the Escape, the list wasn't as kind for every brand. For example, of the entire Fiat Chrysler Automobiles catalog, the ancient Chrysler 300 was the only car to score a check – there wasn't a single Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Maserati, or Ram on the list. That hurts. FCA isn't alone at the low end, either. GMC, Jaguar Land Rover, Mini, and Mitsubishi don't have a vehicle on CR's list between them, while brands like Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, Nissan, Lincoln, Infiniti, and Cadillac only have a few models each. You can check out Consumer Reports entire reliability roundup, even without a subscription, here.

Jeremy Clarkson's Jag going up for auction

Fans of Top Gear host Jeremy Clarkson might want to make plans to be in the UK next weekend. On August 24, Anglia Car Auctions in King's Lynn is auctioning off Clarkson's black 1999 Jaguar XJR as part of its classic sale. According to the auction house, the Jag was "originally the daily drive" of Clarkson and has had one registered owner since.
Clarkson's former ride clocks in at 93,000 miles and has an estimated price of 2,500 to 4,000 pounds. At roughly $3,300 to $5,300 in US dollars, that could be quite a steal for a hardcore Jeremy Clarkson fan. And with a supercharged 4.0-liter V8 engine and lavish interior, it's a luxury sport sedan lover's dream.
This isn't the first time Clarkson has crossed paths with Anglia Car Auctions. Back in 2009, he and fellow Top Gear stars James May and Richard Hammond made an appearance at another vintage auction to buy vehicles for a future segment of the show.