2000 Jaguar Xj8 Excelent Condition on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Ford's J Mays feels vindicated by Fusion reception

It's hard to think back now, but the same man overseeing the design of the 2013 Ford Fusion also presided over a rather lackluster period in Ford design, highlighted by vehicles like the Five Hundred and Freestyle. With the redesigned Fusion receiving high praise, J Mays tells Automotive News that he feels vindicated from criticisms suggesting he's not a daring enough designer.
When Mays took over as lead of design in 1997, he admits to having quite an ego ("My head would barely fit through the door some days. I've long since gotten over myself") and the workload to match. With the Blue Oval's portfolio full of premium brands like Aston Martin, Jaguar, Land Rover and Volvo at that point, along with the bread-and-butter Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models, Mays certainly had quite the challenge.
It was in the mid-2000s that Mays took over just the premium brands, and took on the new title of Chief Creative Officer. At the time, Mays endured some criticism for looking backwards to retro styling, rather than setting a new standard for American car design - criticism that Mays says he is free from with the all-new Fusion.

Jaguar C-X17 crossover concept revealed, hides new lightweight aluminum architecture

Just as Jaguar teased earlier this month, the luxury marque is debuting its first-ever sports crossover concept at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, which begins this week. In addition to previewing what a soft-roading Jag might look like, the C-X17 concept also showcases the brand's new advanced unibody aluminum architecture, which it calls the future of its brand.
The British automaker touts the new technical foundation as high-strength, lightweight and extremely stiff, and notes that it incorporates sustainable technologies such as a high-strength alloy made from recycled raw material. The architecture's flexibility means Jaguar will be able to simultaneously manufacture several vehicles on the same production line - a change that will ultimately help the automaker grow its product portfolio.
Indeed, if the C-X17 concept sees production, it would represent a completely new direction for Jaguar, which has previously focused on luxury sedans and sports cars. However, while Jaguar says a range of future models will be built using the new architecture, it hasn't yet mentioned a crossover. The first model to be built on the new underpinnings will launch globally in 2015, and it's - you guessed it - a premium midsize sedan.

Jaguar XJ220 hooned remotely by a kid

The Tax the Rich crew has a knack for indulging in automotive fantasies and capturing it all on video, such as a tug-of-war battle between two Ferrari F50s, drifting a Ferrari Enzo on gravel roads and even powersliding a Rolls-Royce Phantom on a field of wet grass. This latest video features a Jaguar XJ220 and a kid with an iPad, who somehow is able to control the old supercar with the Apple product.
No, there's no app for that (yet), and we lied - the boy isn't actually controlling the car - but it sure is nice to see the XJ220 in all its turbocharged, six-cylinder glory doing donuts and sliding across a grassy field. It jolts us to see the old Jaguar - capable of 217 miles per hour and once described by Jeremy Clarkson as having no brakes and massive turbo lag - thrown about like a rally car, but then we never imagined anybody would abuse a Rolls-Royce like that either. We'll continue to leave the high-stakes antics to Tax the Rich - we're just glad somebody had the guts to behave so badly in such a valuable machine. What else were they made for?
Be sure to check out the video below, if you have a pulse.