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Jaguar testing facelifted XJ in UK

Europe's flagship luxury sedans don't go through their lifecycles quite as quickly as other models need to, but with the new Mercedes-Benz S-Class hitting the road, Jaguar must feel it's time for a little update for its XJ sedan. And as these spy shots demonstrate, that's just what it has in store.
Falling firmly in the subtle-facelift category (as opposed to the full refresh), the placement of the camouflage on this new XJ appears to be hiding new fascias front and rear. Reshaped bumpers, trunk lid, grille and air apertures seem to be part of the impending facelift, but for better or worse, those black rear pillars seem to be staying put.
While Jaguar's at it, we can expect some updates to the cabin as well, with upgraded infotainment, ambient lighting and such. But don't go expecting anything radical at this stage. The XJ has been on the market for about four years, and it'll be another few before it demands a complete overhaul.

Jay Leno hits the road in a 1951 Jaguar XK 120 Hot Rod

The 1951 Jaguar XK120 featured in this episode of Jay Leno's Garage might look vaguely like a classic Jag roadster at first, but underneath this cat is something completely different. It was built by Leno's buddy Jason Len of XK's Unlimited when he grew tired of keeping these convertibles stock, and this aluminum-bodied beast was the result. Practically the only major Jaguar part left is the engine. It's a tuned 3.8-liter inline six from an E-Type with Weber carbs that makes an estimated 300 horsepower out of some gorgeous side-exit exhausts. The mill is backed up to a BorgWarner five-speed manual. However, the big surprise is the chassis. In place of Jag's original solution, Len has a custom tubular space frame that he claims sheds some 1,000 pounds over the stock example. There are still some classic Jaguar touches left, though, such as the fin over the driver's head that is reminiscent of the D-Type, and both the wheels and gauges are replicas based on that classic racer. Of course the best part is watching Jay drive this Jag hot rod. This big cat really knows how to purr.

Jaguar is ready for the future, and its cars look the part thanks to Ian Callum

There are few living legends in the car business. Jaguar design director Ian Callum is one of them. The longtime stylist announced Tuesday he's stepping down after a decorated career that's seen the resurgence of Jaguar and its again superlative design. Callum, who turns 65 in July, has overseen Jaguar design for 20 years and shepherded it from an era of mediocrity and uncertainty to success with its current lineup of eye-catching products. The brand's 1990s and 2000s cars, led by the haggard X-Type, were too-often forgettable. But in the last decade, Callum has completely flipped the script, returning Jaguar to its sports-car roots with the F-Type while embracing the new period of electric vehicles and crossovers. "Yesterday I told my team I was leaving as Design Director for Jaguar after 20 years. I've done what I set out to do. Time for a new adventure. I pass the baton onto my good friend and great designer Julian Thomson...." Callum tweeted Tuesday. Thompson, a 19-year veteran of Jaguar takes the reins from Callum, who is staying on as a consultant. The move takes effect July 1. As Callum notes, it's not a retirement, though he didn't elaborate. "Given the strength of both our products and the design team I feel that now is the right time to move on, both personally and professionally, and explore other design projects," he said in a statement. The Scottish-born designer studied at the Royal College of Art and was steeped in the tradition of Jaguar and British cars. He had every reason to resist change. He didn't, instead evolving his dream job into an instrument of evolution, and today Jaguar has the most well-rounded portfolio in its history. With EVs like the I-Pace the brand has an elegant and efficient car capable of taking down Tesla, while the F-Pace and E-Pace crossovers are bringing Jaguar to a new kind of customer. "In my view, the World Car Design of the Year winning F-Type, F-Pace and I-Pace – true game changers – are perhaps his greatest achievements. I believe they will be future icons," Jaguar Land Rover chief executive Ralf Speth said in a statement. Through it all, Callum never lost focus on Jaguar's sense of purpose. Along with Aston Martin, McLaren and Rolls-Royce, Jaguar holds a place in Britain's car culture and broader identity. He recognized when Jaguar rolled out a sports car openly tapped as the successor to the E-type – and then called it the F-Type – it carried the weight of history on its aluminum chassis.