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Jaguar I-Pace sets Laguna Seca record, virtually matches Tesla Model S P100D

Jaguar has announced that the I-Pace crossover has set the Laguna Seca lap record for production electric vehicles. With racing driver Randy Pobst behind the wheel, the I-Pace HSE completed a lap in 1 minute and 48.18 seconds. Jaguar was adamant to stress that the record-setting vehicle was bone stock with "no modifications whatsoever." As Jalopnik reports, a bit of a dispute arose about the lap time, as a Tesla Model S P100D is said to have completed a lap in 1 minute, 47.62 seconds. However, the Tesla in question had received brake upgrades, unlike the factory specification Jaguar. The I-Pace's two electric motors are good for a combined 400 horsepower and 513 pound-feet, propelling the SUV to 62 mph in just 4.8 seconds. Jaguar has also released video footage from the Laguna Seca run, above. Look for the slide at the 30-second mark! Pobst must have been enjoying himself, as you can hear him guffawing after the famous Corkscrew section. While this record was all about the prowess of a production EV, there will be a racing series featuring the I-Pace, as the I-Pace eTrophy begins in the fifth season of ABB FIA Formula E. View 3 Photos Related Video:

Jaguar will build 9 XKSS continuation cars at $1.4m each

The Jaguar D-Type was, for its time, a cutting-edge race car. It was also a car that could, theoretically, drive from Jaguar's Browns Lane factory to the race in France and back. This was an era in which top-tier race cars weren't all that different from their road-going counterparts. You couldn't really do the same in an Audi R18 E-Tron Quattro, now could you? The XKSS was a D-Type with the barest nod to road-going conveniences, like proper wind protection. With some unsold D-Type racers cluttering up the shop after three successive Le Mans wins, Jaguar converted 16 into XKSS spec, and had more in the works. It wasn't a comprehensive transformation, really. A windshield and a passenger door were added; a cabin partition and the striking fin behind the driver were removed. Otherwise, it wasn't much different than the all-conquering Le Mans-winners. And then tragedy struck. A fire destroyed nine of the cars, and the company never picked up where it left off after the mess was cleaned up. Hence Jaguar aficionados, and the company itself, keenly felt the absence of the "lost" cars. After the success of the continuation E-Type lightweights built by the Jaguar Classic division of Special Operations, the company will finish the run. Nine cars will be hand-crafted for a select group of customers and collectors, much as the company did for the lightweights. Jaguar expects the cars to fetch more than $1.5 million each. Considering the mystique of these "lost" cars, and the fact that Steve McQueen is heavily associated with the XKSS, they may trade hands for considerably more after the initial owners part with them. Jaguar expects to start delivering the continuation XKSS cars early next year. Related Video: New York Auto Show Jaguar Convertible Performance Classics jaguar special operations jaguar xkss

Jaguar to reveal small sedan at Paris show

Small sedans are big business for luxury automakers. The C-Class is the top seller for Mercedes-Benz, much as the 3 Series is for BMW, but Jaguar has historically missed out on that market. Its last attempt, the X-Type, proved woefully inadequate, and Jaguar hasn't attempted to take on that market again since. But that's all about to change.
Coventry has been working on a new small Jaguar for some time now (using test mules like the one above wearing modified XF body panels), and according to the latest reports coming in from the UK, it will showcase the result of those efforts at the Paris Motor Show next October. The show car will take the form of a pre-production concept that is expected to preview the production version very closely before the final item is unveiled at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show.
Tipped to be called XS (somewhat appropriately for the brand's smallest model), the new sedan is expected to be the first to use the company's new aluminum platform previewed by the C-X17. Expect styling to follow along similar lines to said crossover concept and the F-Type sportscar, with eventual sedan, wagon and coupe versions to round out the family.