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David Brown Automotive launches old-is-new-again Speedback [w/video]

Back in January, we reported on a new British coachbuilder called David Brown Automotive. In February, the startup released the first details and images of its inaugural project, and now it has revealed the finished product.
It's called Speedback, and it's based on the Jaguar XKR. But while it's built on a modern chassis (relatively, anyway - the XK arrived in 2006 and is soon to be discontinued), it's been rebodied to look like a classic British GT. That means that, while it may look like a classic Aston Martin, it's got a thoroughly modern 5.0-liter supercharged V8 under the hood with over 500 horsepower on tap.
Otherwise, little in the way of details have been disclosed - including what you can bet will be an astronomic price that tends to come with these sorts of coachbuilt customs. But the important parts are what you can see, and that means the finest British craftsmanship inside and out. Whether you like the particular style or not, of course, is entirely a matter of taste.

Watch Felipe Massa put the Jaguar C-X75 through its paces

Automakers who run their own racing teams enjoy the benefit of having top-flight professional racing drivers on call to help out with development work. Jaguar, unfortunately, has no such racing team, having sold its F1 operation to Red Bull back in 2004. So when it came time to put the C-X75 through its paces in this latest video, it turned to Felipe Massa. Why Massa, you ask? For one thing, having driven for so long for Ferrari, the Brazilian driver is used to applying his F1 skills in testing a supercar designed for the road. But since switching to Williams, he hasn't been called upon in that capacity. For another, it was Williams Advanced Engineering as much as Jaguar itself that spearheaded development of the C-X75. So Massa was the natural choice. The C-X75, for those who don't recall, represented Jaguar's plan to build a hybrid hypercar of its own. Having debuted way back in 2010 at the Paris Motor Show, the concept followed hot on the heels of the Porsche 918 concept unveiled earlier that year in Geneva – a predated by far the emergence of the McLaren P1 and LaFerrari. The original design called for a revolutionary powertrain combining a pair of micro-turbines and four individual electric motors in the wheels. When that proved unfeasible, Jaguar switched to a more conventional setup with a turbocharged hybrid powertrain. Unfortunately plans to put even that version into production were shelved. But the concept was revived for the filming of the latest James Bond movie Spectre. Check out the C-X75 being put through its paces by the eleven-time grand prix winner in the video above. Related Video:

South African company builds the world's first armored Jaguar I-Pace

When you think of armored cars, the presidential “Beast” limo and large SUVs likely come to mind. What you might not consider is that as the auto industry transforms itself to produce electric vehicles, weÂ’ll start seeing more armored EVs. A South African company has a leg up in this area with the release of the first armored Jaguar I-Pace. Armormax has offices around the globe, but its home base in South Africa is responsible for developing the armored SUV. Jaguar South Africa worked with the company to produce the I-Pace, and the work to add protection does not void or change the warranty. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Armoring a vehicle tends to add a ton of weight, but Armormax says the I-Pace takes advantage of its in-house materials. The company claims its protection material is the lightest in the world and notes the use of high-grade ballistic glass. The I-Pace offers a B4 ballistic protection rating, which covers handguns up to a .44 Magnum and shotguns. Armormax added run-flat tires and an external intercom system. We donÂ’t know if Armormax will offer the I-Pace outside of South Africa, but it likely wonÂ’t be cheap if it does. The U.S. I-Pace starts at more than $71,000, and thatÂ’s before buyers add any of ArmormaxÂ’s impressive upgrades. The company offers gas masks, ballistic riot shields, bomb blankets, and more. If Bond-villain features are your thing, Armormax will sell you smoke screen systems, electric-shock door handles, and a road tack dispensing system.