1970 Jaguar Xke Roadster Convertible on 2040-cars

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2014 Jaguar XJL AWD 3.0

A bit of British nobility floods the senses when piloting the 2014 Jaguar XJ. It's an emotional rush, a perception based on physical surroundings that influence the mind in much the same manner that a stein of pilsner tastes best when consumed in a German beer garden and no sand is softer than that found on a warm Caribbean beach. Jaguar has been assembling cars for nearly 100 years, and few automakers are as equally adept at capturing aristocracy and timelessness within the rich cabins of their luxury offerings.
Jaguar would have no concern if it were the only game in town, but that's far from the truth. The premium full-size luxury segment, which includes vehicles hovering just under or at the six-figure mark, is a contentious grouping that includes the Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, Lexus LS, Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Porsche Panamera. Each of those brings its own game to the battle, and none are easy to dismiss.
To better understand the British perspective and evaluate its latest offering on a land without royalty, I recently spent a week with a long-wheelbase, all-wheel-drive Jaguar XJ in Southern California.

2021 Jaguar F-Type First Drive | Can we interest you in some loud?

The 2021 Jaguar F-Type is not a perfect car. There are some cracks in the armor, flaws worth pointing out and nits to pick for car reviewers like us. It’s not a Jaguar version of the unflappable Porsche 911, nor is it a British muscle car. The F-Type has split the difference since the carÂ’s introduction for 2014, and now the two-seaterÂ’s first big update is upon us. Ian Callum left Jaguar more than a year ago, but he was still responsible for this revamped design. Few cars featured better styling than the previous F-Type, and the same can be said this time around. Part of that can be attributed to JaguarÂ’s light touch approach. Horizontal headlights and a new grille differentiate the new F-TypeÂ’s face from the last one. The clamshell hood remains, but its sculpting is less prominent and pointy than before. Combined, these new elements result in a softer, gentler face — Jaguar calls it “liquid metal.” At the back, new, I-Pace-inspired LED taillights now sit flush with the massaged bumper.  ItÂ’s still an obvious sports car design, but Jaguar has thrown away the edgy, aggressive persona of the previous F-Type. Forced to pick sides, weÂ’ll take the previous generation – updating a brilliant design is no easy task – but it remains a beautiful car. Onlookers certainly agreed, as our Sorrento Yellow tester drew a colossal amount of attention. One can thank JaguarÂ’s ear-shattering exhaust for some of that attention, too. How much shattering occurs depends on the engine, of course, and the number of pipes poking out of the bumper. Besides the sound, this is also the best way to tell different F-Types apart. Four-cylinder models get a single, central exhaust; V6-equipped cars get a dual central exhaust, and the V8-powered F-Type R continues on with its quad exhaust pushed out to the edges of the rear valance.  2021 Jaguar F-Type P300 View 30 Photos That's the version we drove. Powered by the same 5.0-liter supercharged V8 previously found in the F-Type SVR, the 2021 F-Type R produces 575 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 24 and 14, respectively. It's then a massive drop to the two engines below, which says more about the R than the unchanged but still amply endowed other F-Types.  The base P300 (gray car in the gallery above) is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 296 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, while the R-Dynamic P380 and its 3.0-liter supercharged V6 produces 380 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque.

Jaguar considering lightweight F-Type Club Sport?

In the market for a Jaguar F-Type? Then let us commend you, first of all, on your good taste. But you've got a difficult decision ahead of you: Do you go for the power of the V8 or the lighter weight of the V6? It's a tough call, even if the ~$30k range in price from the entry model to the flagship doesn't phase you.
Well, to make the decision easier (or potentially more difficult), Jaguar is said to be looking into yet another tempting option: that of a lightweight Club Sport model. Tipped to be based on the coupe (and not the heavier roadster), the F-Type Club Sport would allegedly shed a good 400 pounds or so off the curb weight, not so much through the removal of one component or another but through a "holistic" approach that would call on all aspects of the car to play their part in ditching excess weight. That could mean everything from carbon-fiber body panels to a stripped-out interior denuded of sound-deadening materials and creature comforts, says Auto Express.
In developing the rumored F-Type Club Sport, Jaguar is apparently facing a similar dilemma to what buyers are pondering: will it base the track-focused model on the top-of-the-line F-Type R, with its 5.0-liter supercharged V8 driving 542 horsepower to the rear set of lighweight alloys but weighing down the schnoz? Or should it try to get more power out of the lighter 3.0-liter supercharged V6, which currently nets 340 hp in base form and 380 in S spec? Let Jag know what you'd do by leaving your thoughts in Comments.