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Jaguar sets a lap record at a near-forgotten French race track

If asked to name any race track in France, most racing and car enthusiasts would probably answer the Circuit de la Sarthe, known for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Then there's the famous Magny-Cours or Circuit Paul Ricard, but not everyone remembers the Circuit de Charade near Clermont-Ferrand. This challenging track has been called a "twistier and faster" version of the Nurburgring, and in its original five-mile form, it barely had any straights. Formula 1 races were held there in the late 1960s and early 1970s, but safety concerns saw the French Grand Prix moved to Paul Ricard for most of the 1970s and 1980s, alternating with Dijon-Prenois. Later on, the track was essentially halved during modernization work, and it's now largely used for track days. The full length circuit was last used in 1988. This history lesson about a seemingly forgotten French race track is due to one good reason: Jaguar has returned to the venue to set a lap time with a new, all-wheel drive XE. The flying lap of the full five-mile track was the first one in 30 years, and the 4-minute, 9-second lap time set by Belgian racing driver Vincent Radermecker now stands as a record. Due to changes and the fact that the track originally utilized parts of public roads, the lap now included two gateways and a roundabout. Unshockingly, those weren't around in its racing days. The comparisons with the Nurburgring are apt, as Radermecker's comment confirms. "I set the production (sedan) record at the Nurburgring in the XE SV Project 8 last year and this lap was every bit as demanding. The longest straight is barely 600 metres, so I can see why drivers used to call this the French Nurburgring." The Jaguar used for the record lap is an XE 300 Sport, which is powered by Jaguar's 300-horsepower 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo engine. It hits 60 mph in 5.4 seconds, and the average speed on the Charade lap was 72 mph. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery Jaguar XE record lap View 9 Photos Image Credit: Jaguar Jaguar Automotive History jaguar xe

2022 Jaguar I-Pace gets quicker charging and better in-car tech

Jaguar's electric I-Pace crossover is entering the 2022 model year with small but meaningful technology updates under the sheet metal. It takes less time to charge, and it offers passengers a more intuitive infotainment system. Spotting the visual changes made to the I-Pace requires an impressively well-trained eye. Designers added Atlas Gray accents on the grille, and a Bright Pack joins an updated Black Pack on the list of options, but Jaguar's first EV looks largely the same. Aruba, Caldera Red, Portofino Blue, and Eiger Gray appear on the palette of available colors. It's what's inside that counts for 2022. The I-Pace gains a cabin air ionization system with 2.5PM filtration and a new infotainment system called Pivo Pro already announced for the European-spec model. Shared with the Land Rover Defender among other models in the corporate portfolio, it lets users access up to 90% of common tasks from the home screen in two taps or less, according to the manufacturer. One of the new features packed into the software is an EV-specific navigation system that shows available charging stations along the selected route and provides an estimate of how long drivers will have to wait before their car charges. Motorists can choose the charging stations they want to stop at, regardless of waiting times and charging speeds, or they can let Pivi Pro select the ones it thinks will get them to their destination with the least downtime.  Speaking of charging, the now-standard 11-kilowatt onboard charger zaps the I-Pace's lithium-ion battery pack with up to 63 miles of driving range in 15 minutes when it's connected to a 100-kilowatt DC charger. The crossover's maximum driving range remains pegged at 234 miles, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Jaguar is not making major mechanical changes to the I-Pace for 2022, and the high-performance variant we wrote about in 2019 hasn't landed yet, so the crossover carries on with a pair of electric motors (one per axle) that jointly develop 394 horsepower and 512 pound-feet of torque. Jaguar quotes a brisk 4.5-second sprint from zero to 60 mph thanks in part to the through-the-road all-wheel-drive system.  Pricing for the 2022 Jaguar I-Pace starts at $69,900 before destination and incentives enter the equation. Interestingly, it's now only available in a single trim level called HSE; the S and SE models have been dropped from the lineup.

Ride like a royal with Queen Elizabeth II's Jaguar X-Type

The British royal family may be best known for more high-end machinery such as Land Rovers, Bentleys or even King Charles' wine-powered Aston Martin. But not everything was quite so flashy, such as this 2009 Jaguar X-Type wagon, which was owned and driven by the late Queen Elizabeth II. And now it could be yours, since it's heading for auction. We heard about it via Robb Report, and it's being sold by Historic Auctioneers in the U.K. It was very clearly owned by the royal family, as evidenced by the photos of her driving the car, and apparently its initial registration was a royal plate number. We also noticed that in photos of her driving, there's a dog barrier in the back, so the queen's corgis may have been onboard at some point, too. It also has a little over 70,000 miles and has a comprehensive service history. Set aside the royal connection, though, and the X-Type is a relatively unexceptional car. Though it features plenty of Jaguar trimmings from the exterior design, to the wood and leather interior and the J-gate shifter, underneath it was based on the front-wheel-drive Ford Mondeo. In America at the time, that was seen as beneath a luxury brand, particularly to be based on a Ford. Jaguar executives later even admitted that they made some major mistakes with the X-Type, which were rectified with the spiritual successor, the rear-drive XE. The queen's example of the X-Type is, unsurprisingly, about the best-equipped version. It has all-wheel drive and the 3.0-liter gas-powered V6. In the U.S., gas V6s were the only engine options, with a 2.5-liter available early on. It made 227 horsepower and 206 pound-feet of torque. In the U.K., though, there were turbodiesel four-cylinder engines available, as well as front-wheel drive. It also has a lovely tan leather interior with the aforementioned wood trimmings. And being a wagon, it's the most practical. According to Historic Auctioneers, the X-Type wagon was also the first Jag that designer Ian Callum worked on, who went on to revitalize the brand with clean, modern designs for the next decade. The car will be auctioned on November 26 in the Mercedes-Benz World auction. No price estimates were given. With its royal connection, it will surely go for more than your average old Jaguar. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.