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What's better than a garage with a lift and a kitchen? Not much, UK owners say

Some folks look to change houses because they need more room, or perhaps their current home's basement floods. Others want a “perfect garage” with a hydraulic lift. In the United Kingdom — where priorities may be different from those in the United States — research from eBay indicates that nearly two-thirds of UK motorists (65 percent) would consider moving for the ideal garage, and theyÂ’d be prepared to pay about 5% over asking price to have one. Reporting the results of a survey among 2,000 car enthusiasts, eBay says the lift and custom toolboxes would satisfy the need to makes repairs to the Aston Martin DB5 or the Jaguar E-type (the cars respondents said theyÂ’Â’d most want installed in the garage). Certainly a built-in drain would be a nice touch for washing the vehicles, as well as proper ventilation for those paint touch-ups. A small kitchen in the garage and a jukebox would be lovely, also. Those polled were also asked to make a list of nifty additions to the garage space. Among the suggestions: a snooker table, decorative lighting, a La-Z-Boy recliner, and engine hoists. According to the research, more than 4-in-10 homeowners feel that their current garage stops them from fulfilling their passion for cars. More than half would be more likely to own a classic car if they had a garage to store it in. Said Oliver Bindloss of the Bindloss Dawes Architects firm that worked with eBay on the poll: “Garages are so much more than just a functional space for cars, they must be tough and work hard, but also be enjoyable spaces to relax in. For us as architects, the perfect garage has to start with the cars themselves.” Aston Martin Jaguar Car Buying Ownership Parts and Accessories Classics

Jaguar may join the FWD, small-car parade

Was it right for Chevrolet to detune the 1975 Corvette's base engine to 165 horsepower? Was Aston Martin wrong to make the Toyota iQ-based Cygnet? Is BMW crazy to be testing the new 1 Series with three-cylinder engines and front-wheel drive? It seems now, just as in the 1970s and 1980s, that emissions regulations and social considerations are driving some automakers to adopt unbefitting practices to maintain acceptance in the eyes of governments and consumers. Jaguar has jumped on the bandwagon, and is considering development of small, frugal, front-wheel-drive cars to help lower Jaguar Land Rover's average vehicle CO2 levels in light of tightening European emissions regulations, Autocar reports.
By 2020, the European Union expects the model range of every manufacturer to average 95 grams per kilometer, which is a new law passed by the European Parliament in April. Manufacturers who make more than 300,000 vehicles per year must meet these targets, and JLR is expected to be producing up to 700,000 vehicles per year by then. CO2 regulations after 2020 will only get stricter, as EU politicians already are talking about lowering CO2 levels to between 68 g/km and 78 g/km. (To put that in perspective, Autocar posits that driving a fully charged electric vehicle in Europe produces about 75 g/km when factoring in the power-generation infrastructure.)
Jaguar has some choices here, but so far they all have drawbacks. It could develop a new, compact chassis architecture for a line of compact vehicles, but the investment required for such a project could be prohibitively expensive. Jaguar has been looking into using the Land Rover Evoque platform for a small SUV, Autocar reports, but Land Rover brand manager John Edwards raises issue with such a plan, saying it may not be financially feasible.

Jaguar XE hits the 'Ring wearing swirly camo

Jaguar is happy to show off its new XE sedan on its social media sites, but when testing at the Nürburgring, it's a very different story. These spy shots show the new model in camouflage to make it much harder to discern, but there are still some intriguing details to pick out.
These photos give us a really good look at the XE's quirky rear end. The sedan has a super short trunk that almost fools you into thinking its a notchback, but the top edge of the trunk is clearly visible. It's a somewhat odd-looking design with the rear glass running underneath the roof's overhang to create an integrated spoiler. Despite the camo, the front end is the same as ever with a blunt edge and sharp headlights. Jag certainly isn't afraid to try something a little different compared to the XE's competitors, notably the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4.
Some technical details about the XE are already established. This 3 Series-fighter is slated to go on sale in foreign markets in 2015 and in the US in 2016. We know that it ride's on Jag's new aluminum platform that also underpins the C-X17 crossover concept, and power comes from a pair of 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engines, available in petrol- or diesel-fueled configurations.