2013 Jaguar Xj Awd V6 Supercharged Demo! Hurry!! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2018 Jaguar F-Pace: Ambient lighting is fun and frustrating

Like so many other automobiles from this decade, our long-term Jaguar F-Pace crossover has customizable interior lighting, a part of the $2,350 Luxury Interior Package. I've previously admitted to the fact that ambient lighting has me split in opinion. On the one hand I know that it's probably going to end up being dated and uncool in the future. On the other, I actually quite enjoy it, possibly because I grew up in the neon-fueled world of early '00s import tuner culture. I also like it from a color-coordination perspective. Our Jaguar's bold blue hue called Caesium can be brought inside with equally bright illumination. It's very satisfying. But that satisfaction of having everything just so is quickly sullied as the center stack and switches are only one color that can't be changed. Admittedly, that's completely normal, but unlike many of those other cars that use neutral white illumination, the Jag's light up in the same blue/teal color that made your Razr phone look cool so many years ago. And so whether you bathe your cabin in blue, red, purple or green light, the ambient lighting will clash with the main switch gear. You can pick a shade of blue for the ambient lighting that roughly matches the switches, but I don't want to compromise my color preference because Jaguar didn't put in LEDs in that would be neutral (or, even better, change to match the ambient settings). I have other complaints about color-matching in the car, too. The instrument panel, which is a flat screen, has a few different display modes, but most of the readouts use a similar (but not quite the same) blue/teal color as the switchgear. So that doesn't match, either. Then, in the sport mode, the instrument screen switches to red. That brings me to my next gripe: all the ambient lighting switches to red when choosing this mode. I get it, red means sporty and Jaguar wants everything about sport mode to feel sporty. But damn it, I paid for custom lighting, let me keep that lighting when I'm also in a sporty mood. I actually sometimes skip the sport mode because I want to be swathed in my favorite hue more than I want slightly more sporty driving dynamics. Oh, and of course the switchgear remains teal/blue even in sport mode. So yes, this is picky. But that's the beauty of evaluating a car like the F-Pace over a longer period of time.

Ferrari and Jaguar dominate the 2017 Arizona Auctions

The 2017 Arizona Auctions took place this past weekend, and one look at the results should be a reminder that big-name auto auctions are no place for mere mortals. Aside from the fast paced nature – seven auction houses moved 3,486 vehicles across the auction block – the rarest and most desirable cars sold for more than most people will make in a lifetime. There were around 20 cars that sold for at least $1 million, with Bonhams topping the list with a $7,370,000 1963 Jaguar E-Type Lightweight. Despite $259.8 million in sales, Hagerty reports that 2017 was only the second biggest weekend in the Arizona auction's long history. The figure was up $9 million from 2016's total, but much of that increase can be attributed to the 12-percent increase in the total number of cars auctioned. The average selling price was $89,601, with the vast majority of vehicles selling for less than $100,000. Aside from the 1963 Jaguar E-Type, there were a number of rare and noteworthy vehicles for up for grabs. RM Sotheby's $6,600,000 1939 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special Roadster was the runner-up in value, followed closely by a $6,380,000 1952 Ferrari 340 America Competizione Spider from Bonhams. The various top-10 lists were awash with Ferraris and other European automakers, though much of the lower-end sales were populated by classic American autos. Most of the top sellers were built before 1970, though the occasional newer model (1995 Ferrari F50, 2005 Porsche Carrera GT, 2006 Ford GT) made it through. Based on 2017's overall theme, it appears that interest on cars from American automakers is on the rise. Hagerty notes that a number of 1980s American sports cars like the Chevrolet Corvette and Pontiac Firebird did surprisingly well. Look for the 2018 auctions to see if the momentum continues. Related Video:

Queen Elizabeth II was a longtime automotive enthusiast

Since driver's licenses, license plates, and passports were issued in her own name, Queen Elizabeth II didn't need them to drive and travel. She started combining the two just before she turned 19, joining the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) transport division in 1945 for vehicle mechanic training. She wanted to help the British effort during World War II and would drive an ambulance — one that, theoretically, she could also fix if it broke down. The war ended before she graduated as an Honorary Junior Commander, the other ATS members dubbing her Princess Auto Mechanic. We donÂ’t know if she got under the hoods of the many official state vehicles and the far more numerous unofficial fleet in the royal garages, but she was still driving herself around England as late as this year. Here is a tiny selection of royal conveyances used during her 70-year reign. Gold State Coach (1762) True, she never drove this one, but a tour of every royal garage should start with the coach. King George III commissioned Samuel Butler to build it in 1760. Butler spent two years on the gilded carriage 24 feet long and more than 12 feet high. The quarters are suspended from the frame by leather straps, so occupants get tossed about even during a slow stroll, which is as fast as the eight Windsor Gray horses can pull it. It wasnÂ’t until the 1900s that King George VI rubberized the wooden wheels. Word is the queen didnÂ’t like it.   1953 Land Rover Series 1 Land Rover gave Queen ElizabethÂ’s father, King George VI, the 100th example of the 80 Series off the line in 1948. She picked up the Landie habit for herself five years later, when a 1953 Series 1 with a custom 86-inch wheelbase was part of the fleet used for her six-month tour of the Commonwealth in 1953 and 1954. That Land Rover became Ceremonial Vehicle State IV. The models above were built in Australia in 1958 as near copies of the Commonwealth tour vehicle, when Australia decided it wanted six identical versions for royal service. ItÂ’s thought the royal family went through around 30 Land Rover Series cars and Defenders since then, and many of the most common photos of her have her posing in or near one, especially the 2002 Defender built just for her. The royal family isnÂ’t finished with them, either: A current Defender 110 served as a luggage hauler for family members headed to Balmoral Castle during the queenÂ’s final days.