1990 Xjs V-12 2 Door Coupe on 2040-cars

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Jaguar Race Taxis will fling you around the Nurburgring

The Germans have a word, " fernweh," literally meaning "far sickness," that describes a special kind of longing. It's a strange sensation in which you feel homesick for a place that you're in tune with, a place that moves you, but it's a place you've never actually been to before. Someone who loves cars might be drawn that way to the Nurburgring. But if you're traveling to Germany this summer to fulfill that sense of fernweh, how do you experience the Green Hell firsthand? Your rental-car company might frown on you taking matters into your own hands. But Jaguar may have your answer. The Jaguar Race Taxi experience will give you a hot lap around the 13 miles and 73 corners of the Nordschleife in the 575-horsepower Jaguar F-Type SVR and the equally powerful four-door Jaguar XJR575. You'll ride with professional drivers who won't coddle you — Jaguar promises cornering forces of 1.2g. "A ride in the F-TYPE SVR and XJR575 Race Taxi is a thrilling and truly unforgettable experience for any car enthusiast — or anybody who just enjoys going very fast!" says Phil Talboys, JLR's European engineering operations manager. "Our highly experienced professional drivers are veterans of the Nurburgring 24-hour race, making them uniquely qualified to show customers the true potential of these extraordinary supercharged V8 Jaguars." The laps are available until the snow flies in November. Taxi fare is ˆ199 ($236) per lap in either car. You'll be in and out in 30 minutes, counting the safety briefing, the hot lap and a review of the video you'll walk away with. Oh, and there's a weight limit of 120 kilos (264 pounds), so you stockier souls may want to start your diets now. Reservations can be made at the track or online here. The F-Type SVR can take one passenger, and the XJR575 will haul you and two of your screaming friends. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Jaguar could still revive XK as luxury grand tourer

With the F-Type taking the lion's – or Jaguar's – share of attention lately, it would be all too easy to forget all about a Jag once known as the XK. But it existed, and it could once again. First introduced in 1996 as the XK8 to replace the old XJS, the XK survived for two generations. It was available as a 2+2 coupe or convertible and was powered by Jaguar's signature AJ-V8 engine. By the time it was discontinued just this past summer, the ultimate XKR-S packed as much as 542 horsepower. But though it had two more seats, the XK was rendered largely obsolete by the arrival of the nimbler, newer and arguably more stylish F-Type. According to Autocar, however, the XK could be reinstated with a more GT-like approach. The XK as we've known it, said Jaguar's Ross Varney to the British weekly, "straddled the GT and sports car segment, with more of an emphasis on the GT side but probably not enough." Varney was in charge of the F-Type project and was also responsible for a new project to replace the XK until it was shut down earlier this year. "We have plans to do lots more with the F-Type," said Varney, "but there will still be other areas we want to cover. We need to find the right way to deliver on them, and the XK could be one way of doing that." What Varney is saying, essentially, is that while the XK project may not be moving forward just yet, it could be revived in the near future. If it did, we'd be looking at a more accommodating and luxurious grand tourer, different from the F-Type that's more of a focused sports car. Think of it, then, as more of a Bentley Continental GT, but probably less expensive - or put another way, if the F-Type is a junior Aston Martin V8 Vantage, the new XK would be a (relatively) more accessible DB9. The intel sounds similar to what we heard when the most recent XK was being put out to pasture, but tells us that hope is still alive for those interested in a two-door Jag with room for the kids in the back.

Jaguar Project 7 Concept

The Jaguar Project 7 Concept debuted at the Goodwood Festival of Speed just last month. But unlike most concepts, which serve only to collect fingerprints on a stage, the track-ready one-seater spent its days barreling past the hillclimb crowds with Mike Cross, chief engineer of vehicle integrity at Jaguar, beaming behind its right-hand-drive steering wheel. What's more, the powers that be at Jaguar even let yours truly drive the Project 7 during the Concurs d'Elegance festivities at Pebble Beach last week.
Built on an all-aluminum V8 F-Type chassis with modified suspension, the Project 7 (a name acknowledging Jaguar's seven Le Mans wins between 1951-1990) is best thought of as an F-Type masquerading as a D-Type. The two-door is fitted with a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 good for 550 horsepower (no pictures as Jaguar wouldn't allow us to open the hood). An eight-speed automatic, with a torque converter, sends the power the rear wheels, allowing the single-seat roadster to crack the 60-mph benchmark in just over four seconds.
Modifications to the bodywork include a new lowered windshield, carbon-fiber aerodynamics and a rear fairing with integrated rollover hoop. The driving position has also been lowered by more than an inch, allowing the sole occupant to not only escape the airflow, but take advantage of a lower center of gravity.