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South African company builds the world's first armored Jaguar I-Pace

When you think of armored cars, the presidential “Beast” limo and large SUVs likely come to mind. What you might not consider is that as the auto industry transforms itself to produce electric vehicles, weÂ’ll start seeing more armored EVs. A South African company has a leg up in this area with the release of the first armored Jaguar I-Pace. Armormax has offices around the globe, but its home base in South Africa is responsible for developing the armored SUV. Jaguar South Africa worked with the company to produce the I-Pace, and the work to add protection does not void or change the warranty. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Armoring a vehicle tends to add a ton of weight, but Armormax says the I-Pace takes advantage of its in-house materials. The company claims its protection material is the lightest in the world and notes the use of high-grade ballistic glass. The I-Pace offers a B4 ballistic protection rating, which covers handguns up to a .44 Magnum and shotguns. Armormax added run-flat tires and an external intercom system. We donÂ’t know if Armormax will offer the I-Pace outside of South Africa, but it likely wonÂ’t be cheap if it does. The U.S. I-Pace starts at more than $71,000, and thatÂ’s before buyers add any of ArmormaxÂ’s impressive upgrades. The company offers gas masks, ballistic riot shields, bomb blankets, and more. If Bond-villain features are your thing, Armormax will sell you smoke screen systems, electric-shock door handles, and a road tack dispensing system.

Stunning Jaguar collection with O.G. E-Type is a museum exhibit all on its own

At what point does a personal automotive collection become a museum exhibit that's just not in a museum? Dr. Christian Jenny blurs the line between the two with his unreal lot of classic Jaguars that includes not only the first E-Type ever seen in public, but also the "Lost C-Type" and what is considered to be Jaguar's first sports car, the 1935 S.S. 90 Prototype. Switzerland-based collector Jenny is selling 12 cars individually through classic car broker Pendine Historic Cars Limited. The collection includes some of the most important Jaguars ever built, nearly all of which have open-air tops. It's so special, in fact, that Pendine has created an entirely separate tab on its website dedicated to the set. The 12-pack includes the 1935 S.S. 90 Prototype, a 1952 C-Type, the E-Type Series I fixed-head coupe (aka "The Geneva Launch Car"), a 1935 S.S. 90 "Captain Black," a 1937 S.S. 100 2.5 liter, a 1938 S.S. 100 3.5 liter, a 1949 alloy XK120 Roadster, a 1950 XK120 Roadster, a 1955 XK140 SE Roadster, a 1960 XK150 3.8 S Roadster, an E-Type Series I Roadster, and a 1972 E-Type Series III V12 Roadster. All of the cars have been beautifully photographed and recorded by Michel Zumbrunn, author of British Auto Legends: Classics of Style and Design. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Though every one of these cars holds heavy significance, the 90 Prototype, the C-Type, and the Geneva E-Type stand to be some of the most noteworthy in British history. The S.S. 90 Prototype is considered Jaguar's first sports car before the company was even called Jaguar. It has a sidevalve 2.6-liter straight-six engine that makes an estimated 90 bhp and has won numerous Pebble Beach Concours awards. For years, this C-Type was floating in the ether and earned the nickname "The Lost C-Type" when it was the only car of the 53 C-Types that was not located. It was raced for numerous years and has since been restored. Any E-Type is highly valuable, as it's largely considered one of the most beautiful cars ever built, but this specific car has extra history. The coupe shape was reportedly hand-built from an open-top model and became the first E-Type ever seen in public. The experimental prototype, chassis No. 885005, was on display at the 1961 Geneva show. Read more detailed accounts for each car and ogle the gorgeous photography, of which each car has plenty, at Pendine. As of now, only the 90 Prototype has an offer.

Jaguar Land Rover rescues British off-road tuner Bowler

Jaguar Land Rover's Special Vehicles Operation (SVO) rescued British off-road tuner Bowler from an uncertain fate. The firm has worked with Land Rover in the past, but it has always been independent. While JLR isn't in an ideal position to make acquisitions, and its recent financial troubles are well documented, Bowler was on the brink of shutting down. The small, 34-year old company had entered administration, and the 26 people it employed risked losing their jobs. Monetary details haven't been released, meaning we don't know how much Bowler was worth, but the firm pointed out it's now fully owned by SVO. It joins SV, Vehicle Personalization, and Classic as the division's fourth pillar. It's too early to tell precisely where Bowler will fit in the JLR latticework, because the initial focus will be on stabilizing the company. It will remain based in Belper, England, and every member of its full-time staff has been offered a position as a JLR employee. Bowler made a name for itself by turning the original Defender into a rally car, and Land Rover said the expertise it acquired during decades of racing is highly sought after, so that's a hint we'll see more hardcore models developed jointly by the two companies sooner or later. The new Defender would lend itself well to the Bowler treatment. The Bowler name could replace the SVX nameplate used on the stillborn, V8-powered Discovery, for example. The tuner's focus on off-pavement performance means we're unlikely to see a Bowler-badged Jaguar, but anything is possible as global demand for SUVs (especially quick ones) continues to rise. What's certain is that, once Bowler is stable, it will grow bigger.