Jaguar
List: The Ten Coolest Shifters
Arguably the stylistic centerpiece of any cabin, the shifter has evolved a great deal from its humble, column-based origins. Now, there are seemingly as many variations on its function as there are cars on the road. We’ve selected ten of our favorites (five autos, and five manuals), and would love to hear which ones you agree with and which other shifters you think should be on the list. The automobile has been around for over 100 years, and there’s been no shortage of designs. Let us know what you think.
First Look: 2012 Jaguar XKR-S Convertible
Jaguar has announced the fastest droptop it has ever made, the very-limited-production XKR-S Convertible. How fast is that? 0-60 in 4.2 seconds, with a top speed of 186 miles per hour.
Frankfurt 2011: Frankfurt Auto Show Wrap-Up
As quickly as it began, the first media day of the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show is over. This year’s show featured no shortage of concept cars, including one designed by a racecar driver. As for production metal, there seemed to be something for everyone: exotics, hybrids, station wagons, SUVs, GTs, and sports cars were all well represented at this years show.
Frankfurt 2011: Jaguar C-X16 Concept
We aren’t sure what excites us more about the Jaguar C-X16 Concept: the fact that it’s a pure two-seater (as opposed to the two-plus-two XK), the overall look, or the fact that it has a blown V-6 that’s aided by a push-to-pass-equipped hybrid drivetrain.
Graphed: 5.0-Liter V-8 Power
There’s something magical about five liters of displacement divided among eight cylinders. Right now, Ford, Jaguar/Land Rover, Hyundai, and Lexus are using them in various vehicles, and we haven’t found one that’s let us down yet. Whether naturally aspirated or supercharged, they all sing a great song and provide a healthy kick in the pants.
2011 Winding Road Involvement Index Awards
Involvement matters. That’s the heart of the sermon we’ve been preaching for the last six years now. To drive fast is fun, to go around a corner neatly is admirable, to be luxurious is lovely; but to do all of those things and more in a way that enhances the driver/machine relationship is special indeed. When we first started Winding Road, we made it clear that we wanted to have a conversation with readers about the vehicles that we found to be exciting, not because they measured well, but because they inveigled many of our senses most of the time we were driving.
List: Ten Great 24 Hours Of Le Mans Cars
This weekend marks one of Winding Road’s favorite summer traditions, the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This legendary endurance race will see entries from Peugeot, Audi, Ferrari, Aston Martin, Chevrolet, and Porsche among others. While we wait for the green flag to drop, we decided to look back on some of the cars that have won overall in the past. This list is hardly comprehensive though, so feel free to chime in in the comments section with your favorite cars that have conquered Le Mans.
Friday Video: Jaguar XKR-S On The Track
If you’re not excited that it’s Friday, maybe this will perk you up a bit. It’s the 550-horsepower Jaguar XKR-S at Portimão (Autódromo Internacional do Algarve) in Portugal. Make sure you have your speakers on or your headphones plugged in. The sound is beautiful.
Buyer’s Guide: Mid-Size Luxury Sedans
The mid-size luxury segment is nearly always a hotly contested battlefield, and these days are no exception. Over the last weeks and months we’ve spent a lot of time driving the new (or newish) entries from Acura, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Saab, and more, so we thought it high time to bring together a feature that lays bare what’s on offer. We did refrain from including the—often wildly different—performance models here (AMG, M, V, etc.). That’s a guide for a different day.
2011 Geneva Motor Show Round Up
The Geneva Motor Show came and went last week, and we got a look at some new production cars, as well as some concepts that might give a glimpse into the near future of the automotive world. Earlier, we mentioned some of the cars we were looking forward to, and here is the rundown of the other vehicles that got their big reveal in Switzerland.
First Look: 2012 Jaguar XKR-S
Jaguar is amping up the already spicy XKR with a new XKR-S model for the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. The 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 jumps from 510 horsepower and 461 pound-feet of torque to a massive 550 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque. That means 60 miles per hour arrives in 4.2 seconds as opposed to the standard XKR’s 4.6-second sprint. Top speed is up from 155 miles per hour to 186 miles per hour.
Driven: 2011 Year In Review(s)
2011 has been a busy year in the Winding Road offices, with auto shows, new model launches, and the usual comings and goings of the automotive industry filling the virtual pages of our website. Even with all the activity, there has been a near-constant stream of automobiles filtering in and out of our parking lot, giving us no shortage of vehicular material to write about.
Quick Drive: 2011 Jaguar XJ Supercharged
The XJ is a perfect flagship in this new golden era for Jaguar, so I was excited to have my first chance behind the wheel of one of the standard wheelbase versions. One would think that, save for the range-topping Supersport, this supercharged and more compact XJ should be the car to have for enthusiast driving. And that’s true, at least up to a point.
Quick Drive: 2011 Jaguar XK Coupe
What the XK is not is a true driver’s sports car. The automatic transmission is a bit too lazy when one asks for quick shifts. The motor, while plenty potent, has got an awful lot of weight to shift in this big coupe, which makes the experience something well short of “scary” fast in all cases. Perhaps most telling though, is that the XK never really commits to turning in like a smallish sports car should—preferring to take longer, stately arcing turns in favor of fast directional changes.
List: What Car Would You Buy With $100,000?
Here’s a party game to try out with all of your car-loving friends and family members over the upcoming holiday season. The scenario is this: someone hands you $100,000 in a suitcase and tells you to buy a car. You can only buy one vehicle with the money, and you don’t get to keep the change when you’re done.
First Look: Jaguar C-X75 Concept
Equal parts birthday present, technology demonstrator, and styling exercise, the Jaguar C-X75 Concept has broken cover in Paris. Designed for Jaguar’s 75th birthday, the C-X75 looks like a reinvented XJ220, and we must say we like it. We also like the stats.
First Look: 2012 Range Rover Evoque
Land Rover has given up details and official images of the 2012 Range Rover Evoque ahead of its Paris debut. When it comes to market next fall, it will be the smallest Range Rover offered.
Spy Shots: Jaguar XF Gets A Facelift
Today, we got these spy shots of the Jaguar XF trolling the streets, sporting a new facelift under that freaky camouflage.
CarTronics: Why Bowers & Wilkins Works In The Jaguar XJ
The 2011Jaguar XJL is the beneficiary of Bowers & Wilkins finest car audio effort yet, and our sister publication The Absolute Sound has taken a look at it to see if it really is something special.
Blog: Is The Jaguar XJ A Panamera Beater?
Well, folks, after a day spent driving the new XJL and the Panamera back to back, I’m here to tell you that the luxury sedan market has new players intent on upsetting the proverbial apple cart. As Seyth indicated in his coverage of the new XJ, Jaguar is back in a big way. As a measure of just how far Jaguar has progressed, my recent time in the XJL suggests that Porsche, more than BMW or Mercedes, is the required comparison. Lexus really doesn’t merit mention in this company. How times change.
List: Ten Great Movie Jaguars
It’s not too great of an assumption to say that our readers understand that a vehicle can provide as important of a supporting role as a flesh-and-blood actor. And, since the Jaguar brand has been around for much of the history of moviemaking, it’s no surprise that these cats have made their way into starring roles in so many movies.
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