Launched in 1992, the XJ220 was the fastest Jaguar ever produced. 20 years later, it still maintains the title, making it an iconic vehicle to be celebrated. And as part of its 20th anniversary celebration, Jaguar has released a number of images to show it off.
The Jaguar XJ220 started off as a concept in 1988 designed by Keith Helfet and was never intended for production. However, after an overwhelming response at the auto show, Jaguar went on to see its viability as a production model. What they ended up with was a limited run of 350 units. The first customer car was completed in June 1992 with a retail price of £470,000 (about $737,000 at the current exchange rates). The XJ220 remained in production until 1994.
The Jaguar XJ220 was powered by a 3.5-liter, twin turbo V6 engine that delivered a total of 550 HP and 475 lbs-ft of torque. The engine was mated to a five-speed gearbox and an AP Racing twin-plate clutch. This amount of power was enough to sprint the car from 0 to 60 mph in under 4 seconds. Also, with an impressive top speed of 213mph, the XJ220 had the highest maximum speed of any production car at that time.
Of all the automakers that have participated in the legendary 24-hour race at Le Mans since 1923, German automaker Porsche holds the distinction of being the most successful marque in the history of the racing series. Truth be told, Porsche has a record 94 class wins and 16 overall victories, highlighted by a dominant stretch from 1981 to the 1987 when it scored the title for seven straight years.
Lately, Porsche has ceded control of Le Mans to the likes of Audi and Peugeot, scoring its last overall victory in 1998 with the 911 GT1-98. After years of toiling in the shadows, the German automaker is getting ready to return to Le Mans in 2014, determined to return back to the throne it previously occupied.
Preparations are in order for the first LMP1 prototype to be developed soon, and knowing Porsche’s history in Le Mans, we expect nothing less than a car that can contend for the the Le Mans title when it returns to the track.
Speaking of its history, the German automaker has prepared a number of videos detailing the company’s history in Le Mans, going all the way back from its early years to its recent dominance in the 90’s.
Check out the rest of the video series from the 70’s, 80’s, and 90’s after the jump.
Volkswagen unveiled the Golf GTI for the first time back in June 1976 and currently, the model is in its sixth generation. Many may consider the fourth generation Golf to be the very best of all, but without all six generations going toe to toe, it may be difficult to make such a decision, Enter Volkswagen.
The brand poised to dominate the auto world has put together a video with all six generations of the Golf, totaling more than 35 years of its GTI history. From the first generation’s 110 HP 1.6-liter inline four cylinder engine evolving to the sixth generation’s 207 HP turbo engine, all six were there to represent for their time period and all six were put to test on the race track, and while this video is not very long, it sure provides an idea on the classics vs. moderns dilemma.
Steve McQueen was, and is still considered to be, one of the icons of the auto industry. Sure, he didn’t design cars, nor did he start an auto company, but his indelible mark on all of us was that he was one of those Hollywood royalties that also knew how to handle his business behind the wheel of a race car.
His legendary movie, Le Mans, will always be a conversation-piece for us so it figures that some of the items that were used in that movie would fetch a pretty dollar if they went up for auction. That’s where this two-piece Gulf Racing suit comes into the picture. Not only was this piece of fabric used in the movie, but it was actually worn by McQueen himself. After being donated by the Observer to a lucky fan back in 1972 - a 12-year old won it during a competition - the suit now finds itself as one of the prize catches at the Profiles in History’s "Icons of Hollywood" auction.
Remarkably, the suit remains in tip-top condition and comes with all the trinkets and sponsor patches that were used in the movie, including the American flag, the Gulf logo, Heuer Chronograph and Firestone sponsor patches, and even Michael Delany’s name stitched on the right hand side.
The auction will take place on December 15-17, 2011 and experts have priced the suit at around $200,000 to $300,000, a hefty price tag for a classic racing suit that has a pretty interesting story behind it.
We wonder if the suit still has McQueen’s sweat stains on it...
It has been confirmed that late last night, the world lost a true genius in the art of car design. Sergio Scaglietti, the man behind the designs of the 1957 250 California Spider, 1958 250 Testa Rossa, and 1962 250 GTO, among others, has passed away. He was 91 years old.
Sergio Scaglietti doesn’t need too much of an introduction in the eyes of Ferrari lovers. He started his work in 1951 when he opened Carrozzeria Scaglietti - an Italian automobile design and coachbuilding company. The coachbuilder was located just across the road from Ferrari in Maranello, where the great Enzo Ferrari took notice of the talented designer. Scaglietti was one of the few designers that gained Enzo Ferrari’s trust and respect both through his bodywork and design skills. Scaglietti of course started designing cars for Ferrari, and was even honored with a few cars named after him, such as the 612 Scaglietti and 456M GT Scaglietti.
"He was one of my father’s best friends," said Piero Ferrari. "He was next to me with Marco Piccinini also the day my father died and stayed with me the whole night until the funeral. I loved him and he was a very important part of my life. The world is emptier without Sergio."
After a lifetime of dedication to the designing of vehicles, Sergio Scaglietti passed away at his home in Modena. The world has undoubtedly lost an automotive icon. We have great respect for his work and send our condolences to his family.
