Jaguar cars

2013 Jaguar XKR-S Convertible by Arden

The Jaguar XKR-S Convertible is one of the coolest Jaguar models unveiled in the past few years by the British manufacturer and, if you ask us, it is perfect from factory. Apparently not all the tuner share our thoughts on it, as the German tuner Arden has announced an aerodynamic kit for the sports convertible.

The kit includes a series of aerodynamic parts made in carbon fiber: new front spoiler, side skirts and side vents. Arden is also offering a hand-crafted, highly polished stainless-steel mesh that helps optimize the engine and brake cooling. For the rear, the tuner installed sport silencers made entirely out of stainless steel that offer the engine a more powerful sound.

The last piece of the package includes the addition of a set of light alloy wheels, sized 21 inches and offered in multi-piece design. These new wheels are wrapped in high-performance rubber and guarantee optimum driving characteristics and a smooth ride.

Jaguar Confirms BMW 3-Series Competitor

It looks like things are going pretty well at Whitley headquarters in the UK, as Jaguar has announced one new model after another. It’s true that after the new F-Type hit the market, we were waiting for some kind of confirmation on that long-rumored crossover. Not anymore, as the model has been pushed back and Jaguar will begin focusing on models that luxury buyers are clamoring for.

This new model will be a compact sedan that will be built not as a direct competitor to models like the BMW 3-Series, but rather one that Jaguar hopes will overtake it by offering an "lightweight aluminum construction and cutting-edge, super-frugal four-cylinder engines."

The new compact sedan will be built on the same Premium Lightweight Architecture (PLA) aluminum platform as the next-generation XF and XJ, and will feature a "blend of performance and efficiency, as well as very sophisticated equipment."

The new model - set to be unveiled in the next three years - will be offered in numerous body variations, including: sedan, station wagon, coupe and convertible. It will also be offered up with different engine levels.

Before you Bimmer enthusiasts start scoffing at the thought of Jag overtaking the beloved 3-Series, keep in mind that the BMW 3-Series has become more and more expensive over the years, while offering fewer and fewer standard options. For example, the 3-Series comes standard with “leatherette” upholstery, which is fancy speak for high-end vinyl stamped out to look like leather. Name us a Jag that has fake leather… You can’t. This is the same attention to detail that Audi has paid to make a sizeable dent in BMW and Mercedes’ market shares lately.

Jaguar has an uphill battle because of its recent reliability and build-quality issues, but the idea of it at least trying harder to compete with the big boys is refreshing.

Overdrive AD Gives the Jaguar XJ220 a Modernized Look

Do you remember the old Jaguar XJ220? Well, of course you do, after all it was the most amazing supercar ever unveiled by Jaguar! To be completely honest with you, we cannot remember many tuners that have dared to touch the XJ220, until today. This interesting decision has been made by the Bulgarian tuner Overdrive AD, which decided to give the supercar a more modern appearance.

The car has been finished in a chameleon paint featuring a combination of green, brown and gold. The tuner also installed a new Akrapovic exhaust system with carbon-fiber tail pipes and custom-made LED headlights. The most interesting addition however is a new set of LED taillights borrowed from a Ferrari 599.

For the interior, the tuner added carbon-fiber trim, leather and Alcantara upholstery, a Ground Zero sound system and a McIntosh player. And because a tuning kit can’t be completed without a set of wheels, the tuner also installed a new set of ADV.1 wheels sized 19-by-9 inches up front and 20-by-14 inches at the rear.

Video: Jaguar XJ AWD Concquers the Arctic Circle

Known more for their affinity for producing top-end luxury cars, Jaguar is stepping out of its comfort zone and is determined to show everyone that its resident luxury car, the XJ all-wheel drive, is a lot tougher than it’s given credit for.

So what exactly did Jaguar do? It went to one of the toughest locations in the world, or more specifically, the coldest city in the world. Embarking on an impressive 2,000-mile round-trip journey into the Arctic Circle, the British automaker took a pair of XJ all-wheel drive models to see how the luxury sedan can handle being subjected to a place with temperatures as low as -56 degrees F.

Ultimately, the pair of XJ all-wheel drive models succeeded in their 2,000-mile journey, proving that not only can the luxury sedan handle the almost inhumane weather conditions, it can take care of all that snow, ice, gravel, and frozen mud pretty handily.

Guess it’s ready to plow its craft in North America, right?

Video: Jay Leno Reviews a One-of-a-Kind Jaguar XK-E

In the latest episode of his famous show, Jay Leno has reviewed one of the Jaguar models from his collection — a one-of-a-kind XK-E. The model was produced by Jaguar between 1961 and 1974 and combines good looks with great-for-the-era performance.

This particular XK-E as specially customized by Jason Len from XK Unlimited several years ago – a neat side story is that Jay actually bought the car from Len. It is considerably shorter than the original car with numerous updates made to the body panels and to the car’s performance figures. It is powered by a 5.3-liter V-12 engine updated with Weber carburetors and a unique soundtrack, so hearing it on the streets is pure music to the ears. The car features a sporty coat of red paint that makes it even sexier.

Check the video and see what Jay Leno has to say about this amazing car, and why he wanted to have it in his collection. Enjoy!

Arden Wastes no Time in Tuning the All-New Jaguar F-Type

Now that was fast! Unveiled at the 2012 Paris Auto Show, the new Jaguar F-Type has already seen its first upgrade package. It comes from the German tuner Arden and we have to admit, it looks great in that British Racing Green — the international racing color of Britain. Despite our love of this dark green, we have to admit that the standard Firesand paintwork is definitely our favorite.

On the exterior, the only updates the car received us a set of 20-inch Sportline wheels and an optional high-performance braking system. As usual, Arden is focusing most of its attention to what’s under the hood where the updates are a little more thorough.

The best update is that offered for the 5.0-liter V-8 engine, which Arden has tuned to deliver an estimated 550 horsepower — up from the standard 495 horsepower. Arden did announce upgrades for the V-6 engine, but final numbers are still unknown.

There is no price attached top this upgrade kit, but we’ll pass that information on as soon as we receive it.

Heavily Damaged 1963 Jaguar XKE Sold for $7,601

If you are interested in acquiring an early Jaguar E-Type Coupe and you do a quick internet search, you will notice that you have to prepare a big check. Depending on its condition, an E-Type could cost you anywhere between $20k and $100k with the former being a very low estimate.

Now that you know that, you can imagine that it’s nearly impossible to find a model for under $10k. One lucky guy however, managed to buy such a model for just $7,601. Well, lucky on one hand, but when you will take a look at the car he bought you will start wonder if this was indeed the best acquisition?

The car you see here is a 1963 Jaguar XKE roadster that has been rolled at some point on the hills around Santa Fe New Mexico and has sat in a parking lot since 1974. According to the current owner, the engine number matches the body tag, so that in itself makes the car worth nearly $170K, per NADA. Still, will it really worth investing in this car and put it through a full restoration process? Only time will tell… Either way, under $8K is a steal and it is now the ball is in its new owner’s court.

Next Jaguar XK will become more special than a GT

With the launch of the new Jaguar F-Type on the market, things are going to change a little bit for the other small sports car in Jaguar lineup: the XK. According to design director Ian Callum the next generation XK could move further upmarket and will become "a bit more special than a GT."

This means the next XK will be both bigger and more luxurious than the model it replaces. Jaguar still has to decide if the next XK will retain the same two-plus-two configuration or if it will offer more interior space. All the changes will be made in order to offer the XK "its luxury GT credentials."

While the XK will most likely be significantly updated, the next XJ will still be offered as a conventional saloon, while a final decision on a possible crossover or SUV will be made depending on the market’s evolution. Callum didn’t confirmed such a model is being under development, but said Jaguar needs to take notice of the growing popularity of crossovers and SUV especially on markets like China and the U.S.

2013 Jaguar XKR-S by Superior Automotive Design

Every car owner would crave for individuality, from the cheap Tata Nano to the bank-account-wiping Bugatti Veyron. That’s why there are one-off special editions fetching top dollar just for its exclusivity. So much for individuality...

The owner of this Jaguar XKR-S didn’t feel satisfied just having one of the baddest production Jags ever. So the boys at Superior Automotive Design decided to redefine the word "exclusive" and, judging from the picture above, they have done a great job at it.

This metallic cat is wrapped in chrome, which according to S.A.D owner, Kris Lim, was a tough challenge, as heat doesn’t work on the material and neither does stretching the material, unlike other custom wraps. Nevertheless, since the decision to wrap the car in chrome was made already, they went about installing the wrap and finished the build in a fortnight. With careful attention to detail, the wrap is seamless in this example, and adds a bling factor to the reclusive kitty. In fact, Justin Bieber and his Fisker Karma are in awe of its blinginess.

A full chrome wrap is a little bit too cheesy, so, S.A.D decided to balance that out by adding black accents to certain elements of the car. With this addition, the XKR-S is a perfect combination of bling and wickedness, an aspect expected if your team is into car customization.

With already 550 horses powering this Jag, S.A.D decided to leave the powertrain alone since Jaguar themselves have done a great job at it. So, no harm done here...

Overall, we think this build looks absolutely fantastic, though we aren’t huge fans of chrome wrap. We think it’s the black accents that make it stand out among the rest of the chrome-wrapped cars. Nice touch, S.A.D.

Video: Jaguar F-Type Prototype Test Drive

Jaguar officially unveiled the new F-Type Roadster back in September at the Paris Auto Show, but it looks like the company is still performing lots of testing on the prototype versions. At a recent test drive, Jaguar invited three world-renowned drivers — Martin Brundle, Christian Danner and Justin Bell — to push both the F-Type S and F-Type V8 S prototype models to their limits. The test was been performed in the cold and challenging conditions of the UK’s Snetterton 300 circuit, as well as the surrounding Norfolk roads. The only reason this is of importance is because Jag released a video of the whole thing.

The video is pretty sweet, as you get a good listen to both supercharged engines – 3.0-liter V-6 and 5.0-liter V-8 – and what sweet melodies they play. We are especially fond of the V-6, but that’s not a slight at the awesome sound that resonates from the V-8’s tailpipes. It’s just that you would never expect that sort of sound from a 6-pot. We can’t really put it into words, so you’ll just have to hear it for yourself in the video (above).