Jaguar has finally unveiled its revamped flagship. After spending the gross national product of Paraguay to develop a suitable Benz-basher, the new Jaguar XJ looks exactly like… the old Jaguar XJ. Wow! Who would have expected stately Jaguar to push the boundaries of the "retro" design trend to its logical limits? I mean, you can't get more "retro" than total stasis.
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Pity the German companies who make their living 'tuning' mainstream motors. All the big German manufacturers (save Porsche) now have their own in-house performance divisions. Audi has its S, BMW has its M, Volkswagen has its R, and Mercedes has its AMG. Your local dealer will sell you an extra hot version of any basic model, complete with warranty and a choice of body mods. It's hard to see what an independent tuner can bring to the party.
Case in point: the Mercedes Benz AMG SL55. Why would anyone would want more muscle in a car that pumps out a colossal 500bhp @ 6100rpms? The SL55's V8 Kompressor also generates an epic 516lb.ft. of torque at 2650 – 4500rpms. In other words, Mercedes' uber-SL is fully capable of hurling its occupants from any speed, to any speed, without hesitation, deviation or repetition. In fact, the svelte-looking SL55 is one of those rare machines that can turn forward thrust into physical pain.
When BMW unveiled its 750hL earlier this year, the media response was muted. This despite the fact that the 750hL is the world's first production-ready hydrogen powered passenger car. Well, hydrogen and petrol, and, um, it's actually super-cooled hydrogen, but hey, we are talking about a luxury car that can steam from zero to sixty in 9.6 seconds and drive 300 kilometres between fill-ups, without a single harmful emission.
Sure, a few "challenges" remain before the 750hL will replace the semi-electric Toyota Prius as the tree hugger's favourite. At the moment, only two specialist filling stations offer super-cooled hydrogen (LA and Munich). There are "safety issues" surrounding the use of a fuel that can freeze your fingers right off. Even so, BMW's self-confessed "transitional vehicle" marks the global automotive industry's path towards a hydrogen-powered future.
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newcarscostalot - It looks nice. I would like to see a head to head comparison against this vehicle and other trucks under contolled conditions to see how it stacks up.
Cammy Corrigan - May I remind people that the 240000 figure is a production figure. They use those units to sell GLOBALLY, not just in the US. Through...
reclusive_in_nature - I think the recent Impala SS is worthy of the moniker (of course I own one). Say what you want about it’s handling or how hard the plastics...
reclusive_in_nature - So the vehicle company that isn’t castrating itself to meet CAFE regs is the one domestic company that hasn’t gone tits up. What a shock.
confused1096 - Very briefly in the ’80s there was a Camaro with a 4-pot under the hood. It barely got out of it’s own...
confused1096 - My best friend has a very well preserved ‘85 or ‘86. Great little truck for what it was, very well...
guyincognito - @ Robert Schwartz, Have you not been in Michigan lately? Most everyone still applies the possessive to all businesses. I’m going to Miejer’s, I...
guyincognito - Seriously? I’m no truck guy, but I still think this vehicle is more in line with the F-150’s mission than a Lightning. Why diminish the advantages of a...
Kendahl - The Mini is so different from the various BMW coupe and sedan models that I have to remind myself that it is built by the same company. I...
guyincognito - “Anybody can slap a few shiny shocks on a truck and some fender flares. This truck is really nothing more than a “ZR2″ F-150.” As someone with...