Jaguar E- Type, Low Drag Coupé (1962)

Jaguar E- Type, Low Drag Coupé (1962)

After the introduction of the E-type, Jaguar wanted to investigate the possibility of building a car more in the spirit of the D-type racer from which elements of the E-type's styling and design were derived. One car was built to test the concept designed as a coupé as its monocoque design could only be made rigid enough for racing by using the "stressed skin" principle. Previous Jaguar racers were built as open-top cars because they were based on ladder frame designs with independent chassis and bodies. Unlike the steel production E-types the LDC used lightweight aluminium. Sayer kept the original tub with lighter outer panels riveted and glued to it. The front steel sub frame remained intact, the windshield was given a more pronounced slope and the rear hatch welded shut. Rear brake cooling ducts were located next to the rear windows,and the interior trim was discarded, with only insulation around the transmission tunnel. With the exception of the windscreen, all cockpit glass was plexi. A tuned version of Jaguars 3.8 litre engine with a wide angle cylinder-head design tested on the "D" type racers was used. Air management became a major problem and, although much sexier looking and certainly faster than a production "E" type, the car was never competitive: the faster it went, the more it wanted to do what its design dictated: take off.

The one and only test bed car was completed in summer of 1962 but was sold a year later to Jaguar racing driver Dick Protheroe who raced it extensively and eventually sold it. Since then it has passed through the hands of several collectors on both sides of the Atlantic and now is believed to reside in the private collection of the current Viscount Cowdray.

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The Jaguar E-type (1971-1975)

A new 5.3 L 12-cylinder Jaguar V12 engine was introduced, with uprated brakes and standard power steering. The short wheelbase FHC body style was discontinued and the V-12 was available only as a convertible and 2+2 coupe. The convertible used the longer-wheelbase 2+2 floorpan. It is easily identifiable by the aggressive, slatted front grill in place of the mouth of earlier cars, flared wheel arches and a badge on the rear that proclaims it to be a V12. There were also a very limited number of 4.2 litre six cylinder Series 3 E-Types built. These were featured in the initial sales literature. It is believed these are the rarest of all E-types of any remaining.

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The Jaguar E-type (1966-1971)

The series 2 E-type Jaguar ran from 1966 to 1971.
Open headlights without glass covers, a wrap-around rear bumper, re-positioned and larger front indicators and taillights below the bumpers, better cooling aided by an enlarged "mouth" and twin electric fans, and uprated brakes are hallmarks of Series 2 E-type cars. De-tuned in US, but still with triple SUs in the UK, the engine is easily identified visually by the change from smooth polished cam covers to a more industrial 'ribbed' appearance. Late Series 1½ cars also had ribbed cam covers. The interior and dashboard were also redesigned, with flick switches being substituted for rocker switches that met U.S health and safety regulations. The dashboard switches also lost their symmetrical layout. New seats were fitted, which purists claim lacked the style of the originals but were certainly more comfortable. Air conditioning and power steering were available as factory options. It was available in FHC, OTS, and 2+2 versions.

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The Jaguar E-type

The Jaguar E-type or XK-E was manufactured by Jaguar between the years of 1961 and 1974. The E-type revolutionized sports car design, with performance, handling and looks ahead of its time. It was priced well below competing models, helping it to high sales for a high performance car. In excess of 70,000 E-types were sold over 14 years.

It is often referred to as the E-Type Jag.

In March 2008, the Jaguar E-type ranked first in Daily Telegraph list of the "100 most beautiful cars" of all time. In 2004, Sports Car International named this car number one on the list of Top Sports Cars of the 1960s.

The Series 1 was introduced in March 1961, using the triple SU carburetted 3.8 litre 6-cylinder Jaguar XK6 engine from the XK150S. The first 500 cars built had flat floors and external hood latches. These cars are rare and more valuable. After that, the floors were dished to provide more leg room and the twin hood latches moved to inside the car. The 3.8 litre engine was increased to 4.2 litres in late 1964.

All E-Types featured independent rear suspension with torsion bar front ends, and power-assisted disc brakes. Jaguar was the first auto manufacturer to equip cars with disc brakes as standard.

The Series 1 can be recognized by glass covered headlights (up to 1967), small "mouth" opening at the front, signal lights and tail-lights above bumpers and exhaust tips under the license plate in the rear.

3.8 litre cars have leather-upholstered bucket seats, an aluminum-trimmed centre instrument panel and console (changed to vinyl and leather in 1963), and a 4-speed gearbox that lacks synchromesh for 1st gear ("Moss box"). 4.2 litre cars have more comfortable seats, improved brakes and electrical systems, and an all-synchromesh 4-speed gearbox. 4.2 litre cars also have a badge on the boot proclaiming "Jaguar 4.2 Litre E-type" (3.8 cars have a simple "Jaguar" badge). Optional extras included Chrome Wire wheels and a detachable hard top for the Open Two Seater.

A 2+2 version of the coupe was added in 1966. The 2+2 offered the option of an automatic transmission. The body is slightly longer and the roof angles are different. The roadster remained a strict two-seater.

There was a transitional series of cars built in 1967-68, unofficially called "Series 1½", which are externally similar to Series 1 cars. Because of the American pressure the new features were open headlights, different switches, and some de-tuning (with a downgrade of twin Zenith-Stromberg carbs from the original triple SU carbs) for US models. Some Series 1½ cars also have twin cooling fans and adjustable seat backs. Series 2 features were gradually introduced into the Series 1, creating the unofficial Series 1½ cars, but always with the Series 1 body style.

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Jaguar

And now a car brand that is near and dear to my heart.
(Cause I own one...LOL)
Jaguar.

Jaguar Cars Limited is a luxury car manufacturer, based at Whitley, Coventry, with two UK production plants at Castle Bromwich, Birmingham and Halewood, Merseyside. It was founded as the Swallow Sidecar Company in Blackpool in 1922, changing to SS Cars Ltd in 1934 in Coventry, and finally becoming Jaguar Cars Ltd in 1945, followed by several subsequent changes of ownership.

The name is pronounced "jag-u-ar" with the term "Jag" being used colloquially.

Although many media reports stated that on 2008-03-26, Jaguar and Land-Rover became owned by the Indian company, Tata Motors, the Ford Motor Company and Tata Motors stated, in press releases on the same day, that the sale is not due for completion until the second quarter of 2008.

It is understood that Ford Motor Company Ltd. will not retain any shareholding in either the Jaguar or Land-Rover companies, unlike Aston Martin where on its sale a small shareholding was retained; the total sum to be paid in cash by Tata Motors is approximately US $ 2.3 billion, Ford will then contribute up to US $600 million to the Jaguar Land Rover pension plans.

Jaguar Cars holds Royal Warrants from HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Prince Charles.

Founded as the Swallow Sidecar Company in 1922, by two motorcycle enthusiasts, William Lyons and William Walmsley, the SS Jaguar name first appeared on a 2.5 litre saloon in 1935. The Jaguar name was given to the entire company in 1945.

Jaguar made its name in the 1950s with a series of elegantly-styled sports cars and luxury saloons. The company bought the Daimler Motor Company (not to be confused with Daimler-Benz), in 1960 from Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA). From the late 1960s, Daimler was used as a brand name for Jaguar's most luxurious saloons.

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The Lamborghini Reventón

Lamborghini Reventón is a mid-engined sports car that debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show. It is currently the most powerful and expensive Lamborghini road car to date, costing one million euro. The official press release states that only 20 will be built (and one for the Lamborghini Museum). The exterior styling was inspired by the F-22 Raptor. Although the exterior is partially new, almost the entire mechanics (including the engine) are taken directly from the Murciélago LP640.

Initial reports suggest that the 6.5 litre V12 may receive a power boost of approximately 15 kilowatts (20 horsepower), bringing the new ouput close to 490 kW (650 horsepower). In spite of this, and the car's carbon fibre components, the Reventón accelerates to 100 km/h (62 mph) in the same time as the Murciélago LP640 (3.4 seconds).

The instrument panel in the Reventón comprises three TFT liquid crystal displays (LCDs) with two different display modes. The instruments are housed in a structure milled from a solid aluminum block, protected by a carbon fiber casing. The G-Force-Meter is completely new and it is one of the talking points of the Reventón. It displays the dynamic drive forces, longitudinal acceleration during acceleration and braking, as well as transversal acceleration around bends. These forces are represented by the movement of an indicator on a graduated 3D grid depending on the direction and intensity of the acceleration. Formula One teams also use a similar device to analyze dynamic forces.

By simply pressing a button, the driver can switch to the second, quasi-analogical display, where there are the usual circular instruments; speedometer and tachometer. The G-Force-Meter still remains at the center of this display mode.

Lamborghini has also picked up some of parent company Audi's design language. For the first time, Lamborghini incorporated daylight running lights with the headlamps of the Reventón. Seven Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) at each headlamp flank the Bi-Xenon main beam and they stay lit whenever the car is in movement. Due to the high temperatures in the rear lower part of the car, special heatproof LEDs are used for the indicator and hazard lights, stoplights and rear lights with a triple arrow optical effect.

The Reventón is named after a fighting bull according to recent Lamborghini tradition. The car's namesake, owned by the Don Rodríguez family, is best known for killing famed bullfighter Félix Guzmán in 1943. Reventón means "explosion" or "burst" in Spanish, when used as a noun.; in automotive terms, it means "blowout, flat tire" when used as a noun. When it was used as the name of a bull, however, it was intended to be interpreted as an adjective a quality or property of that bull in particular. Then Reventón means "he who is used to making things burst".

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The Lamborghini Gallardo

The Lamborghini Gallardo is a sports car built by Lamborghini. The Gallardo is Lamborghini's most-produced model to date, with 5,000 built in the first three years of production. It is less expensive than Lamborghini's larger, more powerful Murciélago.

The car is named after a famous breed of fighting bull. The Spanish word gallardo translates into "gallant".

The Gallardo was designed as a competitor to the Ferrari 360, and now competes with its replacement, the Ferrari F430. The Gallardo has a rear-biased all-wheel drive system which differentiates it from its rear-wheel drive competitors. Lamborghini's parent company Audi is renowned for its Quattro AWD system, however Lamborghini uses a system of its own.

Unlike the Countach, Diablo, and Murciélago models, the Gallardo does not have scissor doors.

The Gallardo was designed by Luc Donckerwolke, who won the 2003 Red Dot Award for the design of both the 2003 Gallardo and 2002 Murciélago.

At current U.S. prices, a 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo coupe costs USD $186,250 - $222,800, while a 2008 Lamborghini Gallardo spyder costs USD $201,595 - $263,595.

As at March 2008, the Gallardo is the only model to use the Lamborghini V10 engine.

The Gallardo offers two choices of transmissions, a conventional (H-Box) six-speed manual transmission, and an advanced six-speed electro-hydraulically controlled 'semi-automatic single-clutch sequential manual', which Lamborghini abbreviates to "E-gear". The "E-gear" allows the driver to make shifts much faster than a manual transmission would, however with this option one sacrifices a certain measure of control that the manual transmission would offer. The driver shifts up and down via paddles behind the steering wheel, and does not need to manually actuate the clutch.

The Audi R8 sports car, launched in early 2007, is based on the Gallardo platform, and uses a 4.2 litre V8 in place of the Gallardo's V10 to avoid competing directly with the Gallardo.

For the 2008 model year, an onboard computer, iPod connectivity with USB, heated mirrors, Q-citura stitching that originally could only be found on the Nera model, and a beige soft-top on the Spyder, were added to the Gallardo.

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Lamborghini Murciélago, part 4

The Lamborghini Murciélago R-GT is a race-only version of the Murciélago, developed jointly with Reiter Engineering and Audi Sport. It has rear-wheel drive unlike the standard Murciélago to comply with the FIA, ACO, and JAF rules. The car retains the standard Murciélago V12, but has air restrictors to manage power. Its acceleration and top speed are highly dependent on the gearing selected for a particular race track.

In March 2006 at the Super GT Suzuka 500 km, a Murcielago R-GT specifically built for Super GT (and rebadged RG-1) for the Japanese Lamborghini Owners Club (JLOC) recorded the first win ever for a Murcielago when they earned a win in the GT300 class. In March 2007 in the FIA GT Championship, the All-Inkl.com Racing Murciélago won the Zhuhai 2 Hours.

In December 2006, Reiter Engineering tested an upgraded Murcielago R-GT LM, featuring redesigned body work and a new rear wing with less drag.

Kobe Bryant's wife Vanessa is the only person in the world to own a converted automatic Murciélago. The car was given to her as a gift by her husband, but upon realizing she could not drive a manual transmission, Kobe Bryant had the car converted to an automatic. The estimated cost of the car after conversion and customization was US$400,000.
German tuner Hamann Motorsport produced a one-off LP640 Roadster with enhanced aerodynamic components, new rear silencer, new wheels and some interior enhancements.
In the first season of Bullrun, a game show, Team 10 raced with a Murciélago.

A Lamborghini Miura concept car was presented at the Museum of Television & Radio on January 5, 2006 alongside the Los Angeles Auto Show, though it was not present at the show itself. Instead, the Miura officially debuted at the North American International Auto Show two weeks later. It was the first design by new Lamborghini chief, Walter de'Silva, and commemorates the 1966 introduction of the original Miura in Geneva.

Lamborghini president and CEO Stephan Winkelmann has denied the concept will return the Miura to production, saying “The Miura was a celebration of our history, but Lamborghini is about the future. Retro design is not what we are here for. So we won’t do the Miura.”

Lamborghini's own Reventón is a mid-engined sports car that debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show. It will be the most powerful and expensive Lamborghini to date, costing one million euro. The official press release states that only 20 will be built, but it is rumoured that the total number could be 100. The exterior styling was inspired by the F-22 Raptor. Although the exterior is partially new, almost the entire mechanics (including the engine) are taken directly from the Murciélago LP640.

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