2011 Eagle Jaguar E-Type Speedster

It started as a request from Dr Rick Velaj from Connecticut – “I want something a bit special”

When you are a customer of Eagle E-Types, something ‘a bit special’ is standard.

Conversations started between him and Paul Brace from Eagle, and the word Speedster’ was mentioned.

And everything changed.

Paul got out his pencil and sketched a shape. Rick loved it, and that was the start of Eagle Speedster No.1.

Over the next months, in tandem with running the main Eagle business, Paul worked to design and perfect the details of this truly unique and extraordinary E-Type.

Between Henry Pearman, the owner of Eagle, and Rick it was decided that there would be no time or budget considerations and this would be a unique chance to create an extraordinary motor car.

Faithful to the Jaguar E-Type of the 1960s with classic detail and finishing, it was fitted with the finest Eagle E-Type engineering including the Eagle 4.7 litre engine, the 5-speed gearbox and the optimised suspension.

This car was to be all about performance as well as looks. Every detail was painstakingly designed and customised, from the unique shape of the all-aluminium body, adapted from an original body by RS Panels, right through to the colour of the Edelman hide.

With even the windshield glass being custom made, this has been a true labour of love.

Lowered & raked screen

The custom-built windscreen is lowered and raked back with shaped wind-down side glass and hidden ‘A’ posts.

This enhances the ’sleekness’ of the overall shape and creates a driving ‘cocoon’.

The lowered floor pan gives the Speedster an exquisite low profile

Lowered floor pan

The deeper sills & lowered floor pan effortlessly increase the more muscular appearance of the all-aluminium bodyshell and lowers the drivers seating position.

This enhances the feeling of ‘connection’ with the road and stiffens the body even further.
The carefully designed ‘waterfall’ console of the Jaguar Speedster

‘Waterfall’ console

The rear decking extends further centrally and drops into the cockpit creating a ‘waterfall’ console, mirroring the smooth external lines into the cockpit.

From outside and inside, this is a car that embodies ‘flow’.
The sculpted cockpit makes the Speedster an exciting place to be

Sculpted cockpit

From the first design sketches, we wanted this cockpit to be a fantastic place to be.

It combines pure driving functionality with classic styling and luxury.

It’s pure E-Type – right down the authentic aluminiun fascia.  The body colour integrates and pulls together the flowing shape

Sweeping body colour

The body colour sheet metal extends across the door tops and around the scallops further defining the essence of the Speedster concept.

The handbrake is concealed under the Edelman hide cubby box

Concealed handbrake

To keep the smooth lines flowing inside the cockpit, the handbrake lever has been completely concealed – under the Edelman hide cubby lid.

The increased wheel track works superbly with the enhanced body shell

Wheel arches & track

The wheel track has been increased and the wheel arch width extended – in keeping with the ‘muscular’ lines of the adapted bodyshell.

A view of the Speedster driving across the forest roads in Sussex

Narrowed plate aperture

To suit USA registration plates and shorter UK numbers, the number plate aperture has been narrowed – working in harmony with the overall style.

Customised wheels with uniquely designed wheel spinners

Wide alloy spoked rims

These completely custom-designed aluminium rimmed wheels have been expertly made to enhance the visual aesthetic, road holding and grip.

They are completed by the custom designed 3-eared wheel spinners.

The seamless and flush body of the Jaguar E-Type Speedster

Seamless and flush body

From the start we decided that the body and fittings should be seamless, including the specially designed glass and windscreen.

The purity of the lines and flowing bodyshell is testament to this.  Custom detailing across the board makes the Speedster even more special

Custom detailing

Speedster 3-eared wheel spinners were specially made, along with a custom designed enamel horn push and flush fitting nose and tail badging.

Every detail, from hidden inertia-reel seatbelts right down to the boot and filler cap releases have been designed especially for the Speedster.

Eagle engineering underneath the bonnet – this is more than just a pretty shape

Eagle engineering

Underneath all the exterior beauty lies the heart of the beast – the Eagle 4.7 litre engine matched to our 5 speed gearbox and sports suspension.

Tried, tested and well-proven Eagle Engineering including all of our reliability upgrades are present in this extraordinary E-Type.

Source: Eagle Press Release

2011 Jaguar XJL with a set of 22” Modulare M4 Chrome Wheels

Here is a 2011 Jaguar XJL shot during a Texas rainstorm, fitted with a set of 22” Modulare M4 3-piece wheels in chrome.  The wheels are 22×9 front and 22×10.5 rear, mated to 245/30/22 and 285/25/22 Falken FK452 tires.

Since its inception in 2004, Modulare Forged has been manufacturing a diverse collection of multi-piece and monoblock forged wheels.

Developed with innovative style and performance in mind, all Modulare wheels begin life as T6-6061 aerospace grade forged aluminum.

Designed specifically for premium luxury, sports and suv applications, Modulare Forged offers over 30 dynamic custom designs.Each wheel is built to order, ensuring the perfect fitment, finish and unique individuality with each set we produce.

Optional Sizes Include:
18 / 19 / 20 / 21 / 22 / 23 / 24 inches

Custom finishes:
We offer a dynamic range of finishes to meet your design objectives.

Modulare Forged Wheels are backed by a 2 year limited warranty and are proudly produced and designed in the USA.

Source: Modulare Wheels Press Release

Jaguar to launch C-X75 as a hybrid supercar

Jaguar can today confirm that it will launch the remarkable C-X75 concept car as an exclusive hybrid supercar.

Jaguar C-X75 will become the British marque’s most advanced model to date. It will offer performance on a par with the fastest production cars on the market, while adopting cutting-edge technology that offers remarkably economical running. Jaguar expects this hybrid supercar to deliver incredibly low CO2 emissions of less than 99g/km while being able to achieve in excess of 200mph.

“People expect Jaguar to be innovators – that is when Jaguar is at its best,” said Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar Brand Director. “The C-X75 received an incredible reception as a concept car. We’ve been building on that momentum and there is a clear business case for this exclusive halo model. No other vehicle will better signify Jaguar’s renewed confidence and excellence in technological innovation than this.”

Project C-X75 will be the ultimate expression of Jaguar design and engineering innovation. This high-performance hybrid supercar will stay true to the initial concept design study that made its debut at the 2010 Paris motor show, while fulfilling requirements that allow it to be homologated for road use.

“We were always determined that the Jaguar C-X75 would be as striking on the road as it was in concept form,” said Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar Cars. “This will be the finest looking and most innovative Jaguar ever produced. Even in the world of supercars, we can still produce the most beautiful.”

In an unprecedented move, Jaguar C-X75 will be developed in association with Williams F1 who will provide their engineering expertise in areas including aerodynamics, carbon composite manufacture and hybrid technologies. This association will be at the leading edge of British automotive engineering and innovation.

“Confirmation of this project today signposts Jaguar Land Rover’s continued determination to embrace new technologies,” said Jaguar Land Rover CEO, Dr Ralf Speth. “A supercar like the C-X75 is the logical choice to showcase cutting-edge design, intelligent use of new environmental technologies and motorsport-inspired performance.”

It also marks a new milestone in both company’s histories as Jaguar Land Rover and Williams collaborate for the first time to produce one of the world’s highest performance and environmentally sustainable supercars. The production of Jaguar C-X75 will create more than one hundred highly-skilled jobs in the UK.

A direct technology transfer between elite motorsport and road-going production cars is key to C-X75’s success. The supercar’s chassis will be made of carbon-fiber to create an incredibly lightweight, yet rigidly strong structure.

Aiding the transition from concept to production vehicle is the choice of powertrain. Jaguar continues to develop the use of the micro-turbine technology that was showcased in the original concept C-X75. Jaguar’s parent company Tata has taken a significant stake in Bladon Jets, and will develop this very advanced technology as a medium-term aspiration that will play a part in Jaguar vehicles of the future.

To bring Project C-X75 to showroom reality within the timescales of a conventional model program, an equally innovative powertrain had to be developed. The road-going supercar will use a state-of-the-art, small-capacity, highly-boosted internal combustion engine with one powerful electric motor at each axle.

“The engine’s compact size allows it to be mounted low in the car for optimum weight distribution and to retain the concept’s stunning silhouette. This will make the Jaguar C-X75 a bona fide hybrid supercar capable of silent electric running with an extensive EV range in excess of 50km,” explained Bob Joyce, Group Engineering Director, Jaguar Land Rover.

When C-X75’s motors and combustion engine combine, it will be one of the fastest production cars in the world, with a sub-three second 0-60mph time and a top speed in excess of 200mph. Crucially, this performance will be generated alongside incredibly low emissions, with a target of less than 99g/km CO2, thanks to Project C-X75’s lightweight construction and cutting-edge powertrain technology.

Williams F1 has been at the forefront of motorsport engineering for three decades. The project engagement on Jaguar C-X75 is testament to the team’s ambitions and will bring together two leading lights of the UK motoring industry.

“Our new association with Jaguar Land Rover provides us with an exciting opportunity to work with one of the motoring world’s most famous and iconic brands,” said Sir Frank Williams, Chairman of Williams F1. “Williams has always considered itself an engineering company and so this project will allow us to combine our technical expertise to create something truly exceptional.”

Jaguar C-X75 will redefine the customer experience, and will set new standards in sales and after-sales services that will be recreated across the range in the future. Only 250 examples will be built, each costing between £700,000 – £900,000 depending on market and local taxes.

“Never before has the company launched such an ambitious, world-beating vehicle program,” said Carl-Peter Forster, CEO Tata Motors. “This is the Jaguar of the future. The opportunity for innovation like this in the UK is part of the reason Tata Motors invested in Jaguar, and it’s fantastic that products like the C-X75 can become reality.”

From today Jaguar will be taking expressions of interest via its website www.jaguar.com or via its dedicated C-X75 contact service on the following numbers:

UK: 0800 015 8605

International: +44(0)1932 335370 or +44(0)1932 335365

China: 400 820 8955

About Jaguar

From its beginning as a manufacturer of motorcycle sidecars in 1922, Jaguar Cars has grown to become one of the world’s premier manufacturers of luxury sedans and sports cars and with that, one of the most recognized commercial brands. The company’s vision is simple: To produce beautiful fast cars that are desired the world over. Jaguar manufactures its XJ, XF and XK models in the Castle Bromwich manufacturing plant in the United Kingdom and is fully engaged in environmental programs, community work and brand awareness exercises such as motorsports.

Source: Jaguar Press Release

2010 Jaguar C-X75 Concept

The C-X75 concept is both a celebration of 75 years of iconic Jaguar design and a look into the future of automotive technology. Designed as a range-extended electric two-seater supercar, it explores the outer limits of both performance and sustainability. With plug-in capability the car can achieve a zero tailpipe emissions range of 110km (68 miles) – three times round Paris’s Péripherique – when running under battery power alone, plus a potential top speed of 330kph (205mph) and blistering acceleration. The car demonstrates that it is possible to retain Jaguar’s core values of performance, design and luxury using technology that will make environmentally responsible performance and electric vehicles a practical proposition.

The aim was to produce not only the most innovative but also one of the most beautiful Jaguars ever; one which hints at an exciting evolution of the marque’s award-winning design language while paying homage to some of its most admired cars of years gone by. Advanced design features such as a ground-breaking propulsion system and active aerodynamics allow for an elegantly simple fuselage section that remains stable at very high speeds.

“The C-X75 is a tribute to the people who shaped the iconic Jaguars that are revered to this day. By making it an innovative test-bed for the technologies of tomorrow, it also ensures that our reputation for engineering excellence will continue for another 75 years and beyond.”
Mike O’Driscoll, Managing Director, Jaguar Cars

The C-X75’s 580kW (778bhp) propulsion system combines powerful 145kW (195bhp) electric motors at each wheel for outstanding performance. At the center of the car sit state-of-the-art, mid-mounted micro gas-turbines. These can either generate 140kW (188bhp) to charge the batteries and extend the range of the car to a remarkable 900km (560 miles) – enough to drive from London to Berlin on a single tank – or when in Track mode provide supplementary power directly to the electric motors. The four electric motors provide torque-vectored, all-wheel drive traction and grip, essential in a car that produces 580kW (778bhp) and 1600Nm (1180lb ft) of torque.

The car’s interior is equally impressive, with the driver and passenger seated ahead of a sealed airbox that houses the micro gas-turbines. The seats are fixed to the bulkhead as in a single-seater racing car, and air to feed the turbines passes smoothly around them via channels in the structure of the body. With the seats anchored in place, the steering wheel, controls, main binnacle and pedal box all adjust towards the driver.

Dramatic theater lighting is activated as the driver approaches the car; phosphor blue electro-luminescent wire lights illuminate the perimeter of the cabin and the turbines. When the car is started, additional blue LED lighting gently floods the door and bulkhead speaker cavities, highlighting the car’s lightweight construction. Bespoke interior materials include cream and grey leathers, polished and vapor-blasted aluminum and a soft-feel textured neoprene.

A new interface for the driver has also been created for the C-X75 using high-resolution TFT screens. Building on Jaguar’s 10-year expertise in touchscreen technology, the Jaguar Co-Pilot display in the center console supports the driver in extracting the full potential of the C-X75 by seamlessly managing information.

(Source: Jaguar)

Street Dreams Car Show Tour 2010 presented by Hi-Line Motoring

The Street Dreams Car Show Tour presented by Hi-Line Motoring had all the makings of a great car show. Unfortunatley someone forgot to tell mother nature. We got these great pictures before the skies opened up and the rain began.

Displaying sponsors included Spyker of Tampa Bay and Braman Miami. The Bugatti Veyron was center stage but the Spyker C8 Aileron is a show stopper to say the least. Other exotics on display included Rolls Royce, Lamborghini, Mercedes, Bentley, Ferrari, Jaguar and the Audi R8.

Check out the photo gallery below and we will keep you posted on the Tours’ next stop.

200 mph Supercars: Caruso Concours d’Elegance at Americana on Brand

“If you’ve never been at 200 mph, it’s a sensation beyond belief.”  The words of Dick Messer, the longtime Director of the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, could hardly have better summarized the reasoning behind the museum’s sponsorship of an October 11 car show that focused on automobiles capable of 200 mph.  Reaching out to local collectors and loyal members, the museum was able to assemble 23 such supercars for a fun and free event set against the backdrop of one of the area’s most popular open air luxury retail centers, the Americana on Brand Boulevard. 

 Located in the Los Angeles-adjacent city of Glendale, nicknamed the Jewel City, Americana on Brand is the latest project of Caruso Affiliated, a regional real estate development company that has garnered a reputation for the outdoor retail malls that are becoming increasingly commonplace in Southern California.  There is a small degree of irony in the fact that a Caruso property would host an exhibition of expensive supercars, given that company founder Henry Caruso made the majority of his fortune as the founder of Dollar Rent-A-Car.  

 “To my knowledge, and I read practically every [automotive] publication, at least here in the United States, and some in Europe, this has never been done before – that this many supercars ended up in one place at one time,” explained Messer.  The Petersen, of course contributed some of the most stellar offerings on display, including a Ferrari F40, F50 and 575 Superamerica, a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, a Bugatti EB110 and Veyron, a Ford GT and a Jaguar XJ220.  Another area institution, the Riverside International Automotive Museum, supplied a freshly acquired Maserati MC12, which in concert with a handful of locally owned Lamborghinis and Ferraris, rounded out the representation of the major Italian supercar rivals. 

 Rarer contributions came in the form of a 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLK DTM AMG, one of about 100 carbon fiber-bodied CLK models homologated for racing and one of only 40 that the manufacturer allowed to circulate into public ownership.  A Cizeta V16T, one of roughly 10 of the Marcelo Gandini-penned supercars that employ a transversely mounted V-16 engine, provided a rare glimpse of another little-known exotic.  The most unusual car on hand though was an AREX, whose acronym stands for American Roadster Experimental.  Fully looking like an experiment, the scissor-doored twin-turbo V-8 oddity was produced in the early 90s by former GM and Toyota designer David Stollery and Gale Banks Engineering.

 Though the show wore the banner of a Concours d’Elegance, there was no judging other than one People’s Choice award, which went to a Ferrari Enzo owned by Armen Aslanian of Glendale.   The show was the third such event that Americana on Brand has hosted in the last year, the previous two focusing on classic cars and the cars of celebrities.  Caruso Public Relations Coordinator Jenny Bronstein clarified that the event would probably be held on an annual basis from this point forward. 

 “This is all excess beyond excess,” concluded Messer.  “Nobody needs to have one of these cars.  You don’t need to have a car that goes 200 mph plus to drive around Los Angeles,” he said, referring to the city’s notoriously congested traffic.  “But on an open road, there’s nothing like it!”

Story and pictures by Mike Daly