Those previously unconfirmed rumors of Jay Leno making an appearance on Top Gear? Consider them now confirmed, courtesy of The Man himself. According to Jay Leno's Garage, the popular American late-night comedian, talk show host and all around cool guy did in fact visit Jeremy Clarkson, The Stig and the rest of the crew to film a piece for the show's Star in a Reasonably Priced Car segment.

From the sound of things, Leno had lots of fun in the U.K. and he specifically calls Top Gear his favorite show on television. With due respect to Conan, we'd have to agree. In addition to filming a few teaser shots of his trips around the TG Test Track, the comedian takes us into the Top Gear Production Office – and let's just say its pretty much exactly as you'd expect from a bunch of car-obsessed men. Click past the break to watch the video. Thanks for the tip, Stephen!

[Source: Jay Leno's Garage]

The all-new 2010 Jaguar XJ has finally been revealed, and it's a big departure for the Leaping Cat crew from Coventry. Sure, it shares a number of outward similarities with the already-available XF, but benefits from being designed after the drop dead gorgeous C-XF concept (unlike the production XF). And it certainly doesn't look like anything like the outgoing XJ, which may only be around seven years old but visually it comes off as much older.

If you haven't already read about our time spent with the new XJ in England last month, go do that first. Afterwards, you can follow the jump to view nine videos just released by Jaguar about its new large car. Included are general driving and beauty shots, footage of the interior and interviews with Ian Callum and other top Jaguar execs. Plus, we've expanded our high-res gallery below with official photos from today's launch event... just why is a dapper looking Jay Leno smiling so wryly? Finally, if you're wondering how much you need to raid your 401k and couch cushions for, you'll want to check out Jag's official pricing by clicking here.

Citing an unnamed though supposedly reliable source, the boys at Jalopnik are reporting that Jay Leno – fresh from his appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed where he's believed to have piloted an awesome McLaren F1 GTR up the hill – was spotted filming a Star in a Reasonably Priced Car segment today with the blokes from Top Gear. What are the chances we'll get surprise appearances by Leno's Tank Car or EcoJet?

Assuming this rumor turns out to be true, we fully hope that Jay can properly represent American gearheads by outlapping Jamiroquai lead singer Jay Kay, who currently sits atop the Star leaderboard after knocking Simon Cowell off his perch as the quickest celebrity in Britain.



Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: Jalopnik]

We suspected it wouldn't take long for Jay Leno to throw a leg over the new Zero S electric motorcycle, and indeed the popular late night comedian and talk show host has just posted a video review of the bike at Jay Leno's Garage. Zero founder and CTO Neal Saiki drops by and offers a bit of commentary on the recently-released machine, and there are a few bits of interest to dissect.

For instance, Neal says the bike's 32 horsepower is roughly equivalent to 50 horsepower in an internal combustion engine since the Zero S's power is available throughout the rev range. Coupled to a weight of just 225 pounds, that's an impressive power-to-weight number, regardless of which horsepower figure you elect to use. Saiki also says that the Zero's frame is made from aluminum that's just three times the thickness of a soda can. Regarding the bike's top speed of 60 miles per hour, Saiki says it's possible to make it go much faster, but the gearing required to hit those speeds would reduce the Zero S's ability to wheelie on command, and that's not good.

While Jay doesn't test Neal Saiki's assertion that you could ride the Zero S from LA to New York with just $30 worth of electricity, he does hop on and take the bike for a ride. Jay definitely seems to like the electric motorcycle, saying that he got used to the lack of shifting pretty quickly and that "this is the future" of motorcycling. Of course, it's also quiet, and Leno quips that "you could go through the bird preserve and not even bother anybody." There are a few flies in the ointment, though, such as the wimpy sound of the bike's horn. Click past the break to watch the video.

[Source: Jay Leno's Garage]

We thought a vehicle like Jay Leno's Tank Car would be a one-off. After all, how many hot rods out there are thirty feet long and have a 1792 cubic-inch turbocharged V12 underneath the hood putting out 1600 horsepower? Well, this bad boy that we spotted at the Los Angeles Concours this past weekend doesn't exactly have that powertrain, but as you can see from that massive engine poking out of its fuselage, it does have some rather impressive hardware. What is it, you ask? A 2500 cubic-inch Packard supercharged V12 originally used in a PT boat from WWII.

The 41-liter motor produces an astounding 2000 horsepower and 3000 lb-ft of torque. That's right, this thing is actually even more bad ass than Leno's tank car. Known as the "Dream Rod", it was constructed by Rodney Rucker, one of the three Blastolene Brothers also responsible for building the tank car and the insane Hemi Trike we spotted at the Grand National Roadster Show earlier this year. Check out our high-res photos in the gallery below.

Update - we've added a video of the Dream Rod starting up after the jump.



Photos copyright ©2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Now that Jay Leno's retired from his duties hosting The Tonight Show, he may find himself with a bit more time on his hands to devote to his many automotive passions. Jay occasionally leans towards the green end of the interesting vehicle spectrum, and that tradition looks secure as the comedian has recently been spotted out and about in his home state of California in the EcoJet concept.

It's been a few years since we last heard about the prototype car, which uses a biodiesel-powered Honeywell turbine engine mated to a rear-mounted transaxle and chassis bits from a Corvette Z06, but it's now apparently fully operational. As you can clearly see in the video pasted after the break, the carbon fiber and kevlar-bodied EcoJet sounds like God's Own Hair Dryer and draws quite a crowd when Leno randomly shows up with it it at a local car shows.



[Source: YouTube via Straightline]

Automotive aficionado and all-around cool dude Jay Leno – today celebrating his last night has host of The Tonight Show – is set to receive the "La Bella Macchina" award this August at the 24th Annual Concorso Italiano. One of the highest honors in automotive circles, the award signifies outstanding contributions and a passion for the automotive industry. Previous recipients have included Sergio Pininfarina, Phil Hill and Carroll Shelby.

Concorso owner Tom McDowell summed up Mr. Leno well:

"Jay is the international face of the ultimate car guy and has been an enthusiastic ambassador for the hobby for more than 30 years. With his own large collection ranging from Lamborghinis and jet powered motorcycles to Duesenbergs and a tank-engined 30-foot hot rod, Jay's eclectic taste knows no boundaries, other than making sure it has four wheels and a great history.

We couldn't agree more. Check out the press release after the jump.

[Source: Concorso Italiano]

While Dave Letterman struggles to correctly describe the Chevrolet Volt, rival late-night host Jay Leno takes a bit more care to get things right in his test drive of the Aptera 2e. To get the facts straight, Leno interviews Paul Wilbur, Aptera's president and CEO. Wilbur explains how the car's solar panels keep the interior cool, talks about the vehicle's aerodynamics, and describes a little bit of the technology inside the 2e's sleek body. One cool thing we learn is, thanks to the incredibly low drag on the 2e, taking your foot of the accelerator results in a very smooth bit of coasting. The last few minutes of the nine-minute video is of Jay Leno cruising down the California highway at 70 mph, with everybody and their brother snapping pictures as they drive by. Check out the video after the jump. Thanks to Mike B. and Brian for the tips!



[Source: Jay Leno's Garage]

The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro has already received its fair share of praise in the automotive press, and with good reason. It's the only car under $30,000 with over 400 hp straight from the factory, and it looks pretty damn good, too. General Motors looked to keep the positive reviews coming by dropping off a freshly minted red SS model at Jay Leno's Garage. In short, Leno loves him some bowtie pony car and he considers the modern muscle car good enough to save GM. We're not so sure about that, but last we checked we're not Jay Leno, either.

Hit the jump for nine minutes of video starring Jay Leno and the 2010 Camaro. We usually see Jay when he's cracking jokes during the Tonight Show, but on this occasion he's totally serious about 3,800 lbs of American muscle. Except when he's doing burnouts.

[Source: Jay Leno's Garage]

As a self-processed car-nut with entire warehouses full of classic automobiles, it's not surprising that Jay Leno has something to say regarding the unfortunate death of the Pontiac brand. Much like ourselves, Jay seems to look back at some of Pontiac's most historic nameplates with fondness, such as the Firebird, Trans Am, Tempest and GTO. Plus, Jay points to the reincarnated GTO and its successor, the G8, as examples that Pontiac could still make a proper performance car – albeit one with Australian roots.

Still, like most people paying attention, Jay realizes The General had little choice in jettisoning the brand, saying, "If a brand had to go, it probably had to be Pontiac. I understand why they have to do it. You take your biggest divisions and you keep those. These days there are just too many car companies chasing too few customers and not enough to differentiate between the marques." Spot on analysis, Jay.

[Source: Jay Leno / Popular Mechanics]