Autoblog

First Ride: 2014 Jaguar F-Type [w/video]

Matt Davis — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Videos, Jaguar, Luxury

Shotgun In Coventry's First Sports Car In Decades

For every car, there is a passionate group of fans who love it, and the F-Type already has a few million rabid followers. These are fabulous things, sports cars, and we're very happy that Jaguar is making one again. Finally. (Before you start relishing the prospect of correcting us, the XK is really a grand tourer, not a sports car.)

The main question, however, will be whether someone in a position to buy a lifestyle-enhancing yet impractical F-Type will do so in the face of more established competitors from Porsche, Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz, Audi and BMW. The last time Jaguar built a true two-seater sports car (1974 E-Type; the last of the XJ220 limited run in 1994 doesn't count in this league), most of today's new buyers were too young or may not yet have been born. At any rate, the F-Type has a lot of work to do for the brand beyond just selling itself.

Jaguar inviting us to Wales for an early ride in both the 375-horsepower F-Type S and 488-hp V8 S can be interpreted in many ways. Perhaps they want our opinions, as they are now in the final phase of pre-production testing. Or maybe they wish to stretch out coverage by key media outlets instead of depending entirely on the first drive "big bang" that will happen shortly. It's a little of both, we'd guess. The inevitable comparison tests in early summer should be quite revealing, as well.

Continue reading First Ride: 2014 Jaguar F-Type [w/video]

First Ride: 2014 Jaguar F-Type [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Feb 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog takes a hot (wet) lap in Jaguar's Nürburgring taxi

Michael Harley — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Jaguar, Luxury

Jaguar introduced the world to its very own XJ Nürburgring taxi last week, and it just so happened that we were on hand to be one of the first to take part in a long, dizzying lap of Germany's famed racing circuit as a passenger in the front seat.

So-called "'Ring taxis" are specially modified race-ready vehicles designed to tote passengers at high speeds around Europe's famed circuit that circles the village of Nürburg, Germany. While most automakers modify their high-performance models for the harsh duty, the British automaker chose the largest vehicle in its lineup - the extended-wheelbase XJ sedan in range-topping Supersport trim. Yes, the company's limousine.

Continue reading Autoblog takes a hot (wet) lap in Jaguar's Nürburgring taxi

Autoblog takes a hot (wet) lap in Jaguar's Nürburgring taxi originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 11 May 2012 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Ride: We check out the 2011 Lexus CT 200h in Europe

Noah Joseph — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:00:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Europe, Hatchback, Lexus, Luxury, Quick Spins

2011 Lexus CT 200h prototype - Click above for high-res image gallery

Toyota is no stranger to being first - Japanese luxury vehicles and hybrids chief among them. Although Acura may have launched earlier, Lexus remains the only Japanese luxury marque to market in Japan. And having launched in Europe shortly after America, Lexus was also the first to challenge the European heavyweights on their home turf, and with its LS and LFA, it remains the only non-European marque to compete at the top level.

Credit Toyota, as well, for popularizing hybrid technology, as it launched the Prius domestically as the first mass-produced gas-electric, whereupon it has dominated the market with successive generations. But where the Japanese auto giant has really stood apart is in the combination of both luxury and hybrid technology.

Recognizing the technology's popularity with upscale buyers, Lexus has carved out a niche in producing luxury hybrids. In fact, its lineup in many European markets is comprised exclusively of hybrids. The HS 250h launched late last year as the world's first dedicated luxury hybrid model and now Lexus is branching out again by electrifying territory previously uncharted by Japanese automakers: the premium hatchback segment. We flew out to Toyota's European headquarters to see how development of the new CT 200h has been coming along. Follow the jump to see what we found.

Gallery: First Ride: 2011 Lexus CT 200h

Continue reading First Ride: We check out the 2011 Lexus CT 200h in Europe

First Ride: We check out the 2011 Lexus CT 200h in Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Exclusive First Ride: 2011 Ford Edge Sport

Rex Roy — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, Crossover, Ford, Quick Spins

Yee-Ha! in a 2011 Ford Edge Sport - Click above for high-res image gallery

Manufacturers used to roll out all-new cars every five-to-eight years. Somewhere around the halfway point - usually year three - much hoopla would be made about new front and rear fascias, the addition of some standard features and some new option packages. (*Yawn*). These changes were designed to give shoppers a reason to look at a car that was getting long-in-the-tooth.

Ford Motor Company sung by this songbook for decades, but it's not any longer. As we've seen with the Escape, Fusion and Mustang, the Ford brand is rolling out significant product changes any time they darn well please. For example, the 2010 Fusion could have been a standard refresh, but instead included three all-new powertrains, a significantly upgraded interior, and the expected front and rear fascias.

Introduced as a 2007 model at the close of 2006, the Edge was Ford's second attempt at a more car-like crossover. (Anybody remember the Freestyle/Taurus X ... uhh, not so much.) Heading into its fifth year of production, the Edge needed some serious attention. It just got it: We reported so on the eve of February's Chicago Auto Show.

Following the new model's public debut, Ford offered Autoblog an exclusive opportunity to ride in a 2011 Edge Sport with some development engineers so we could have an early, behind-the-scenes look at their handiwork. The new Edge doesn't go on sale until later this Summer, but you can read all about our experience at the Dearborn Development Center right now after the jump.

Gallery: First Ride: 2011 Ford Edge Sport

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Exclusive First Ride: 2011 Ford Edge Sport originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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AOL Autos snags ride in 2010 Taurus SHO with Ford's only female dynamics engineer

Damon Lavrinc — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:01:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Ford

2010 Ford Taurus SHO gets air - Click above for a high-res image gallery

Our lucky compatriots at AOL Autos had the chance to get some passenger-seat time in the all-new 2010 Ford Taurus SHO, along with a glimpse into the inner-workings of FoMoCo's engineering team. The story centers around Ford's only female Vehicle Dynamics Development Engineer, Christina "Crissy" Rodriguez, who's "equal parts engineer, race driver and vehicle psychologist."

During her 12-year stint at Ford, Rodriguez has been instrumental in the development of a number of vehicles and has spent the last eight years tuning the chassis that underpins the new Taurus, along with its platform siblings, the Lincoln MKS and Ford Flex.

The final third of the article gets into the performance and dynamics of the SHO, where Rodriguez takes AOL Auto's Rex Roy for a spin around Ford's Dearborn proving grounds. While its not a comprehensive review of the hottest Taurus in over a decade, Roy reports that the six-speed automatic shifts smoothly and quickly, forward momentum is electric, the sonorous sounds from the engine are top-notch and, most telling, "the faster Rodriguez drove, the smaller the Taurus seemed to get..." Sounds like a winning combination so far, and you can read the full "First Ride" here.

Gallery: First Ride: 2010 Ford Taurus SHO

[Source: AOL Autos | Image Source: Ford, Rex Roy]

AOL Autos snags ride in 2010 Taurus SHO with Ford's only female dynamics engineer originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Apr 2009 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SHIFT_first drive: 2007 Nissan Altima

John Neff — Wed, 19 Apr 2006 14:24:00 EST

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Sedan, Nissan

Once again the boys and girls over at Inside Line have sold their souls to the devil in order to gain access to a preproduction version of the 2007 Nissan Altima before the car even debuted at the New York Auto Show last week. Their initial impressions of Nissan's most significant sedan are very positive.

The current model Altima made shockwaves when it debuted in 2001 ready to throw down with the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. It's fared well in the marketplace since then but has been hampered by an unsatisfactory cabin experience and reflexes that weren't quite as quick as its elite competition.

The 2007 Altima is based on a brand new platform and features a new version of the company's superlative VQ 3.5L V6 producing an expected 265 hp. The author even had praise for Nissan's improved Xtronic CVT, despite the inane inclusion of simulated shifts. Also improved are the interior's touchpoints, which this time around are "supple" rather than "rock-hard."

The 2007 Nissan Altima was one of our best picks for the '06 NY auto show and we're anxiously awaiting our turn behind the wheel.

[Source: Inside Line]

SHIFT_first drive: 2007 Nissan Altima originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Apr 2006 14:24:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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