Autoblog Editor-in-Chief Michael Austin takes the 2017 Jaguar XE for a spin around Circuito de Navarra in Spain.
Transcript[AUTOBLOG THEME]
GARY PALMER: Straight into sports mode, then, and we'll make our way out. Again, we're going to keep to the right until the first corner. And then once around that first corner, you can have a good press on the, on the brake pedal, to make sure you're happy with that.
Excellent, OK. So where we're going to flick the paddle up, [INAUDIBLE] you in. So keep to the right till the first apex. There's nothing coming at the moment, so we're fine.
Once you get around the corner, just try that brake, brake pedal out. Excellent. OK, let's pick it up from the next turn. Oh, that's-- OK.
So start to pick her up, turn to apex. Turn in slightly early, but keep the turn on. Keep accelerating through, keep the turn on, past the apex point. Up a gear.
Now, you're going to brake to settle the car, not to stop it here. So you just want to settle it down, down a gear. Bit more, bit more, settle it, and then turn her in. Going in a bit too quick there, go ahead and turn her in. Up the hill we go.
OK, brake strong, third gear, tight left. Tickle the power until you change direction. Once you change direction, you can push on. Keep to the curb, keep to the curb, keep to the curb. Keep to the curb, keep going-- good.
Now, brake strong. Look for the exit curb. That's it. Down the hill we go. Up through the gear box. Good, excellent.
Into the brake cones-- good. Down two gears, try not to jump off the brakes-- relax slowly off the brakes. Little bit of momentum, up a gear.
Keep squeezing gently through it, don't get yourself in a position where you lift off. Good, brake strong, apex, tight in, tight out. Good, squeeze it through. Again, brake. Good.
Keep the momentum, up a gear. OK, strong brake this one, tight right. Look for the exit point. Good, squeeze and go. Up a gear.
So just before this cone, we're going to relax off the power, turn in, squeeze the power through. Keep squeezing, steer it around-- good. Brake solid. Tight hairpin right, pick her up, drive it out. Excellent.
OK, away we go, down to the first corner. Keep it going-- good. So the brake cone's up here, we're not going to brake. We're just going to ease off the throttle, point the nose, squeeze the power in, but be ready for a stronger brake around the corner.
Turn her in, squeeze a bit. Good, brake to settle it. Down a gear. Go in, now brake and hold. Hold the brakes, hold them, hold them-- good.
In tight-- so it won't be too punchy on the throttle. Good, up a gear. Turn slightly early, keep the turn on at the apex, keep the turn on, and push. Up a gear again. So slightly stronger brake down here this time.
Settle it, down one-- good, getting close. Pick up a bit of power, and brake hard. Good, tickle the power. Good. Keep it to the curb, keep it to the curb.
We have got a cone in the road further up, so keep it to the curb, bit longer. That's it, and brake hard. Good, hold the brakes-- good, just turn her in. Excellent, away we go, down the straight again.
OK, brake strong, two down. Keep the weight on the nose of the car, keep the weight on the nose of the car. Slowly relax off, that'll give you a bit more grip as you turn in. That's it.
Up here again. Keep squeezing. OK, two tight lefts now. Good, keep the flow round here. Remember, you're not-- try not to brake to stop the car, but you're just relaxing it, the car, down. That's it. Beautiful.
Again, strong brake, tight right. Good. Keep it going, slight relax off, turn in and squeeze. Keep squeezing, keep squeezing, and brake strong. Good.
Excellent, away you go. So down the straight we go. There's a slight possibility that this one might be slow around the top corner, so we just watch out for that. But again, I'm going to keep going to those brake cones.
We're going to relax off the brake, off, off the power, turn her in-- good. Back on the power, and now brake harder, down a gear. Off the brakes, let it roll across, and now brake again, get it stopped.
Down to third, down to third. Wait, wait, wait-- that's it, now go, go, good, way to go. Turn in early-- up a gear, turn in early. Keep the turn on at the apex.
Down the hill we go, to the brake cones, up a gear again. Brake to settle the car. So settle it, settle it down a gear, turn in and wait, just let it flow in.
Now, pick up a little bit of power now-- now you can punch it uphill, punch it up. Good And brake strong, down one. Look for the apex points. Good.
Keep on the curb for me. Keep on the curb, keep on the curb. Up a gear, keep on the curb, keep on the curb, watch out for the cone in the road. Keep going, and brake hard, down one.
Look for the exit point, look for the exit point. Now, start to push, and out from the steering. Good. Up through the gears.
Now, don't watch the car in front, we're going to stick to our own lines, OK? He's moving over, keep going. Get off the power and brake hard. Harder, harder, harder, harder, harder, that's it.
Slowly relax, down a gear. A little bit of momentum, up a gear. Yeah, give yourself some throttle to use through here.
Two tight ones-- excellent. Good. Again, brake to settle. Get it settled, turned in. Excellent.
Tight right coming up, so it's going to be a strong brake. Back down to third. Good. Picks up-- up a gear. A slight ease-off, then turn in and squeeze. Good.
And onto the brakes. OK, I'm going to be quiet for a lap, so you've got a--
MICHAEL AUSTIN: Whatever you want.
GARY PALMER: A lap of quietness, so you can go to where you go.
MICHAEL AUSTIN: I don't mind the advice.
GARY PALMER: OK. Keep going. That's it. Just a little bit past the cones up here, we're going to relax off the throttle, point the nose in, with a bit of power to help it through, a bit of power to help it through. And now, brake and hold.
Down one, off the brakes, let it flip through here, and now, brake and hold again. Hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, hold, get it turned in.
That's it, that's the kitty. Good. Up a gear, turn early. Keep the turn on at the apex, because it pushes you out. Up a gear again.
Good, a good settle on the brakes. Down a gear, roll it in. A little bit of momentum, and now push up the hill, push up the hill.
Good, brake and hold. Very tight left. Little bit of momentum, now push hard, but keep on the curb for me, keep on the curb to the end of the curb, keep to the end, keep to the end-- good, and brake hard. Brake brake brake brake brake-- that's it, down a gear.
Good, bit of momentum-- beautiful. Up through the gearbox, then. Good. We're going to make our way down to this last corner, and then at the tight corners, we're going to relax off the brakes, then make our way back in.
Down to third gear, don't jump off the brakes. Relax slowly off the brakes to get that turned in. Good, bit of momentum, up a gear, keep squeezing-- good. OK, now relax right down now.
That's it, make your way in perfect. Well done. Just cool those, cool those brakes off. Excellent. How was that?
MICHAEL AUSTIN: Great.
GARY PALMER: Good, done really well.
MICHAEL AUSTIN: Thanks
GARY PALMER: Tell you, that's a great track, isn't it?
MICHAEL AUSTIN: Yeah. GARY PALMER: This really is a great track. Got some flashing yellows there. OK, we make our way back in the pits-- perfect. Excellent, good drive, done well.
MICHAEL AUSTIN: Thanks. And the car's, the car's really balanced. I mean--
GARY PALMER: Oh, yeah, it's perfect.
MICHAEL AUSTIN: And anywhere I overcooked it, you know, I just kind of-- I went for the safe mode, but the car doesn't even--
GARY PALMER: No, if you over--
MICHAEL AUSTIN: You didn't have any worry, you know, I could have--
GARY PALMER: --if you overcook it, you could still-- you've got a chance to get it back.
MICHAEL AUSTIN: Yeah. It was the thing-- I didn't, I didn't try to fight it and get it back, because it's just my natural instinct. Or you know, that's the safe thing to do. But you could have-- I could have tried to save it more, and I wasn't--
GARY PALMER: Well, you've done well.
MICHAEL AUSTIN: -worried about it coming back, so.
GARY PALMER: Excellent, good.
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