Our girl Nicole discovers what happens when you strap a 450hp Lotus engine to a skateboard.
And she has several Big Moments.
In a recreation of one of my favorite cars of all time.
(You may want to turn your speakers down if you’re watching this in company, or at work. Otherwise, stick on the lids and crank it up, like she did.)
Sadly, I think my time has passed to enjoy driving a car like this… although I sure would like to test that hypothesis.
We’re all familiar (or should be) with the fine AC Cobra, the pinnacle of Carroll Shelby’s achievement, I think:
I mean, what’s not to love? Those voluptuous lines, that tiny wheelbase and of course that burbling (also roaring) Ford V8… it almost epitomizes the concept of “affordable” [sic] race cars.
The key to the above is “race”, because the Cobra is very much a racing car, best suited for the track and much less so as a cruiser — as anyone who’s ever driven one for any distance may attest.
I however have a preference for its inspiration, the lovely Sunbeam Tiger:
Same performance: yup, that outstanding Ford 260ci (4.3-liter) V8, but with a more classic — shall we say “dated”? — shape.
And here’s one example of a restored Tiger:
…but unlike the Cobra, the Tiger comes with a hard top:
…which, if you happen to live in a place without proper open-top driving, is infinitely preferable.
Also, the Tiger doesn’t look like a stripped-down racer inside:
Much nicer, methinks. And for about a hundred grand, this particular one would definitely make it into Kim’s Lottery Garage.
Just to putter around town, en route to shopping, the range etc.
Oh, and by the way? The Tiger’s little brother, the Alpine Mk III, was James Bond’s first car (in Dr. No ). It had a dinky little 1.6-liter engine.
Yeah, this one’s going to turn out well for them:
Jaguar’s last ever petrol car came off the assembly line at the brand’s Midlands factory on Friday (19 December) ahead of its daring switch to all-electric vehicles next year.
The final Jaguar model with a combustion engine under its bonnet is an £80,000 high-performance F-Pace SVR SUV finished in black paint, according to the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club, which was in attendance as the Solihull factory officially signed off its last petrol model.
Under the bonnet is a burbling 5.0-litre supercharged V8 petrol engine – a stark contrast to the first ‘new Jaguar’ that will debut next year, which is a near-silent four-door GT that will cost almost twice as much, with a quoted £120,000 to £140,000 starting price.
While parent group JLR made no official announcement of the event, the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club says the final model is being gifted to the Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust in Gaydon, where it will be retained as a museum piece.
The club said Friday was a ‘quiet, historic full stop’ for Jaguar’s 90-year relationship with the internal combustion engine.
Yeah, and they’re celebrating this piece of boneheaded idiocy?
No wonder the car, and the staff, are all wearing black:
I think a better payoff line would be:
“Pissing Away 90 Years Of Jaguar Heritage”
Oh, and “full stop” is what’s going to happen to Jaguar’s EV sales, but let’s not spoil the party.
I’ve always been a fan of Top Gear / Grand Tour guy James May because like me, he’s old-fashioned and has very specific likes and dislikes about things one encounters in daily life.
So he opens this video with a review of his own 2010 Porsche Carrera, going over his setup and option choices in his usual pedantic way.
Then he tries the new 2025 version of his 911 Carrera T, and gentle mayhem follows.
Take 15 minutes out of your life to enjoy his journey, and its ending.
Here’s the spec sheet for said 2025 911 Carrera T. All I’d get would be the no-cost passenger seats (which would allow for grocery bags and gun cases) and of course, a proper manual transmission because that’s how James and I prefer our cars. Price: just under $140,000 — way too much, needless to say, but for a 911, a “bargain” (excuse me, I appear to be having a small nosebleed).
Anyway, I’m by no means a Porsche 911 fan, but even I might be tempted… after watching that video.
It’s probably too late, of course, but I see that Jaguar Land Rover (JLR, to use their stupid non-brand acronym) has finally decided to can the woke twerp who turned Jag into… well, nothing.
Just the “relaunch” ad’s smug payoff line was enough to set my teeth on edge:
“We’re here to delete ordinary. To go bold. To copy nothing.”
I hate to tell them this but if Jaguar was anything, it wasn’t “ordinary”. And frankly, if anything was worth copying, it was Jaguar’s heritage of wonderful, sleek and bold designs.
I’d post pics of the suggested modern replacement for the above (as envisaged by the now-departed Gerry McGovern), but I don’t want to ruin anyone’s appetite.
I just wonder what Jag is going to do now?
Update: OMFG
Yesterday, in the great state of Texas, I filled my tank at Kroger’s in-house gas station, and paid $1.86 per gallon.
Granted, some of this was via a discount through Kroger’s points program, but I’ll take it any way I can.
I think I’ll pop over to New Wife’s workplace and get her car filled as well. Maybe take a few jerrycans along for the ride.
And then I’ll swing by the range, because Murka.
