I took a day off this week, but for some reason, it still felt a little long. But that’s ok, because the weekend is almost here—and you know what that means! Yup, two days of partying which will require most of next week to recover from. Sigh… Here’s the news:

• Talk about bitter. After Ford employee David Sneath won $136 million in Michigan’s lottery, he talked about getting laser surgery and buying a bigger house and some fishing boats. But don’t expect him to pick up a new Mustang. "I worked for Ford Motor Co., I won’t be buying a Ford product," said Sneath. Ouch. AP via Jalopnik
• FIA President Max Mosley—AKA: Nazi orgy guy—is at it again. BMW and Mercedes are calling for his resignation, but he’s not budging. He’s still denying that there was a Nazi-theme to his sadomasochistic Nazi orgy, and he’s trying to shift blame to the News of the World. How much longer can he hold on to his post? World Car Fans
• The General is set to start road testing the Chevy Volt by the end of the month. Getting this green machine to market by 2010 is going to be no small feat, so here’s hoping everything goes well. Freep
• German tuning firm Arden has released some pictures of the body kit it plans to release for Jag’s new XF, and it looks pretty sick. But what kind of goodies does the company have planned for under the hood? CarScoop

Early next week, Rob and I are headed to the Big Apple for the New York International Auto Show. We’ve basically been chained to our desks since returning from SEMA, so we’re both looking forward to getting out of the office. Along with all the general gawking, blogging, and picture-taking we’ll be doing from the show floor, we’ll also be hobnobbing with honchos from GM and Hyundai, and meeting some of our comrades from other automotive blogs. Personally, I’m looking forward to seeing the new GTR and Jag’s XF in person, picking up some Engrish-laden Chinese press kits, and of course, soaking up some nightlife. What do you want to see?

Jaguar’s new XF has been garnering reams of positive press, and with 10,000 orders already placed, it looks like it could bring the big cat a much-needed boost. So why did Galpin, the largest Jag dealer in the States, give this one such an atrocious styling treatment? Are they actually trying to discourage people from buying the car?  Because aside from hiring OJ Simpson or Mike Tyson to serve as the kitty’s official spokesperson, I can’t think of anything which would better accomplish that goal. More pics after the jump.

via CarScoop

Continue reading "Galpin Takes Dump All Over New Jag XF" »

The automotive press is just swooning about Jag’s new XF, but if I had a choice, I’d take an XKR over the four-door in a second. CarScoop has some great pics of the sexed up version the company is bringing to Geneva. Wow. Here, kitty, kitty! Here’s the rest of the news:

• Driving gas guzzlers in London already costs drivers a congestion charge of $16, but the mayor’s plan to raise it to $50 has people up in arms. Well, Porsche is mad as hell, and they’re not going to take it anymore. Auto Express
• Perfecting battery technology for use in electric cars has proven difficult, but once you have one powerful enough to make the range practical, there are other things to consider, like wipers, lights, radios and, well, electric anything. Winding Road
• After being held hostage by a crazed gunman and watching his demise, Nicole Street is just glad nobody shot her car. Seriously. Seattle Times
• Might CART and the Indy Racing league kiss and make up? Nothing is signed, but it sounds like it just might happen. AutoWeek

This weekend was not anywhere near long enough. I’m on my third NOS, and I can still barely keep my eyes open. Next weekend, I’m not going partying. At all. Here’s the news:

• Rolls-Royce has just released the first official pics of its new coupe, and it looks gorgeous. But why did they stick all those glow in the dark stars on the headliner? Auto Express
• Jag looks like it’s off to a good start with the new XF. The car won’t even be available until March 10th, but the company already has 10,000 orders. I can’t wait to catch one of these big cats in the wild. AutoWeek
• Porsche is recalling 19,000 of its Cayenne SUVs because of the fuel line can apparently make contact with the engine block. That doesn’t sound good. Detroit News
• How much would you pay to be number one? Because Saeed Khouri paid 14 million for the right to have the UAE’s "1" license plate. Yup, that makes sense. Yahoo News

Auto Express News is reporting that Jag is considering reviving its venerable E-Type. Nothing is set in stone yet—hell, the sale of the company isn’t even complete—but if the XF takes off, new owner Tata might feel like making a bold statement, and a revived E-Type would be just the ticket. Of course, anyone working on the design of the new Kitty would have their work cut out for them, as the original is widely regarded as one of the most beautiful cars ever made. The guys at AEN speculated about what might be on the drawing board, and while it’s far from ugly, it’s not near pretty enough. I’d prefer Jag went with something more like the F-Type Concept below. You simply can’t call the new model an E-Type if it doesn’t have a fantastically sexy hind quarters, and from this angle, it doesn’t look like AEN’s mock-up delivers. Check out more shots of the F-Type Concept after the jump.

At the beginning of the year, I pledged I wouldn’t drink on school nights. It was a great plan, and I wish I’d stuck to it. Then I wouldn’t have this massive hangover. Here’s the news:   

• Ford is bringing back the Taurus. But will it ever be number one again? The New York Times
• Aston Martin is changing its colors. Look, the Shell scheme is cool and everything, but no racing green? Smells like heresy. Auto Express
• After 76 years, it looks like the General might lose the title of the world’s largest automaker. Freep
• I though that Jag’s venerable XJ was going to be replaced by the XF, but they aren’t ready to give up on it yet. Winding Road

James May apparently liked Jaguar’s new flagship—though the blokes across the pond at Top Gear aren’t exactly impartial when it comes to British cars. But bias aside, I think this redesign is a step in the right direction. Just look at that sexy modern interior! So will the XF allow Jag to immediately start competing with sporty offerings from Mercedes, BMW and the like? Probably not. There’s a whole generation of car buyers who associate the storied British marque with stodgy, tweed-cap-wearing retirees, and I think it’ll take some time to shed that image. What do you think? Is Jag poised for a comeback with the solid-food set?

Left Lane news is reporting the British bros are no longer in the hole. Take that, Ford! Of course, they must be using a combined value, because the blurb goes on to state that Jag "reduced its losses to just 100 million." Yikes. I guess that says something about just how precarious Jag’s financial situation was, because if losing 100 million bucks is seen as a positive development, things had to have been pretty rough. Hopefully, all the awesome reviews the new XF is getting will translate into sales, and bring the storied English company back into the black. Get more info over at Left Lane News.

Our friends at Road & Track were front and center for the GTR reveal, and they captured this killer footage. Check out Godzilla’s American debut, then stick around to watch footage of the new Jaguar XF, the Viper SRT10 ACR and Mitsubishi’s new EVO.