[Video] Jay Leno Drives Custom Jaguar E-Type V12

As far as pretty cars from the 1960s go, the Jaguar E-Type or XK-E, is among the best to look at and to listen to. The original Series I (S I)came with a 3.8- or 4.2-liter straight six engine, and from a styling standpoint, it is the best-looking E-Type they ever made.

The 4.2-liter unit was kept for the Series II (S II), but by 1969 the Series III (S III) came out, packing a mighty V12. However, while the latest version was the best as an overall car, it got bigger and heavier than its predecessors, and it was less fun to drive and more cumbersome to control.

The weight of the 5.3-liter V12 engine did not help handling at all, and the III was nowhere as nimble as the Series II.

However, some, like Jay Leno, like to mix and match, and he has recently presented and driven a hybrid E-Type. However, don`t go thinking he fitted it with electric motors and the lot - it`s not that sort of hybrid. In fact, it is a mix between the S III and the S I.

It gets the rear end and the shorter wheelbase of the S I, yet the front end and V12 engine are from the S III. Also, to make it look more like the S I, the people who modified it redid the lights, which were open, and made them look a lot like those on the S I.

The V12 engine was dynoed at 375 hp, and it sends its power to the rear wheels via a five-speed box. Also, in order to keep everything in check, the car gets disk brakes all round.

Overall, this Jag is very unique and well worth checking out!

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All-New 2014 BMW X5 Leaks

While BMW’s design philosophy doesn`t really excite anybody anymore, the advent of a new X5 is still a very big deal. Now, ahead of its official reveal later this year, the all-new 2014 BMW X5 has leaked onto the web, and we have two low-quality photos, taken from what appears to be the BMW configuration online app.

After looking at the spyshots we got from our photographers, it was very clear that it would not be a great departure, from the old model. It isn`t - the all-new X5 looks exactly like what you would expect it to, with the more rounded and bolder new family face (or the slightly-altered ‘old’ family face), a 3-Series-inspired grille, which touches the inner part of the headlights, and brushed-aluminium trim pieces to finish off the front end.

Again, like all the latest BMW’s the X5 is imposing, but it`s not what you`d call pretty - not by a long shot. Around the back, it features lights which look as if they were lifted straight from the new X3, and enlarged by 10%. They could have opted to differentiate it more from its ‘little brother’, as some buyers may not even get the X5 any more, since it looks so similar, has the same basic range of engines and all the same gadgets and gizmos.

Speaking of kit, the new X5 does come with a lot of new stuff, including pedestrian airbags, AEB and the latest updated version of the brand’s i-Drive infotainment system. Furthermore, a new and interesting addition to the X5 range will be an X5L model, which will have a slightly longer wheelbase, and an extra row of seats in the back, thus offering the BMW SUV the capability of carrying seven people.

The range of engines will be carried over from the outgoing model (which we tested), so expect V6 and V8 petrol and diesel units to be the norm. The main piece of news from under the X5’s bonnet is the addition of a four-cylinder diesel engine, which will most likely be that which powers the 325d and 125d, with 218 hp and 450 Nm of torque - it will be a direct rival for the Mercedes-Benz ML250 CDI.

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SsangYong Roduis Gets New Diesel Engine for 2013

 

The SsangYong Rodius is a very practical, very affordable, well-built and spacious large MPV from Korea. However, it has never and will never be a real success, simply because it looks ugly and disproportionate, from every angle.

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