What binds car enthusiasts to one another? A love for cars, certainly, but we’d argue there’s a deeper psychological connection. Namely that we’ve never quite grown up, and don’t really care to. We’re all still the little boys we once were, hanging posters of our favorite supercars on the walls of our childhood bedrooms. The only way to convince us of the reality of our own age is to show us how old the then-new supercars we pined for as kids have now become. So it’s with a big lump in our collective throat that we bring you the news that the Jaguar XJ220 is now 20 years old – and along with it, that we’re all 20 years older than we were when it came out.

The first time we got a glimpse of the mid-engined XJ220 was actually back in 1988 when it debuted at the British Motor Show. But that was in concept form. It wasn’t until 1992 that the first customer took delivery. And while it was a fair bit different from the concept version (okay, so the drivetrain was very different, with half the cylinders and half the driven wheels of the V12 concept), what we got was still earth-shattering in its capabilities – particularly for its time, but still by any objective measure. The production XJ220 packed 550 horsepower, hit 60 in less than four seconds and hit a top speed of 213 mph… a new record in the early 90s.

By the time production ceased two years later, Jaguar and TWR had built just 275 examples. The one pictured above is one of ten pre-production prototypes, specifically the example that Andy Wallace piloted to that landmark top speed at Ford Stockton, Texas, in 1991. The yellow example (also pictured in our high-resolution image gallery) was one of the very rare XJ220 S homologation specials with carbon fiber bodywork and 700 horsepower on tap. Click the thumbnails to scope it out and follow the jump for the full press release to take a trip back to your childhood.

Continue reading Jaguar celebrates 20 years of XJ220

Jaguar celebrates 20 years of XJ220 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 01 Feb 2012 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The world would be considerably less entertaining if we could all predict the future. Even so, the classic car gurus at Hagerty Insurance have cast a few chicken bones in an attempt to figure out which vehicles produced today might eventually turn collectible.

The company restricted entrants to hardware with a price tag of less than 0,000, so the list isn’t populated with too many wild exotics. While vehicles like the Nissan GT-R Black Edition, Ford Mustang Boss 302 Laguna Seca Edition, Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 and Porsche 911 are low-hanging fruit, the list also featured a few surprises.

For starters, it begins with none other than the mighty Buick Regal GS. Hagerty says the vehicle is a win because it’s the first Buick with a manual transmission since the fall of the Holy Roman Empire. The Fiat 500 Abarth also makes an appearance alongside an even hotter hatch, the Volkswagen Golf R. Of course, we’re simply thrilled to see the sinister Audi TT RS make a showing. Hit the jump for the full list or view each vehicle in our gallery above.

Continue reading Hagerty predicts this year’s future classics

Hagerty predicts this year’s future classics originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 30 Jan 2012 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not too long ago, we caught the dramatic finish to the Targa High Country in Australia. The last stage of the event featured one very on fire Lamborghini Gallardo piloted by Jason and John White as the duo sped to the finish line. Why didn’t the team stop and put out the fire? For starters, White notes there were more fire extinguishers at the finish line than there were in the car. Additionally, the teammates beat out their closest competitor by just 10 seconds. That may be a lifetime on a track, but in targa, ten seconds can be come and go in an instant.

Now the Whites have released a video of the events that led up to the race’s dramatic conclusion. The short clip follows the team through the more dramatic moments of the 2011 Targa High Country, including multiple tight passes, wide open driving and tight, technical stages. Check it out after the jump.

Continue reading Watch the story of the flaming Lamborghini that won this year’s Targa High Country

Watch the story of the flaming Lamborghini that won this year’s Targa High Country originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Dec 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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A group of enthusiasts have started a We The People petition urging the Executive Branch in Washington to stop using what it says are Homeland Security funds to police gray-market vehicles. The petition also seeks to have the federal gray market exemption age reduced from 25 years old to 15 years old. As of right now, any vehicle imported into the U.S. must be able to comply with our government’s safety and emissions standards unless they are 25 years old or older, making it nearly impossible for the importation of newer vehicles on an individual basis. The petition declares that the 25-year rule was originally adopted at the behest of automakers like Mercedes-Benz.

Automotive history buffs may recall that in the ’80s, Benz only offered Americans the lackluster 380SEL while the rest of the world enjoyed the 500SEL. As a result, a massive gray market erupted for the more powerful sedan, and by some estimations, 22,000 Mercedes-Benz vehicles floated in outside of the dealer network in a single year. That caused the company to lean heavily on lawmakers to shut the import door.

The White House has agreed to respond to any We The People petition that accrues 25,000 signatures in a month. So far, this particular effort has only gained just under 5,000 names. Head over to the We The People site to check out the petition and add your own name to the effort if you agree.

Petition started to change gray market exemption from 25 to 15 years originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 16 Nov 2011 10:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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On this day in 1901, Henry Ford took his home-built race car named “Sweepstakes” and entered a 10-mile race at the Detroit Driving Club against the favored Alexander Winton. Ford ended up winning the race and the victory garnered attention from investors that would help launch the Ford Motor Company just a couple of years later. Since that first race, Ford has achieved a multitude of successes in a variety of motorsports including wins at the Daytona 500, Indy 500, 24 Hours of Le Mans, Baja 1000 and more.

As part of their celebration of 110 years of racing, Ford will be bringing together some of their more historic race cars to display at the upcoming SEMA show in Las Vegas next month. The lineup is truly impressive, including the Le Mans-winning 1967 GT40 MkIV, Parnelli Jones’ 1970 Mustang Boss 302, Jim Clark’s Lotus that won the 1965 Indy 500, various John Force Funny Cars and the winning race car from this year’s Daytona 500 just to name a few.

Next month, we’ll bring you live coverage of the historic display of Ford Racing cars as well as the rest of the 2011 SEMA extravaganza. Until then, follow the jump to read more about Ford’s 110-year racing history.

Continue reading Ford to celebrate 110 years of racing heritage at SEMA

Ford to celebrate 110 years of racing heritage at SEMA originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 11 Oct 2011 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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