by John Neff

Jaguar will be unveiling a freshened XJ at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show next week, which it hopes will help the large luxury sedan stay relevant until its replacement reportedly arrives in 2010. The changes are few and include a revised front end with a wonky new air inlet below the grille and new fog lamps in a revised front bumper. The big cat also gets XJ-style vents aft of the front wheels and a subtle wing on the rear deck. Three new colors and three new wheel designs will also be available. Inside the 2008 XJ are new seats that Jaguar claims are more comfortable and take up less space, which increases leg room for rear passengers.

The aluminum chassis remains, of course, as does the same engine lineup as the current model. AutoWeek, however, reports that the XJ will share its future engine lineup with the upcoming XF sedan. We’ve learned already that the XF will feature an intriguing engine lineup that includes a base 4.2L V8, a supercharged 4.2L V8 producing 420 hp and a supercharged 5.0L V8 producing around 500 hp in the range-topping R-badged models. So we can expect all three engines for the fully redesigned 2010 XJ, as well.

[Source: AutoExpress, AutoWeek]

If you would like immediate updates, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed!

by Sam Abuelsamid

A lot of salaried employees at Ford will probably move into new assignments or take on additional responsibilities this week, as several thousand of their colleagues end their tenures with the Dearborn company today. Many of the 10,000 or so white collar workers that accepted the buyout offers that became available last fall are walking out for the final time as February comes to a close.

Some of the departing workers are not just leaving the company, but also the state. The Michigan brain-drain is continuing as many engineers and other technical professionals are having a hard time finding new jobs here and have decided to depart for warmer climes. That means the already sagging real estate market is also seeing an influx of homes for sale. Hopefully, these cuts will help Ford recover and start growing again, because the economy of this state can’t really afford many more large scale head shots.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

If you would like immediate updates, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed!

by Chris Shunk

In the first half of the 20th century, inventors were kind of like the people with eBay stores: they were everywhere. Of course, there were many inventions that helped change the world, but there were some that never really took off. One of these unfortunate invention failures was the car vacuum. A 1932 Popular Science magazine highlighted this nifty little device.by saying:

“Using the exhaust gas of the automobile to clean the upholstery is the accomplishment of a recently invented device. An aluminum attachment is fastened to the exhaust pipe and the engine is allowed to idle. As the exhaust gas passes through this device suction is created at the inlet hole. Collected by a nozzle, the dust and dirt are drawn through the hose and expelled into the air at the rear of the car. It is made in three models, for cars of different size.”

That’s cool. By putting the vehicle’s exhaust to good use this handy little invention was like the plug-in hybrid kit of 1932. Eat your heart out, Dyson guy. This thing never loses suction and you don’t have to dump the bin once a week.

[Source: transporttrends.com]

If you would like immediate updates, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed!

by Chris Shunk

Some would say that the Tramontana supercar looks like a mating experiment between the Plymouth Prowler and the Batmobile. We’ll call the looks “unique”. Either way, this one-seater will be fast and it will be light. We dig the open wheel look, and the wood accents on the exterior are way sweeter than the Griswald’s station wagon, but more than anything else, it’s the power that gets our attention. A 12-cylinder twin-turbo engine is sweet in just about any application, but mated to a vehicle with room for one seat and carbon-fiber to reduce weight and you’ve got a freaking rocket on wheels. You even get to choose your output by switching between 542 and 710 hp.

Love the looks or hate them, the new supercar from Tramontana should be very interesting for whomever is looking out from behind the driver’s wheel. The press release is available after the jump.

[Source: Tramontanagroup.com via Winding Road]

If you would like immediate updates, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed!

by Chris Shunk

The newest Ford Mondeo has the looks to compete in any market. For citizens of the UK, pricing looks pretty affordable too, ranging from £14,995 to £24,195. Even with the dramatic makover, the price of the Mondeo actually drops by £300 versus the previous model. Ford’s European midsize everything-mobile comes as a saloon, estate, and hatchback and has plenty of engine choices too. Buy a Mondeo and you can go from 1.6 litres and 110 hp all the way up to the range-topping 2.5T with 220 hp. Of course you can get a diesel too, and at only £18,395.

The £14,995 to £24,195 may sound like very attractive pricing for the Mondeo, but in US dollars it’s more like $29,436 to $43,571. Big difference. The Mondeo gets its official unveiling at the Geneva show in March, but in the meantime, check out the press release after the break.

[Source: ewspress.co.uk]

If you would like immediate updates, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed!

by Alex Nunez

Last summer, we told you about Paul Reed Smith Guitars’ $4,700 Z06-inspired “Corvette Standard” electric guitar. Available in factory ‘Vette paint colors and decorated with items like the car’s flag logo and either a “Z06″ or “427″ inlay on the fretboard, the axe made for an interesting, if not inexpensive, collectible. More interesting — and likely more valuable in the collectability sense — is the custom version designed for Corvette Racing veteran Ron Fellows.

PRS has been a team sponsor since 2005, and when Chevy honored Ron Fellows with his own commemorative edition Z06 at the Chicago Auto Show earlier this month, PRS presented him with a matching one-of-a-kind Corvette Standard decorated to match his new namesake ride. The gesture was clearly appreciated by Fellows, who plays guitar and has a collection of the instruments himself. This red-and-white one-off designed to help celebrate his distinguished racing career should fit right in.

[Source: PRS Guitars]

If you would like immediate updates, make sure you subscribe to our RSS feed!