I am also baffled.
Possibly Lord Ian does not design the Range Rovers and wanted more than a finger in that pie?

 

[QUOTE=Queen and Country;1778705]P.s Neither would Germany! locals banded together and bailed out VW- no way were they going to let it be sold to foreign bidders. Never.

 

Agreed.

I plan to trade the Vantage for a Rapide next season. The Vantage is beautiful inside and out, but it's actually sportier & smaller than I need. The Evora was also sporty, but a Cadillac over the bumps and had a flat back seat. The culmination of no back seat (dog), and manual (wife) really limit its utility. I don't do nice sports car drives in the country like I imagined I would. Weekend trips are limited that we can't take the dog... I'll reevaluate in the spring. Putting snows on the Vantage in late December.

 

I have said it for the longest time, a true track-worthy car is a fantasy that can only be supported on a track these days. Speed limits are coming down, you are basically as fast as the minivan in front of you, and he has an automatic and on the phone. he also has a dashcam rolling hoping to make the next million-hit youtube sensation " Righteous Roadrage and other habits of the wealthy"

I was hoping your neck of the woods was unaffected by all this.
There is still ample reason to buy a car for adorning craftsmanship, design and nostalgia. Look up the New Road Rover- may fit the bill.

 

The Velar is high on my list to replace the XE if JLR want to throw a bone on a returning customer once our lease ends. Very Aston looking actually. She just loved our Range Rover. Don't miss standing on the rear tires with a long brush to wash the roof each week. Almost fell a couple of times.

I had an opportunity to buy a Rapide a couple of summers ago at the local dealer. It was an Marron Black with an off putting interior color. She liked the color and it was different, but not for me. I just went for ride in the Vantage and it was fun I must admit. The valved exhaust lead to gunning more than I should. I just pulled the fuse on the valves and will give a few days like that. One initial drive with the fuse pulled last week I thought was a bit noisy, but let me see how a few days is like.

 

So many xk150 cues in this design

 

Having said all that about track-oriented cars being in no-man's land. If not for a sentimental attachment to Malcolm Sayer, I would probably buy your car above all else, even in this environment of minivans, uber drivers and Prius'
Because if I drive for pleasure I want that contrast, absolute contrast to a rental car and automatic appliances. BTW if you werent so hung up on balance and agility, my 5000lbs tank with 4-wheel drums, leaf springs, no battery required, no power steering or brakes, straight 6, is at present the biggest bang for the buck in the stable. And get this, ladies start a discussion even in front of the wife. I credit the driving satisfaction to the lack of anything electronic or remotely automatic.

Put 3m clear film on the top and you never have to wash it. Just peel and return when done with lease.

 

I dont know if you guys saw this or not.
The British press has a TON more details on the next XK including a sketch.
Most notably as I mentioned earlier in this thread- its all going to the much smaller engines. Those cards they have revealed.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/n...s-22-gt-return

 

The goal is to have these out on the showroom by 2021 with 4,6 & 8cyl

-4cyl turbo 296bhp (will no doubt be a lot higher by then)
-Inline 6cyl (probably twin turbo or triple turbo)
-5.0 s/c (unfortunately I have a feeling the 5.0 sc will be phased out by then for a smaller capacity twin turbo variety)

 

contract expires in 2020 on the engines Jaguar builds in the Ford facility. And neither wants to renew.
The current suvs are an indicator of things to come.
No V8 in the Velar or Road Rover
Keep in mind they had to build he ingenium production facility before they launched the current crop of cars, and we havent heard of any new production lines.
But one ingenious thing about the aj8gen3 is that its modular, so it can be easily done.

 

It is much too expensive to design and manufacture an entirely new model just so they can have a 2+2 GT in the line-up. The only way they get this done is to add an extended platform 2+2 F-Type to the range of cars. IMO there will not be a "new" XK model in the next 5+ years. (Perhaps a F-Type 2+2 but no new XK.) I'm sure JLR realize that the market share for this type of car is simply too small. (Hence the demise of the X150 cars.)

 

If the Vantage weren't my only car, I would be fine as it is, but I realize I need more utility than I did when I owned my last two seater (S2000) 12+ years. Who would've guessed I am not same person as back then? I made due with the S2000 as my only car for 4 years. My parents were living in Mexico in the winters, so I had their car to use for a few months at a time...

 

I thought our gen XK's shared unibody design with those XJ's. Front inner fenders sure looked the same.

F type is just too short and boxy, looks like a slot car. XK is more elegant, sleeker and longer looking.

 

There is a talk about increasing speed limits to 120km/h on the highways here in Canada. Everyone is already driving this fast anyways.

In US, a while bunch of places getting bumped to 70 and 75MPH.

I think speed limits are getting increased to reflect better handling and more powerful cars on the roads. Even Toyota Camry could be had with 300HP+ and people want to use it.

 

I really don't think V8 is necessary even for a premium car. Sure, my ideal setup is naturally aspirated large V8... but you can get as much from a 6 cylinder forced induction engine.

I hope they develop supercharged I6, however I think top of the line offerings will be with BMW twin-turbo V8.

 

There are many places in Utah & Nevada along I-15 with 80 MPH & 85 MPH max.

 

Austin has a toll road that is 90 mph. Fitting as one of the exits is the Circuit of the Americas...

As an aside; what a race yesterday! The driver introduction and post race interviews were both Texas sized!

 

 

The fastest marked stretch of road in the US is in Texas from Austin north about 40 miles or so on a toll road...it's marked at 85mph.

 

The fastest NON-marked stretch of road in the US is from mile marker 41 to mile marker 11 on Interstate 80 in Utah. All on the dry lake bed and perfectly flat, straight, no exits or entrances, no turnouts, no vegetation, no animals (it is a dry salt lake bed), little traffic except on weekends (Utahns going to gamble in Wendover) and I've NEVER seen any law enforcement there ever. Between MM 11 and the border? Cops there. Beyond MM 41, cops there also.