Skull Stainless Steel Ring on 2040-parts.com

Jaguar XJ Review (2012): 3.0 litre Diesel Portfolio LWB

We’ve had the latest version of the Jaguar XJ in for review – the LWB 3.0 litre Diesel Portfolio with Sports Packs – to see how the XJ is maturing. It’s getting on for two years since we had the first Jaguar XJ in for review, and almost three years since we first saw the new XJ at the Saatchi Gallery in London, almost a year before Jaguar managed to get their new range-topper in to showrooms. In between we had a long-term XJ in for review which was with us for four months and proved to be far more reliable than the early car we had in – which did have problems – and a car we covered most the UK in with almost nothing in the way of hiccups.

Fords at SEMA – A Preview

Ford has the biggest display space of any manufacturer at SEMA – 27,000 square feet – and plans to pack it with every kind of truck, tuner and Transit Connect. Yes, this year at SEMA Ford will have ten customized Transit Connect small business haulers in a celebration it's calling “Vandemonium.” So far we have a picture of just of one of them, the “TC – Pentech,” a Transit Connect with two driving simulators in the back. Info on the other nine hasn't been released yet but suffice to say Vandemonium could make the Transit Connect the PC Cruiser of the new millennium.

New Lexus RC F unveiled at Detroit

Lexus has confirmed the first details of a new RC F high performance model at its debut at the Detroit Motor Show 2014. Driven by what’s said to be the most powerful 5.0-litre V8 ever offered by Lexus, the RC F is set to top the new RC coupe range that was unveiled at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show last November. A spiritual successor to the old Lexus IS F, the RC F will become the first rival to challenge the new BMW M4 later this year.