Jaguar - Repair and Service Redwood City - Jaguar J-Pace, Land Rover Road Rover electric vehicles likely dead- (650) 368-3000

 

 

The Jaguar E-Type has turned 60 and to celebrate Jaguar has built recreations of two of the earliest examples.

The originals are the cars registered as “9600 HP” and “77 RW” that Jaguar used for the E-Type's launch in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 15, 1961.

Jaguar is in the process of building six examples of each, and has sold them as pairs to six lucky—and well-heeled—collectors. The cars are known as the E-Type 60 Collection and the first two were revealed on Friday.

Jaguar founder William Lyons with the 1961 Jaguar E-Type registered 9600 HP

 

One is inspired by the gray coupe that Jaguar's public relations manager during the E-Type's launch, Bob Berry, drove from Jaguar's home in Coventry, United Kingdom, straight to Geneva the night before the launch. The car proved such a hit that the very next day, Jaguar engineer Norman Dewis was told to “drop everything” and head down to Geneva in a second E-Type, a green roadster, the inspiration for the second car in the collection.

Even though Jaguar has built new E-Types from scratch in recent years, the cars in the E-Type 60 Collection are being built using original donor E-Types fitted with a 3.8-liter inline-6 (the same type of engine used in the earliest E-Types) and 5-speed manual, meaning they aren't recreations in the true sense of the word. Rather, they are more like Jaguar's recent series of “reborn” E-Types, where original E-Types are comprehensively restored to pristine, factory-original condition.

The colors used for the E-Type 60 Collection match the originals and are reserved exclusively for their modern counterparts. The modern cars also feature unique 60th anniversary commemorative design details, as well as some modern goodies like a retro-styled infotainment system with navigation and connectivity options. The ignition and cooling systems of the cars are also modern designs.

1961 Jaguar E-Type registered 77 RW

Production of the cars is being handled by the Jaguar Classic department in Warwickshire, U.K., and all build slots are already accounted for. The owners will be invited by Jaguar in summer 2022 to take a roadtrip from Coventry to Geneva just like Berry and Dewis all those years ago.

As a special touch, each coupe features a stylized map plotting key locations along Berry's original route, along with the phrase, “I thought you’d never get here.” The phrase was uttered by Jaguar founder William Lyons at the arrival of Berry just moments before the unveiling.

The roadsters get a map with Dewis' route, with the instructions given to him to, “Drop everything and bring the open-top E-Type over.”

 source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1129242_jaguar-celebrates-e-type-s-60th-anniversary-by-rebuilding-2-of-the-earliest-examples

by Viknesh Vijayenthiran
http://www.boscheuropean.com

 

 

 

Mercedes - Repair and Service Redwood City - It's the 30th anniversary of the 500 E, the Mercedes-Benz that Porsche built - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

 

 

AMG is rightfully regarded as the performance arm of Mercedes-Benz, even going back to the 1970s before the mothership took control of the little tuner shop. But for a brief moment in time, rival German automaker Porsche helped develop and build a Mercedes-Benz performance car. It was the 1991 Mercedes-Benz 500 E, and it's celebrating its 30th anniversary.

The 500 E was based on the W124 generation of the venerable E-Class, but it was a low-volume, high-performance model that Mercedes needed help to build because a wider body wouldn't fit down its assembly line. The timing was right for Porsche, which was in financial trouble, so the project worked out well for both automakers.

 

Porsche was responsible for turning the W124 E-Class into a V-8-powered sport sedan and for much of the car's build process. To commemorate the car's 30th birthday, Porsche produced two videos featuring two of the engineers who worked on the project, Michael Hölscher, project manager development, and Michael Mönig from prototype management.

Mercedes-Benz 500 E

 

To turn the W124 into a performance touring sedan, Porsche engineers reworked much of the body. The new body was 2.2 inches wider than the standard E-Class, and it featured different bumpers with distinctive wings. The cowl and engine compartment were modified to fit the overhead-cam 5.0-liter V-8 from the Mercedes SL 500. Air flowed into the engine compartment through the gaps around the headlights, and the intake had to be modified and insulated because it created too much noise. The whole area under the hood was reconfigured to fit the larger engine, and both engineers said it was an arduous process in the days before CAD. In its final form, the 500 E made 322 hp and 347 lb-ft of torque that could launch it from 0-62 mph in 5.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 155 mph.

Porsche engineers also moved the battery to the trunk for better weight distribution, lowered the car 0.9 inch, modified the center tunnel for a new exhaust, and installed bigger brakes. Every 500 E was a four-seater because the large rear differential sapped space for a middle rear seat.

The E 500 debuted at the Paris Motor Show in 1990 and production began that year. The build process for the 500 E was complicated. Mercedes provided body parts to Porsche, which assembled the body with additional parts it made. The body then went back to Mercedes for paint, and returned to Porsche for final assembly. The process took 18 days, and Porsche built a total of 10,479 cars by the end of the car's run in April 1995.

Mercedes-Benz 500 E

 Hölscher and Mönig drove an example of the car to mark the 30th anniversary, and Hölscher loved the way it drove, even after all this time. "Its handling is magnificent. The longitudinal acceleration is excellent, the brakes are outstanding and it’s a pleasure to drive this car with its dynamic character," he said. "I really enjoy the beautiful and unobtrusive sound of the eight-cylinder engine.”

That's not a surprise given the exacting standards of both brands. In this instance, Porsche engineering made a Mercedes better, and the project helped keep an iconic but struggling sports car brand afloat.

 source: https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1132423_it-s-the-30th-anniversary-of-the-500-e-the-mercedes-benz-that-porsche-built

by Kirk Bell

http://www.boscheuropean.com

 

 

 

Jaguar, Mercedes, Range Rover, Porsche Service - Remember Memorial Day 2021 We Will Never Forget - Ever - Bosch European Redwood City - (650) 368-3000

 

http://www.boscheuropean.com