I Believe This Rumor Will Come True

Jaguar Land Rover might buy another luxury brand that it doesn't need 

What it needs is a mainstream or ultra-luxury brand 

What path would be ideal? Probably going even farther upmarket. Supercar makers and ultra-luxury brands continue to sell well, and there's the potential for significant profit by layering on features and content to existing platforms. Perhaps the best possibility for a high-end complement to Jaguar Land Rover would be Aston Martin. Not only does it have a strong reputation and line-up, it also could handle both supercars and luxury sedans, thanks to its Lagonda sub brand. Of course it would require Aston Martin to be receptive to a purchase.

Going to a mainstream brand would be riskier, since the profit margins are slimmer, and the buyers are often less tolerant of reliability issues. But if the company were to move downmarket, Mazda could be a potentially strong brand, and one that would fit in with Jaguar Land Rover. The cars are stylish, sporty, and generally more upmarket than competitors, and the vehicles are reliable. Mazda would also offer some unique technology that could be distributed among the JLR line.

Regardless, adding more of the same to Jaguar Land Rover won't do much for the company. If it wants to expand, it needs to look at other markets, rather than locking itself up in the mainstream luxury world.

(AutoBlog.com)

This Is Quite A Hual

Thieves stole $3.7 million worth of Jaguar Land Rover engines 
 
And this isn't the first time theives have pulled off this sort of heist.

This past Tuesday was not a good one for Jaguar Land Rover. According to British news source Birmingham Mail, just over $3.7 million worth of engines were stolen from the company's factory in Solihull, England. Reportedly, the thieves drove up to the facility in a stolen semi-truck, found a trailer full of engines, hooked it up, and drove off. The thieves did this twice in one night, with the same truck, and got the first trailer in just six minutes.

Perhaps more shocking is that Birmingham Mail reports this is the second time a theft of this type has occurred at the facility. The previous time happened in almost exactly the same way, but the engines taken were valued at just over $1.2 million, and five people were convicted of the crime. Currently, local police are looking for the latest suspects and the engines. The trailers were found, but were empty.

(AutoBlog.com)

Their Cars Made Them Famous, But It Didn't Get Them Started

Car Brands That Started Out Making Something Totally Different

Toyota

• Long before it ever produced a vehicle, Toyota -- known in those days as Toyoda -- made some of the world's finest automated looms. Seriously, like, sewing looms. The company began in 1926 as Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd. That distinctive front-styling feature you see on every Lexus? That's a nod to the looms.

Mitsubishi

• Founded in 1870, Mitsubishi was originally a shipping company, and in the decades that followed it continuously expanded into areas like coal mining, banking, and paper. Even today, the automotive sector is just one part of a much wider corporation that ranges from oil and gas, to insurance, to satellite-launching rockets.

McLaren

• McLaren is sort of an odd duck here. Its race cars have been winning for decades, so it's entirely understandable for someone that's unaware of the brand's history to think it's been making road cars for just as long. Founded in 1963 by Bruce McLaren, the company existed for the singular purpose of racing. Some of the greatest race cars in history ensued, but the company didn't produce its first road car until the 1990s. Then it went on hiatus for a few years again.

Lamborghini

• Ferruccio Lamborghini was a mechanically inclined guy, and after WWII, he built his own tractors largely out of miscellaneous spare parts. Lamborghini Trattori is still in business, though no longer related to the car company. As an Italian man of means, he enjoyed fast cars, and owned a Ferrari 250 GTO. Once he realized that the 250's clutch was the same unit he used in his tractors, he asked Enzo for a few spares, and... let's just say in the wake of the feud, the first Lamborghini as you know it was born.

Jaguar

• Sir William Lyons founded the Swallow Sidecar Company in 1922, as a manufacturer of, well, motorcycle sidecars. The company expanded its efforts to cars, becoming SS Cars Limited in the 1930s. As for the name change? In the context of World War II, the letters "SS" had a decidedly evil connotation, so the name officially changed to Jaguar on March 23rd, 1945.

(Thrillist.com)

Because, Racecar

7 Incredible Track-Only Supercars

Forget the likes of Ariel, Caterham and BAC; these are the ultimate track-day machines

2. Ferrari FXX

4. Jaguar XJR-15 

Complete list (CarThrottle.com)