Extra range has made Cropley rethink his stance on the Jaguar I-Pace this week, and his reading list has once again grown. If he can tear himself away from the British Motor Museum's Vauxhall heritage collection, he might be able to chip away at it...
Monday
You would expect Jaguar’s big boss, Thierry Bolloré, to sound confident about the latest version of his battery-powered flagship, the Jaguar I-Pace. But I wasn’t prepared for the new excellence of the electric SUV when it arrived at my place last week after Bolloré suggested in a recent interview that I should try the updated model.
Until now, the battery Jag has seemed flawed: handsome and good to drive but unable to get within 80 miles of its claimed 292-mile cruising range. But Jaguar’s electricians have been working overtime: during a week’s test, I repeatedly established that 275 miles is easy and that you can squeeze out 292 in current weather conditions. That changes the whole proposition.
Tuesday
Fantastic news arrives from the British Motor Museum at Gaydon, just off the M40 near Warwick, that Vauxhall’s 50-car heritage collection – some rare, some magnificently ordinary – will be displayed there from now on. At a stroke, this welcoming historical hub changes from being somewhat British Leyland-heavy to a much more authentic reflection of what British motorists have bought since Vauxhall opened in 1903. In addition, the museum, already well equipped with a bank of EV chargers, has big plans to follow and explain the UK’s rapid move into new-era propulsion for the 2030s. “Our business is the future just as much as the past,” says dynamic managing director Jeff Coope.
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More than anything, it is the use of the name that offends. Cynicism redefined.
I disagree with Steve about the new Countach. I think it's the best looking super/hyper car out there at the moment, looking futuristic yet with references to the past. In fact, I think it's a substantial improvement on the original: neater with better detailing and proportion.
Is it not time then for a new road test on the Ipace??