Never has a magazine article needed sound more than this one. Gone is the smooth, cultured exhaust note that you'd normally expect from a Jaguar E-type. In its place is the fearsome crackle of an American V8. A big American V8. It's an intimidating noise even at idle, as you adjust the lapbelts, take a brief look at the controls and try to get your head around the fact that this brute of a car is perfectly road-legal. And that you're about to seriously disturb the peace and quiet of the Sussex countryside.
Given how it looks and sounds, the first surprise is that it's not as difficult to drive as you might expect. The clutch is firm and sharp, but not 'on-off' unmanageable, and the gearchange in the four-speed, all-synchromesh Jaguar 'box is straightforward, though you do need to keep a firm hold on the chunky steering wheel. If you don't, those huge front tyres will try to wrest control from you as they follow every camber and imperfection. Also, the non-servo brakes need to be warmer than they're likely to get on the road before they really do much, but it's all beautifully sorted and remarkably user-friendly.
None of which will be the lasting impression of driving the Egal. That's 'E' for E-type and 'Gal' for Galaxie - a hybrid of Jaguar chassis and Ford power that was built to go racing during the '60s. Its 7-litre V8 was bored out to 8.5 litres during a more recent American restoration, and the power and torque are simply immense. Dyno figures show just over 600bhp and 600lb ft respectively. Or, to put it another way, more than enough to approach with caution.
Denne historien er fra September 2022-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
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Denne historien er fra September 2022-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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A Breath of Fresh Air- Alfa Romeo's exotic, V8-powered Montreal was like nothing the marque had made before, but can it compare with a Porsche masterpiece, the 911S 2.4?
The stereotype of the ItaloGermanic automotive rivalry is that the Latin car will be brilliant to drive, but poorly built and ergonomically flawed, while the Teutonic will be the opposite. Yet these 2+2 sports coupés both ran against orthodoxy. In the Montreal, Alfa Romeo created an outlandish-looking two-door more comfortable, more powerful and more refined than anything it had produced for decades. Meanwhile, Porsche continued to refine its back-to-front, austere and increasingly aged 911. Neither took a traditional development path, but both created thrilling and individual cars that have echoed through the decades.
Daring to be diminutive
AMC's Gremlin and Pacer, and Ford's much-derided Pinto, led America's response to the threat of imported European compacts
THE LONG WAY ROUND
There is a great tradition of overland trips by Land-Rover, but the tale of this 70s Aussie epic and the car itself was discovered by chance
Handsome cab
The Phantom V limousine marked the beginning of the end for coachbuilder James Young, but this Rolls-Royce represents the craft at its very best
DOING IT FOR THEMSELVES
Racing for their own F1 teams brought some drivers success and an enduring legacy. For others, it turned into a nightmare
20 30 LITRES CYLINDERS, 400BHP......AND MORE THAN A CENTURY OLD
Thunderous torque, flame-spitting stub-exhausts, white-knuckle thrills - and hopefully no spills - aboard a trio of Edwardian racing titans
ICON.
The three top-selling vehicles in the USA in 2023 were pick-ups, topped by the Ford F-Series. This is the truck that started it all
Blurred Lines
lan 'Del' Lines blended the V8 burble of Triumph's open GT with real practicality in his Stag V8 saloons and estates
Home of the brave
The innovative Silverstone proved a hit with keen amateur drivers. To mark its 75th, Healey's club racer returns to the circuit for which it is named
PLAYING ALL THE ANGLES
Alfa Romeo's wild RZ eschewed the jellymould styling of the period to offer a striking, wedge-shaped take on open-topped performance motoring