THEGAYUK

Day: 26 May 2018

  • CAR REVIEW | Jaguar XF R-Sport 250ps Sportbrake

    CAR REVIEW | Jaguar XF R-Sport 250ps Sportbrake

    ★★★★☆ | Jaguar XF R-Sport 250ps Sportbrake

    Jaguar XF R-Sport 250ps Sportbrake review
    Is the Jaguar XF R-Sport 250ps Sportbrake any good?

    In the summer THEGAYUK went to the unveiling of the new XF Sportbrake set in a Wimbledon style setting. Much was to be made of the new Jaguar XF with added room.

    Sadly on the day, the cars were all kept locked so I was only able to look at the outside. It’s easy to say “yes it looks ok” when you haven’t got up close and personal. Thankfully two bridges have been crossed because THEGAYUK has enjoyed time with the XF saloon and now the Sportbrake.

    Running wise the two cars were identical in having the 2-litre petrol turbo Ingenium engine making 250 horses. Oddly the official performance figures are somewhat chalk and cheese for both cars. The Sportbrake will do the 0-60 dash 0.5 seconds slower but will achieve 3 mph more.

    Jaguar XF R-Sport 250ps Sportbrake boot size

    These figures aside, it is the overall package that I was looking briefly at on a Jaguar play day. Now having been able to play with both I can say that I actually prefer the looks of the Sportbrake. There is often a little bit of style lost and extra length added to a saloon when it becomes an estate. However, Jaguar has been clever in keeping the 2 cars on the same platform equating to both being the same length of 4954mm.

    As expected, around 70kg of extra weight has been added to a car capable of carrying extra cargo. This being made up of the hefty tailgate and extra metal required to retain rigidity around the opening. A small price to pay and yet for a car with an aluminium construction, it is anything but light with a kerb weight of 2260kg.

    Load area with the seats up gains an extra 25 litres too. Increasing to a maximum of 1700 litres with the 40:20:40 split folding rear seats down.

    What can become problematic for the estate style body is humming from the wheels reverberating around the cabin because the boot area is left fully exposed to the cabin. As you’d expect in the refinement of the Jaguar, there is no such noise. Being as the car glides effortlessly with little fuss, any noise would be amplified. I’m glad to say it wasn’t.

    What is quite disconcerting is the sheer amount of openness you get when inside. Look over your shoulder and it does feel like the cabin goes on for miles. It’s big and yet no more than the saloon.

    Here though is the big question. Is there room for another estate on the market when the rise of the SUV doesn’t seem to be stopping? It’s a tricky one to answer. As it is, Jaguar has 2 SUV’s in their range and those 2 are evenly matched by their Range Rover counterparts.

    It will have buyers. Not everyone wants an SUV. For one thing, an SUV, no matter whose badge it wears, lacks visual prestige a saloon or in this case, an estate can offer. And with the handling credentials of the saloon being evenly matched to this Sportbrake l can’t see anyone who opts for the XF being remotely upset in having a car that sits lower down. In terms of style, the estate offerings of the XF really do make Jaguars slogan of Grace, Pace and Space come true.

    The Lowdown
    Car – Jaguar XF R-Sport 250ps Sportbrake
    Price – (from) £42,435
    MPG – 41.5 mpg (combined)
    Power – 0-62mph – 6.7 seconds
    Top Speed – 150 mph
    Co2 – 155 (g/km)

  • George Takei’s alleged groping “might not have happened”

    “I wasn’t attracted to Asian men… I was a hot, surfer, California boy type, that he probably could have only gotten had he bought, paid for”

    Former model and actor, Scott Brunton has admitted that the groping he alleges George Takei of doing in the early 80s may not have actually happened.

    In November 2017 Brunton alleged that after a few drinks at Takei’s home in California, where he fell asleep on a bean bag chair and awoke to find his trousers were around his ankles. He claimed Takei, who was 43 or 44 at the time, was groping him.

    This was the first and only allegation of this sort against George Takei.

    Takei responded to the allegations via Twitter as “personally painful”. He wrote a statement saying he was “shocked and bewildered at these claims”

    Brunton clarifies

    Speaking more recently to the Observer, Scott Brunton relived the story he had told The Hollywood Reporter,

    Shane Snow reporting for the Observer asks, “I asked him to clarify the issue. ‘Did he touch your genitals?’”

    “’You know…probably…’ Brunton replied after some hesitation, “He was clearly on his way to…to…to going somewhere,’”

    “So you don’t remember him touching your genitals?” asks Snow.

    Brunton confessed he did not remember any touching.

    He admitted that it could have been a ‘misunderstanding’, but insists it was an ‘unwanted situation’. He finally told the Observer ‘it might not have happened’.

    Brunton then added, “He was 20 years older than me and short. And I wasn’t attracted to Asian men… I was a hot, surfer, California boy type, that he probably could have only gotten had he bought, paid for or found someone just willing to ride on his coattails of fame.”

    The episode itself was “not painful, ‘It didn’t scar me,” Brunton said.

     

    Takei’s Response

    George took to Twitter to thank fans who “stood by” the actor during the allegations. He wrote,

    “As many of you know, this has been a very difficult period for myself and my husband Brad as we have dealt with the impact of these accusations, but we are happy to see that this nightmare is finally drawing to a close.

    “As I stated before, I do not remember Mr. Brunton or any of the events he described from forty years ago, but I do understand that this was part of a very important national conversation that we as a society must have, painful as it might be.

    “It is in that spirit that I want folks to know, despite what he has put us through, I do not bear Mr. Brunton any ill will, and I wish him peace.

    “Brad and I are especially grateful for the many fans who stood by me throughout this ordeal. Your support kept us going, and we are so immensely thankful for you.”