Confession: If I saw a live jungle cat running and roaring anywhere outside of a zoo cage, I would turn the other way and run for my life. I know, I know – I’m weird like that. But if I was present when CAR Magazine unleashed a Jaguar on the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, a stick of dynamite wouldn’t have been able to take my eyes off of it.
The British publication’s editor-at-large, Ben Barry, only had one lap to narrate the world’s shortest – and coolest – nature documentary. Logically, he got right to making the big kitty shake its tail. The 550 horsepower from the F-TYPE R’s 5-liter supercharged V8 helped him do that, but it did no favors for the car’s rear tires. An optional Carbon Ceramic Braking system prevented the ferocious feline from biting Barry in the face. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to discover that the vehicle “turns in really nicely.”
Barry also lauded the Electronic Active Differential and the Jag’s nimbleness and lack of understeer. You’ll love the dulcet tones from the blown eight and the indulgent amount of tire smoke. Another confession: I did.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
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