1967 Jaguar E-type, Xke - Restoration Project - Partially Disassembled on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Jaguar Land Rover reveals EV concepts, details green strategy

While it offers diesel models and even a couple hybrids, Jaguar Land Rover isn't quite as fleshed out on alternative powertrains as its luxurious German rivals. That should change pretty soon. JLR revealed three concepts at the CENEX Low Carbon Vehicle event in Millbrook, England, today. The Concept_e "research demonstrators" all use a new electric drive module, an EV system that the Indian-owned, British-based outfit claims will double the power and torque of today' electric motors. JLR says these modular EDMs can be paired with any of the company's engines or transmissions to create either a mild hybrid, a plug-in hybrid, or a pure EV. So yeah, this is kind of a big deal. Arguably the most exciting offering is a one-of-a-kind research vehicle. Riding on JLR's aluminium aluminum architecture, it ties together two electric motors – an 85-kW unit with a single-speed trans on the front axle and a 145-kW rear motor that's been mated to a two-speed transmission – with a 70-kWh li-ion battery that's mounted in the underbody of the car. There's also the Concept_e MHEV. This is a Range Rover Evoque that's been fitted with a mild hybrid system. Just a refresher, but a mild hybrid is very different than what's found in either a Chevrolet Volt or Toyota Prius, as it uses the electric motor and battery pack to simply assist the internal combustion engine, rather than for an electric driving mode. Reflecting that use, this particular Evoque uses a 15-kilowatt electric motor and a 48-volt, lithium-ion battery pack alongside a 90-metric-horsepower diesel-powered prototype. Finally, we have a Range Rover Sport-based plug-in hybrid. This brute uses a 300-metric-horsepower prototype gas engine and an eight-speed automatic alongside a 150-kilowatt electric motor. Energy is stored in a trunk-mounted, 320-volt, li-ion battery back. Partially funded by the British government, the EDMs are the result of a 16.3-million-pound ($25-million) research-and-development program. They're built in house by JLR, but were developed alongside 12 partners. While these concepts are exciting, don't get your hopes up to see a plug-in Jaguar XF or an all-electric Discovery Sport in your local dealer any time soon. "This is a long-term Jaguar Land Rover research project exploring all aspects of future hybrid and battery electric vehicle technology," JLR research and design boss Dr. Wolfgang Epple said in the attached statement.

Jaguar announces continuation run of 1953 C-Type race cars

Jaguar is adding the 1953 C-Type race car to its Jaguar Classic "Continuation" line of historic cars. These factory-built cars are crafted to the same specifications as their inspirations, making them some of the most accurate replicas of any classics available to the public.  For the C-Type, Jaguar turned to the 1953 Le Mans-winning works car, which was powered by a 3.4-liter, 220-horsepower straight-six sporting three Weber carbs. Unlike the road cars, the racers wore disc brakes at all four corners, which is good news for anybody who is purchasing one of these to drive.  "Driven by some of the most-admired racing drivers in history, the C-Type laid the foundations for Jaguar’s success in endurance racing and is synonymous with design and engineering innovation," said Dan Pink, director of Jaguar Classic. "Seventy years on, Jaguar Classic is proud to be able to utilize the latest innovations in manufacturing technology – alongside traditional skills and unrivaled expertise – to reintroduce this legendary car for a new generation of enthusiasts to enjoy." While a new generation of enthusiasts may get the opportunity to drool over a factory-fresh C-Type for the first time, these continuation cars won't exactly be flying off the assembly lines. In fact, the production pace won't come anywhere close to that of the original. Jaguar plans to build just eight examples to be delivered prior to a motorsports-themed celebration event for those lucky customers. (Just 53 were built in the original 1950s production run, of which 43 were sold to private owners.) If they're so inclined, owners of the new C-Types will be able to race their cars in sanctioned vintage series. FIA-approved harness mounts can even be included from the factory. Despite that nod to convention, Jaguar's key motivation with the C-Type revival is staying true to the originals. "Building on the experience gained with previous Jaguar Classic Continuation programs for Lightweight E-Type, XKSS and D-Type, Jaguar Classic engineers consulted the Jaguar archives and cross-referenced scan data taken from an original C-Type in conjunction with the latest computer aided design (CAD) technology, to create the most authentic new C-Type possible," Jaguar said in its announcement. Jaguar is even throwing a bone to those of us who will only be able to admire these beauties from afar. As of Wednesday, a configurator tool for the new C-Type Continuation is available on Jaguar's website.

Automotive Grade Linux will be the backbone of your connected car

Creating a backend for a secure, reliable, and expandable infotainment system is costly and time consuming. The Linux Foundation, a non-profit organization, has set out to promote and advance the Linux operating system in commercial products. Automotive Grade Linux, or AGL, is a group within the Foundation that seeks to apply a Linux backend to a number of automotive applications in a variety of vehicles from various suppliers and manufacturers. AGL's goal is to create a common, unifying framework that allows developers and manufacturers to easily implement applications across platforms. Currently, the focus is on infotainment systems, but AGL has plans for instrument clusters, heads-up displays, and eventually active safety software. At CES, a display from Panasonic showed a completely digital and customizable dashboard that allows information and apps to be moved from the gauge cluster to the infotainment screen and back, all through the use of gesture and touch controls. Although the organization has been around for five years, it's really only been in the past three that the group has been working hand in hand with automakers and suppliers. The first two OEMs to participate, Toyota and Jaguar Land Rover, have since been joined by Mazda, Suzuki, Ford, and, as of this week, Daimler. The latter is important as until now most of AGL's partner's have been based in Japan or the US. Other partners include suppliers Denso, Renesas, Continental, Qualcomm, and Intel. AGL want's to supply roughly 80 percent of the backend, allowing partners to then finish and refine the Linux system for each individual application. Think of how the Android operating system is refined and customized for individual smartphones from Samsung, LG, and Motorola. While the final product looks different, developers can have an application that will work across all AGL systems. Because it is open source, anyone can use and develop for AGL. You can even go onto the group's website and download a copy right now. There is also a software development kit available that helps facilitate app creation on the platform. Vehicle development cycles take roughly five years, so there currently are no cars that run an AGL backbone available for consumers. AGL Executive Director Dan Cauchy says products should be hitting the market later this year, with even more coming in 2018. Right now, the industry is relatively fragmented when it comes to infotainment and related systems.