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Lapping Le Mans with 1956's version of a dash cam

Mike Hawthorne and Ivor Bueb won The 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1955 driving a Jaguar D-Type. The following year, a few days before the race, a British broadcaster put cameras on Hawthorne's car, hung a mic from a plate on his race suit and had him narrate a lap of the Circuit de la Sarthe.
It is compelling viewing. A new pit complex was built after the massive accident on the front straight in 1955, but this was still a time when crews prepped for the race on roads that were open to the public. Hawthorne's lap includes maneuvers to avoid bicyclists and cars, and gems like letting us know that doing 185 miles per hour down the Mulsanne Straight was where you could "relax a little, recover your energy." Watch him work it like the men of old in the video below.

Jaguar Classic's 3.8-liter engine block costs nearly as much as a new Jetta

Jaguar is helping collectors restore its vintage models by resuming production of the 3.8-liter six-cylinder engine block it built between 1958 and 1968. Called XK, the straight-six originally powered half a dozen models (including the famous E-Type), and its modern recreation costs nearly as much as a new compact sedan. Wearing part number C22250, the cast-iron block is built to the original's specifications by Jaguar's Classic division, and it comes with a 12-month warranty. Sourcing a used block would likely be markedly cheaper than ordering a new one from the factory, but enthusiasts who value originality above all will appreciate the fact that it comes certificate of authenticity. Customers who send the company proof of vehicle ownership can even retain the serial number from the engine they're pulling out, though an asterisk will identify it as a replacement. Jaguar built the XK engine for several decades, but the 3.8-liter variant only remained in production for 10 years. It powered cars like the surprisingly quick XK 150 roadster, the stately Mark IX and early examples of the E-Type, though its displacement grew to 4.2 liters in 1964. As of this writing, only the 3.8-liter XK is available new. If the E-Type you're painstakingly restoring deserves nothing less than the best, or if you think a 3.8-liter block makes an awesome coffee table, you'll need to send Jaguar a check for GBP14,340 including taxes, a sum that represents approximately $17,800 at the current conversion rate. Enthusiasts will also need to source pistons, connecting rods, a crankshaft and a complete cylinder head, among many other parts, so the cost of a full rebuild will lie well beyond the $20,000 threshold. For context, Volkswagen charges $18,895 for an entry-level Jetta. Related Video:

Jaguar InControl Touch Pro Infotainment Review | Improved, but far from the best

The infotainment systems in Jaguar or Land Rover vehicles over the past many years have been a cause for concern. They’ve been slow to respond, lacking in features and lagging behind the high-tech luxury competition by a wide margin.  Software updates and newer, better hardware keep coming, though. That being the case, it's time to take another look at what the latest infotainment system from Jaguar can do and how it goes about its business. We happened to be in JaguarÂ’s freshest product on the market for this test, too, the 2021 Jaguar F-Type R. Watch out for a full test on that car soon. Jaguar names its tech the Jaguar InControl Touch Pro system, and itÂ’s running on every model but the ancient XJ. The refreshed XE is also distinctive in that itÂ’s running the Touch Pro Duo screen setup that replaces the vast majority of the physical climate controls with a touchscreen. To get a visual guide and watch the screen in action, check out the video above.  In addition to the central screen, we also dive into the fully digitized instrument cluster thatÂ’s become the standard for other Jaguar models. The F-Type gained the screen this year, and it operates similarly to all the others.  On the surface, JaguarÂ’s infotainment system is rather simple and modern. ItÂ’s a clean UI thatÂ’s free of the many frills and fancies you might find in a Mercedes or Audi. YouÂ’ll never get lost in a sea of menus or settings a la BMW iDrive, as Jaguar never allows you to dive several levels deep. ThatÂ’s good for simplicityÂ’s sake and makes operating the system a cinch once you learn where the functions are. JaguarÂ’s bottom row of frequently used items is a perfect place to start, because thereÂ’s a good chance that youÂ’ll rarely need to stray from this small subset of functions. Both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto boot right up via a wired connection. They worked without issue all week long in the F-Type without glitches or failures to operate. In fact, we were generally impressed with this infotainment system and the accompanying digital cluster. It was only plagued by the occasional stutter or long pause between clicks, but not as often as in past Jaguars and Land Rovers. Unfortunately, itÂ’s tough to keep up when the German competition seems to be running systems that are faster, more fluid and bursting with features. Admittedly, some of those features are things that may never be truly useful and add to their aforementioned complexity.