1973 Jaguar Xke V12 Convertible on 2040-cars

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Jaguar Land Rover's latest tech makes roads safer for bikes [w/video]

Safety in automobiles isn't just about protecting the occupants anymore. It's about protecting pedestrians who might be struck by an automobile, and as Jaguar Land Rover is demonstrating, it's about protecting cyclists as well. The latest experimental safety system from the British automaker is called Bike Sense, and it builds upon technologies the company has demonstrated recently, taking them a step further to make the road safer for those riding on two wheels. The system uses a combination of colors, sounds and vibrations to alert the driver of a potential hazard that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. Demonstrated on an XJ sedan, the system identifies nearby two-wheeled vehicles as pedal-powered or motorized, and alerts the driver accordingly. If a cycle is passing a the vehicle's blind spot, the top of the seat will vibrate to virtually "tap" the driver on the left or right shoulder, prompting him or her to look over that shoulder for the hazard. LEDs inside the cabin will then illuminate amber to red in the direction that the bike is passing. The system will even chime a bicycle bell or motorcycle horn as the two-wheeled vehicle approaches, and vibrate or stiffen the accelerator pedal if the driver keeps moving towards the obstacle. And if an occupant of the parked vehicle starts to open the door into the path of moving vehicle, it'll flash a light, sound an alarm and even vibrate the door handle to warn the occupant of the oncoming hazard. We could imagine the alerts getting a little distracting, but JLR says the system is designed to prioritize potential hazards when their are groups of pedestrians, bicyclists and/or motorcycle riders on a busy urban street. This is, of course, just the latest in a long string of new systems JLR has under development, following such technologies as the Transparent Bonnet, the Smart Assistant, the Virtual Windscreen for track sessions and the 360 Virtual Urban Windscreen for city driving. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Formula E is on track financially, with NYC race coming up

LONDON - Formula E could be breaking even already were it not investing for the future, chief executive Alejandro Agag said on Monday after the electric motor racing series reported continuing losses in its latest annual accounts. Accounts filed at Companies House showed Formula E Operations Ltd reduced its operating loss to 33.7 million euros ($38.32 million) at end-July 2016, a period covering its second season, from a previous 62.7 million. Net liabilities rose to 107.2 million euros from 72.1 million, while total revenues reached 56.6 million from a previous 19.7 million. "Everything is going according to plan," Agag, whose city-based series will be racing in New York for the first time on July 15 and 16, told Reuters in an interview at his London offices. "Actually we are doing incredibly well financially according to our plan. "We could have broken even this year but we decided to invest more in marketing and promotion. We decided to add races like the one in New York, which is in year one a race which is costing, we have significant capital expenditure." "It's really up to us when we want to go to break even or not. We could be in break-even now, we could be in break-even next season but we may decide to invest more in marketing and promotion." Agag said the shareholders, including John Malone's Liberty Global and Discovery Communications, were supportive of the strategy and the series had attracted more investors, sponsors and car manufacturers. The New York races will be held in Brooklyn's Red hook neighborhood, with lower Manhattan and the Statue of Liberty as a backdrop with technology partner Qualcomm securing the naming rights. MANUFACTURER INTEREST Agag, whose series plays down competition with Liberty Media-owned Formula One, said more carmakers were set to join a series increasingly aligned with their commercial focus. "I think Formula E has become the preferred destination for manufacturers and there are a few reasons for that," said the Spaniard. "Obviously, one is that it is electric and manufacturers are more and more focusing on electric cars...and we are the only platform really to help them promote that technology and those types of cars. "And second, because of the cost. The cost of the team in Formula E is very moderate." Whereas top Formula One teams can burn through $300 million a year, as can the likes of Toyota in the World Endurance Championship, the budgets of successful Formula E teams are between 10 and 15 million.

2023 Jaguar F-Pace SVR Edition 1988 begins the brand's reset

At the end of last month, Jaguar hit the 'Delete' button on nearly ten years of Instagram posts, replacing them with three images of the Jaguar XJR-9 endurance racer that won the 1988 24 Hours of Le Mans. We made two conjectures as to what it could mean, the first being, "a limited-edition version of an existing car inspired by the XJR-9 could be around the corner." And here we have none other than a limited-edition version of an existing Jaguar, called the F-Pace SVR Edition 1988. Created by the SV Bespoke division with help from Special Vehicle Operations and the design team, this is the Jaguar's first limited edition F-Pace; the brand will make just 394 of them for global consumption, celebrating the number of laps the XJR-9 completed during its win at La Sarthe. The changes are cosmetic, sadly, which means no 7.0-liter V12 up front. The standard supercharged 5.0-liter serves here, making the standard 550 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. It looks more sinister than ever, though, hidden behind Midnight Amethyst paint and a set of 22-inch Champagne Gold forged alloy wheels. If that weren't enough to announce itself, there are also Sunset Gold Satin accents that contrast with the standard Black Package, such as the Edition 1988 badging on the fenders, leaper badge in back and tailgate script. A silver "SV Bespoke commissioning graphic" informs that each model is "One of 394." Inside, occupants find more Sunset Gold on the steering wheel, shift paddles, instrument panel and ventilated Performance Seats. They're offset by semi-aniline leather everywhere, and carbon fiber trim finishers. Jaguar mentions as well that it's incorporated what3words navigation into the Pivi Pro infotainment system. A combination of three terms identifies three-square-meter blocks (32.3 square feet) around the world, the phrase "echo.twin.papers" providing directions to the Empire State Building, for instance. The F-Pace SVR Edition 1988 starts at $111,150 after the $1,150 destination charge, a $23,400 surcharge over the base F-Pace SVR.  Now we wait to find out about our second surmise for the brand — a return to old-school competition with an endurance racing program. It's unlikely for tens of millions of reasons, but we'd love to see the cat back at that French country house with Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Lamborghini and Porsche. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.