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Jaguar Land Rover planning to allow owners to earn cryptocurrency

Jaguar Land Rover, Britain's largest auto manufacturer, said on Monday it is testing software that will allow drivers of its cars to earn the IOTA cryptocurrency as a reward for sharing data. The company is developing what it calls "smart wallet" technology to be installed in its automobiles. This would reward Jaguar car drivers with IOTA coins for actions such as enabling their vehicles to automatically report useful data, such as traffic congestion or potholes to navigation providers or local authorities. Drivers could also earn rewards if the car participates in a ride-sharing program, Jaguar said. The tokens earned could be used to pay for tolls, parking and charging for electric cars. The overall goal was to "achieve zero emissions, zero accidents, and zero congestion," the company said. Global car companies are exploring blockchain applications, figuring out different ways in which they can leverage the technology to suit their different needs. Blockchain, the system powering cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, is a shared database that is maintained by a network of computers connected to the internet. The British car company is testing the technology at the new Jaguar Land Rover software engineering base in Shannon, Ireland, where engineers have already equipped several vehicles, including the Jaguar F-PACE and Range Rover Velar, with "smart wallet" features, the company said. It does not yet have a timetable for when it will be commercially available, said Jaguar, a subsidiary of Tata Motors. The IOTA token is based on a distributed ledger technology that enables people and machines to transfer money and data without any transaction fees. IOTA trades on digital asset exchanges and was last at 27 U.S. cents per token. "The smart wallet technology ... can be easily adapted into all new vehicles," Dominik Schiener, IOTA co-founder and co-chairman of its board, told Reuters on Friday. "IOTA wants to enable interoperability with all these different players. So there is no Jaguar coin, no BMW coin, but one universal token for this machine economy," he added.

2021 Jaguar F-Type First Drive | Can we interest you in some loud?

The 2021 Jaguar F-Type is not a perfect car. There are some cracks in the armor, flaws worth pointing out and nits to pick for car reviewers like us. It’s not a Jaguar version of the unflappable Porsche 911, nor is it a British muscle car. The F-Type has split the difference since the carÂ’s introduction for 2014, and now the two-seaterÂ’s first big update is upon us. Ian Callum left Jaguar more than a year ago, but he was still responsible for this revamped design. Few cars featured better styling than the previous F-Type, and the same can be said this time around. Part of that can be attributed to JaguarÂ’s light touch approach. Horizontal headlights and a new grille differentiate the new F-TypeÂ’s face from the last one. The clamshell hood remains, but its sculpting is less prominent and pointy than before. Combined, these new elements result in a softer, gentler face — Jaguar calls it “liquid metal.” At the back, new, I-Pace-inspired LED taillights now sit flush with the massaged bumper.  ItÂ’s still an obvious sports car design, but Jaguar has thrown away the edgy, aggressive persona of the previous F-Type. Forced to pick sides, weÂ’ll take the previous generation – updating a brilliant design is no easy task – but it remains a beautiful car. Onlookers certainly agreed, as our Sorrento Yellow tester drew a colossal amount of attention. One can thank JaguarÂ’s ear-shattering exhaust for some of that attention, too. How much shattering occurs depends on the engine, of course, and the number of pipes poking out of the bumper. Besides the sound, this is also the best way to tell different F-Types apart. Four-cylinder models get a single, central exhaust; V6-equipped cars get a dual central exhaust, and the V8-powered F-Type R continues on with its quad exhaust pushed out to the edges of the rear valance.  2021 Jaguar F-Type P300 View 30 Photos That's the version we drove. Powered by the same 5.0-liter supercharged V8 previously found in the F-Type SVR, the 2021 F-Type R produces 575 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 24 and 14, respectively. It's then a massive drop to the two engines below, which says more about the R than the unchanged but still amply endowed other F-Types.  The base P300 (gray car in the gallery above) is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 296 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, while the R-Dynamic P380 and its 3.0-liter supercharged V6 produces 380 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque.

V12-powered Jaguar E-Type Series 3 the restomod treatment from UK firm

As Jaguar tries to figure out its future, a growing number of aftermarket companies are reinventing its past. British restoration shop E-Type UK is the latest company to announce a restomod program for the popular sports car released in 1961. It's working with later Series 3 models, which is a little unusual, and it leaves no part untouched. E-Type UK starts every Unleashed project with a donor car; it doesn't build an E-Type from scratch. After strengthening the basic platform, it bores out the V12's cylinders to increase its displacement to 6.1 liters, 800 cubic centimeters more than stock. Additional modifications, like an electronic fuel-injection system and a free-flowing exhaust system, boost the engine's output to 400 horsepower, and a five-speed manual transmission sends the cavalry to the rear wheels. Four-piston front brake calipers ensure the Unleashed stops as well as it goes. With the engine finished and tuned, E-Type UK turns its attention to the chassis. It fits the E-Type with technology the original model could only dream of, like fully adjustable shock absorbers. Wire wheels are standard equipment, they fit the car's sleek profile well, but their diameter increases slightly to 16 inches to clear the bigger brakes. Designers restyled the bumpers, the grille, and the exterior emblems, though the changes are relatively subtle, and they added LED headlights to give the E-Type the visibility of a modern car. Inside, the only limit is the thickness of the buyer's wallet. Anything is possible; the options include different types of leather upholstery and various trim options. Heated seats, LED lighting, a push-button ignition, Bluetooth connectivity, and a surround-sound system are among the equipment added by E-Type UK to encourage future owners to drive their Unleashed often. All told, each build requires at least 4,000 hours of labor, which partially explains why pricing starts at GBP325,000 (around $447,600 at the current conversion rate) before the cost of a donor car enters the equation. For context, that money could buy you two examples of the Lamborghini Huracan Evo and a garage to keep them in, a small plane, or 447 examples of your favorite $1,000 econobox. And yet, we doubt E-Type UK will have a difficult time finding clients. Restomods are a big trend in the industry, some are even Volvo-based, and they're never cheap. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences.