1962 E-type Coupe on 2040-cars

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Jaguar shows off production XE body in camo

Jaguar turned to Twitter and Facebook to reveal the production form of its coming XE sedan that we'll see for real at the Paris Motor Show. This is the first of a series of show-offs, Jaguar planning to wrap the bodywork in see-through camo that shows off the aluminum monocoque and other internals the company will use to promote the XE over its German rivals. That aluminum structure, which Jaguar calls iQ[Al], will also be used for other Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles.
Underneath that long bonnet and ahead of that terribly short trunk will come a series of Ingenium engines, the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engines in diesel and petrol forms that will come in a variety of power options, and the 3.0-liter supercharged V6 that can also be found in the F-Type. Before the XE goes on sale early next year, you can click the image above to get a slightly larger view of what the The Leaping Cat's near future looks like.

Jaguar working on windows that open when you touch them

Jaguar is working on side windows that will whir up and down not with a push of a button, but with a touch of the glass itself. According to Jaguar Design Director Ian Callum, "For instance, if you want to pull the windows down, you touch a certain area of the glass and you can actually just drop them down." Callum would go on to caution, "These things are all a work in progress at the moment," before pausing and saying, "That's coming." When we asked when we might see such technology deployed in a production car, Callum, who spoke with Autoblog at the Detroit Auto Show on Monday, said, "I don't know when, but we certainly know how to do it." Callum was less forthcoming about how the technology functions, saying, "Oh, I can't tell you (laughs)... it's proximity, mainly." It's not clear whether traditional physical switches mounted on the doors would still be required with such a system. The designer then went on to discuss Jaguar's innovation in proximity-based switchgear – the automaker has already been using the technology for its interior overhead lighting controls and glovebox release. When we asked about any safety concerns that touch-control windows might generate, Callum said, "I think if it's a very specific area, there's absolutely no ambiguity about what you're trying to do – it's fine." Callum knows a thing or two about the need for absolute specificity in this area – when Jaguar introduced its XF sedan with proximity switchgear, it found passengers were accidentally opening their gloveboxes with their knees, which prompted a quick redesign. "It's a whole new genre of disciplines that we have to think about – what is safe," he said. Design/Style Jaguar Technology Luxury 2015 Detroit Auto Show

Carlex Jaguar XJ Coupe restomod is neither British nor understated

The Jaguar XJ Coupe was already an unconventional Jag. The dramatically long two-door was built on a Series II sedan chassis and kept most of the styling in tact, just losing two doors and gaining a whole lot of subtle elegance. However, the customizers at Carlex Design have created an XJC that takes things to the next level (and maybe a few levels beyond that). Based in Poland, Carlex has a history of cranking out modified vehicles for well-off clientele. Past projects have included a race-inspired Land Rover Defender, a yachting-inspired Mercedes G63, an aggressively styled Hyundai Santa Fe, and a gargoyle-esque Ford Ranger. The Jaguar XJ Coupe is clearly a favorite, though. The newest XJC takes the British classic and gives it racier look. De-bumpered and widened with blister flares, it evokes a touring car racer from back in the day. Actually, it's more accurate to say this is what a modern restomod inspired by a fictional 1970s race car would look like, as the real XJ Coupe race cars didn't quite look like this. That's because the wheels are gigantic, big enough to bathe a medium-sized dog in. No in-period race car would have had saucers that large. And while the side view maintains faithful to the classic, its face betrays its era. Circle to the front end and LED headlights and afterburner-style high beams complete the Jag's four-eyed gaze. The original's elegant grille has been replaced with a toothy maw that would look more at home on a SEMA Jeep. Underhood the Carlex sports a V8 (of unspecified origin) delivering 400 horsepower. The company says its brakes are new, and that suspension and air conditioning are suitable for everyday use. The interior has been upholstered in what Carlex calls hand-aged leather. The deep brown color gives it the feel of a mahogany-walled boardroom. Aside from the fluting everywhere, the interior is fairly clean, and less busy than the original XJC's. If we had to pick we'd go with the unflared body of Carlex's old XJC design, but replace its Kardashian-designed dash with this one. Carlex didn't disclose price or production run, but only that a few examples would be built each year. Or, you can try to find one of Jaguar's original XJ Coupes, which were only produced between 1975 and 1978, with a run of fewer than 10,000 units over the four-year span. Given its obscurity it's kind of a strange car to restomod, but perhaps we in the U.S.