1958 Jaguar Xk 150 Coupe on 2040-cars

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Jaguar-Land Rover will use recycled waste to make parts for future models

Jaguar-Land Rover's future models will be partially made of junk. The company announced it's working on integrating a recycled material named Econyl into its manufacturing process in the coming years. Created in 2011 by Italy-based Aquafil, Econyl is a fiber made with a blend of recycled industrial plastics, fabric offcuts sourced from clothing manufacturers, and discarded fishing nets aimlessly floating around the ocean. It's more eco-friendly to produce than oil-based fibers, according to Jaguar, and it helps clean up the planet. Jaguar and Land Rover will use Econyl to make floor mats in the not-too-distant future. Neither company listed the models they'll put the material in, but it's reasonable to assume recycled floor mats will be available in the next-generation XJ, which will be electric, and the next-generation Range Rover. Both will be released in 2021. Eco-friendly materials are slowly but surely spreading across the luxury car segment. Jaguar already offers the I-Pace with a Kvadrat upholstery that combines regular wool and up to 53 recycled plastic bottles per car. Audi's fourth-generation A3 is optionally available with an upholstery made largely using recycled plastic bottles, and Volvo estimates at least 25% of the plastics in its cars will be recycled starting in 2025. Environmentalist organizations are putting an increasing amount of pressure on carmakers to deliver so-called vegan interiors. A group called EarthSight recently accused several companies (including Jaguar-Land Rover and BMW) of using leather from cattle raised on illegally logged lands in Paraguay. Representatives for the British company stressed they found no evidence to verify EarthSight's claims. Related Video:

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

Jaguar explains the perfect driver seating position

Although the shapes of car seats are one-size-fits-all, manufacturers have created numerous ways to customize how seats are positioned in efforts to cater to the multiple sizes of drivers. Whereas old vehicles only had the options of reclining and sliding forward or backward, new cars have seats that move up, down, forward, backward, and just about any other direction. In a new video, Jaguar demonstrates exactly how to use these features to find the perfect seating position. The advice comes from Steve Iley, Jaguar Land Rover's chief medical officer. Many people only think of seating position as a means to comfort, but when dealing with posture, it can affect a person's health. Iley's first tip is to empty out your pockets, thus avoiding any impingements. That includes anything from wallets to keys to cellphones to stowed-away snacks. Before putting a seatbelt on, the driver should then make sure his or her butt is all the way to the rear of the seat and that the entire back is touching the seat. Next are the seat adjustments. Iley suggests moving the back of the seat until the driver's spine and pelvis are aligned and straight. Note in this position the driver's thighs should be resting on the seats without any pressure points. Following this step, check the distance and position of the feet relative to the pedals. Jaguar says in the correct position, the leg should still be slightly bent when a pedal is fully pressed. The driver's elbows should be in a similar slightly bent position. With both hands on the wheel, make sure the arms aren't straight and have a slight kink at the elbow. In an ideal position, the driver's shoulders should remain in contact with the seat even during turning. Last, the headrest should be aligned with the top of the head. Not mentioned in Jaguar's advice is that NHTSA urges you to sit at least 10 inches from the steering wheel — as far back as you can while still comfortably reaching the pedals and wheel — in order to minimize the potential for serious injuries from airbag deployment, and the old 10-and-2 hand position is discouraged for the same reasons. Hands at 3 and 9 or at 4 and 8 are the new norm. AAA demonstrates in the video below. If any part of this doesn't make sense, you're in luck. Both videos are helpful. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.