1970 Jaguar E-type 2+2 Coupe With Power Steering on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Watch new Jaguar XF perform a literal high-wire act

Coming out with a new luxury sedan can be a truly daunting prospect. Make it too edgy and you'll risk disenfranchising what can often be a rather conservative customer base. Make it too conservative and you may fail to attract enough new customers or generate enough interest to make the endeavor worthwhile. Whether Jaguar succeeded in walking that thin line with the new XF is a matter of personal taste, blending as it does elements from the smaller XE and the outgoing XF it replaces. But in launching the new model, Jaguar didn't just pull of a figurative high-wire act – it did quite a literal one. To drum up support for its newest debut, Jaguar undertook the stunt depicted in the video above, stringing a pair of carbon-fiber cables some 60 feet above the River Thames in London. With some guide wires and counterbalance weights to keep it all in check, and a motion-picture stunt crew orchestrating it all, the new XF drove over 780 feet from one bank of the river to the other, setting a new world record in the process. Instead of thinking too hard about the whys (seriously, though... why?) and hows, we suggest you just watch the video above. Related Video:

Jaguar XKSS tipped to be next continuation model

After the Jaguar F-Type Project Seven, Range Rover Sport SVR, and run of six continuation Lightweight E-Types, the Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations (SVO) division is plotting its next historic resurrection, and there's a chance it could be the Jaguar XKSS. That's the word from SVO head John Edwards to Dutch outlet Autovisie, but we need to emphasize the word "could," because the XKSS is one of about four finalists - a "major contender" - among a long list of 65 ideas for the Special Operations to devote itself to. Edwards said that SVO projects need to have some kind of story behind them, a qualification the XKSS doesn't lack. In the 1950s Jaguar raced the D-Type to three Le Mans wins among its list of victories, but retired as a factory team at the end of 1955. When Jaguar decided to turn 25 unused D-Type chassis' into road-going cars, the XKSS was created. The company built the 25, but a fire at the Browns Lane factory destroyed nine of them. It is those nine that will be in the continuation run, should the XKSS get the nod. Jaguar has already sold the six E-Type Lightweight models, each one for more a million pounds ($1.52M US). The XKSS could undoubtedly command even more, with its legendary roots; the 1956 model that Steve McQueen bought for $5,000 (and Jay Leno recently drove) is said to be worth thirty million. We have to think that even if the XKSS isn't chosen right now, it will certainly get the green light at some point. Related Video: Featured Gallery Jaguar XK-SS Gathering at Pebble Beach View 13 Photos News Source: Autovisie via Motor AuthorityImage Credit: Copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Jaguar Convertible Lightweight Vehicles Racing Vehicles Special and Limited Editions Performance Classics jaguar xkss

Automotive Grade Linux will be the backbone of your connected car

Creating a backend for a secure, reliable, and expandable infotainment system is costly and time consuming. The Linux Foundation, a non-profit organization, has set out to promote and advance the Linux operating system in commercial products. Automotive Grade Linux, or AGL, is a group within the Foundation that seeks to apply a Linux backend to a number of automotive applications in a variety of vehicles from various suppliers and manufacturers. AGL's goal is to create a common, unifying framework that allows developers and manufacturers to easily implement applications across platforms. Currently, the focus is on infotainment systems, but AGL has plans for instrument clusters, heads-up displays, and eventually active safety software. At CES, a display from Panasonic showed a completely digital and customizable dashboard that allows information and apps to be moved from the gauge cluster to the infotainment screen and back, all through the use of gesture and touch controls. Although the organization has been around for five years, it's really only been in the past three that the group has been working hand in hand with automakers and suppliers. The first two OEMs to participate, Toyota and Jaguar Land Rover, have since been joined by Mazda, Suzuki, Ford, and, as of this week, Daimler. The latter is important as until now most of AGL's partner's have been based in Japan or the US. Other partners include suppliers Denso, Renesas, Continental, Qualcomm, and Intel. AGL want's to supply roughly 80 percent of the backend, allowing partners to then finish and refine the Linux system for each individual application. Think of how the Android operating system is refined and customized for individual smartphones from Samsung, LG, and Motorola. While the final product looks different, developers can have an application that will work across all AGL systems. Because it is open source, anyone can use and develop for AGL. You can even go onto the group's website and download a copy right now. There is also a software development kit available that helps facilitate app creation on the platform. Vehicle development cycles take roughly five years, so there currently are no cars that run an AGL backbone available for consumers. AGL Executive Director Dan Cauchy says products should be hitting the market later this year, with even more coming in 2018. Right now, the industry is relatively fragmented when it comes to infotainment and related systems.