1999 Jaguar Xj8 L Sedan 4-door 4.0l on 2040-cars

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Jaguar Land Rover develops 'transparent' A-pillar and ghost car [w/video]

Jaguar and Land Rover are known for making highly covetable luxury, performance and off-road vehicles, but the British automakers are on a bit of a technology bent lately. Keen to show that it can not only keep up but lead the way when it comes to safety and convenience features, JLR has come out with two more systems to show the way forward. JLR's new 360 Virtual Urban Windscreen system, showcased on an XJ sedan, adopts two novel approaches to getting around town. First up is the Transparent Pillar system, which uses a combination of cameras and display screens embedded in the A, B and C-pillars to make them virtually disappear. Instead of acting as blind spots limiting the driver's visibility, the system uses the roof pillars to display what's going on around the car. If there's an obstacle hidden by the A-pillars, the system shows you the potential hazard as if the pillars weren't there, and brings the obstacle to the driver's attention. If the driver turns his or her head to see a vehicle passing alongside, it projects the vehicle on the inside of the B- or C-pillar. The second technology integrated in the next-generation head-up display is the Follow-Me Ghost Car Navigation system, which takes a page out of the video-game playbook by projecting a "ghost car" on the windscreen that the driver can then "follow" instead of listening to turn-by-turn directions or looking at a map in the dashboard display. The system is similar to what Jaguar recently showcased on an F-Type for track use, but applied for more practical use on city streets and highways. The release of these systems also follows the integrated smart navigation and infotainment system displayed on the Range Rover Sport and the Transparent Bonnet showcased on the Discovery Vision concept. Though these new technologies might not be quite ready for production applications, their impressive sum total goes to show that Jaguar Land Rover is ahead of the curve when it comes to reducing driver distraction and increasing the driver's visibility. Scope out the latest systems in the press release and video below for a closer look of what the future holds for British-style luxury motoring. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

1956 Jaguar D-Type could top $5M at Arizona auction

The Jaguar D-Type is an essential element of the marque's history, one of its most successful racing cars, and one of its most beautiful creations. Chassis number XKD 604, pictured here, was the first of six long-nose Jaguar D-Types made for the factory team in 1956. They were, however, far from ubiquitous, with only 53 made for private customers, and another 18 campaigned by the factory racing team. More advanced than the examples that preceded it, this one was equipped with a de Dion rear suspension and fuel injection. It didn't have much of a distinguished racing career to speak of, passing from the factory to the Ecurie Ecosse team in Scotland which kept it in storage for years. After the team's closing, it passed through the hands of two British owners, undergoing a full restoration at the hands of the latter, before trading between two US owners. Although precise pre-sale estimates are available by request to interested parties, RM confirmed to Autoblog that this example "is expected to fetch more than $5 million when it crosses the auction podium in January." According to Sports Car Market, last year the same auction house sold a customer D-Type in Paris for nearly that much. However at its London auction in 2013, another works example failed to sell despite a high bid of over $6.2 million. If this one takes in more than that, it'll set a record for the type. If classic Jaguars aren't your thing, RM also has lined up an enviable roster of Ferraris. Included among them is a yellow '71 Daytona (estimated to fetch over $700k), a silver '91 Testarossa (~$250k), a rare yellow '95 F512 M (~$450k), and a pristine 2011 599 SA Aperta (~$1.3m). Porsche fans will want to check out the '76 911 Turbo (~$250k) and the soft-window '69 911 S Targa (~$225k). With the auction not set to take place until January 28 at the Arizona Biltmore, you can bet there'll be a good number of additional lots consigned between now and then.

Weekly Recap: Takeaways from the Frankfurt Motor Show

We obsessively covered the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, and naturally, we selected our favorites from this fall's biggest automotive event. Now that the dust has settled, we're looking ahead to what it all means. Here are three takeaways from the floor in Frankfurt. The Germans are serious about electric vehicles: It's a bit cliche to say BMW, Mercedes, and Audi have downplayed electrics in favor of other technologies, like diesels. For a time that may have been true, but those three companies, along with Porsche and Volkswagen, are emerging as leaders in EV development. That was on display in Frankfurt, when all of them revealed either all-electric or plug-in hybrid models. Gas prices are relatively low in the United States, but clearly the Germans are thinking long-term and globally. Everyone is serious about SUVs: You gotta have one, even if you're Bentley or Jaguar. It's 2015 and it's what consumers want. As Jaguar design director Ian Callum put it, "Not to be in the sector would be a little naive for the sake of purity." It's not just the flashy exotic luxury makers. Nissan showed the Gripz concept, which is rakish, radical, and meant to blend traits of SUVs and sports cars into a vehicle that really crosses over. Look for more, especially in the luxury sector, as Rolls-Royce, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin ramp up their own SUV efforts. There's no ceiling to the luxury market: Speaking of high-end cars, companies are continuing to invest in extravagant wares beyond just SUVs. Even during the recession, ultra-luxury makers remained relevant, and now they're back at full stride. In Frankfurt, that was illustrated by yet another S-Class model, the cabriolet, which will come in S550 and S63 AMG variants in the United States. Ferrari also showed off the 488 Spider, and Lamborghini opened up the Huracan LP 610-4 Spyder. Meanwhile, Bugatti's Vision Grand Turismo concept reminded enthusiasts that it's plotting life after the Veyron. European auto shows always draw the glitziest reveals from luxury makers, and this year didn't disappoint. OTHER NEWS & NOTES 2016 Honda Civic redesigned with snazzier style, turbo power The 10th-generation of the Honda Civic debuted this week at events in Los Angeles and Detroit ahead of its launch in the United States this fall as a 2016 model. Honda fortified the Civic with LED lights, an available turbo engine, and a more tech-laden cabin.