1954 Jaguar Xk120 Roadster on 2040-cars

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Jaguar Activity Key | 2017 Autoblog Technology of the Year Finalist

In principle, the Jaguar Activity Key is a good idea. It's simple, useful, and relatively inexpensive. Unfortunately, in our testing it was less than reliable. Here's how it's supposed to work: To lock the car, leave your keys and fobs inside the vehicle, and strap the band on your wrist. Then, within 30 seconds, place your banded wrist against the letter J of the Jaguar script on the back tailgate. When you come back, you can unlock the vehicle by pressing the tailgate opening button, then, again within 30 seconds, placing the Activity Key band against the J of the Jaguar script. We chose the Jaguar Activity Key as a finalist for our 2017 Tech of the Year award because it's an uncomplicated device with lots of potential customers. Jaguar says the wristband is "robust and fully waterproof." Swimmers, surfers, kayakers, hikers, and even couples out for a sunny-day picnic could use a feature like this wristband key. Plus, wearables are pretty new as a category in general, and even more so in the automotive space. We didn't go skydiving with it or anything (an activity Jaguar cites as a potential usage case), but we did dunk it in water with no ill effects. While it all sounds good in theory, actually getting the Activity Key to work effectively was unexpectedly difficult, especially when the cameras were rolling. We tried varying the timing between closing the door and using the wristband, as well as between using the tailgate button and the wristband. It worked about half the time, regardless of our process or who was wearing the wristband. Whether our issues with the wristband were due to interference, new-technology teething problems, or just electrical gremlins, the idea of purposely locking the keys inside an automobile without having a foolproof way to unlock it gives us reason to pause. The Activity Key is a $400 standalone option on the 2017 Jaguar F-Pace, but only on Prestige, R-Sport and S models. The least expensive F-Pace with Activity Key costs $51,095.

Jaguar Land Rover's latest tech makes roads safer for bikes [w/video]

Safety in automobiles isn't just about protecting the occupants anymore. It's about protecting pedestrians who might be struck by an automobile, and as Jaguar Land Rover is demonstrating, it's about protecting cyclists as well. The latest experimental safety system from the British automaker is called Bike Sense, and it builds upon technologies the company has demonstrated recently, taking them a step further to make the road safer for those riding on two wheels. The system uses a combination of colors, sounds and vibrations to alert the driver of a potential hazard that might have otherwise gone unnoticed. Demonstrated on an XJ sedan, the system identifies nearby two-wheeled vehicles as pedal-powered or motorized, and alerts the driver accordingly. If a cycle is passing a the vehicle's blind spot, the top of the seat will vibrate to virtually "tap" the driver on the left or right shoulder, prompting him or her to look over that shoulder for the hazard. LEDs inside the cabin will then illuminate amber to red in the direction that the bike is passing. The system will even chime a bicycle bell or motorcycle horn as the two-wheeled vehicle approaches, and vibrate or stiffen the accelerator pedal if the driver keeps moving towards the obstacle. And if an occupant of the parked vehicle starts to open the door into the path of moving vehicle, it'll flash a light, sound an alarm and even vibrate the door handle to warn the occupant of the oncoming hazard. We could imagine the alerts getting a little distracting, but JLR says the system is designed to prioritize potential hazards when their are groups of pedestrians, bicyclists and/or motorcycle riders on a busy urban street. This is, of course, just the latest in a long string of new systems JLR has under development, following such technologies as the Transparent Bonnet, the Smart Assistant, the Virtual Windscreen for track sessions and the 360 Virtual Urban Windscreen for city driving. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Jaguar F-Type greets US, shows off range of personalization

While the debut of the XFR-S is likely fresh on everyone's minds and browser windows, the other big story of late at Jaguar is the F-Type coupe and convertible. Originally unveiled in Paris, the LA show was the first opportunity that the sub-XK performance machine will be seen Stateside. However, it was not just the same news that we first heard in Paris, as Jaguar used LA to showcase its newly available "Black" design pack.
This styling package includes gloss black finishes for the grill surround, side vents, a flat-bottomed sport steering wheel, gloss black interior touches, and instrument panel rings. This package is available with Ultimate Black, Polaris White, Italian Racing Red, Rhodium Silver, Grey and Firesand (seen above) body colors.
The Black pack can be had on either the 3.0-liter supercharged V6 model, or the 5.0-liter supercharged V8 version. Specific additional "Black" tweaks are available based on which derivative you select. Specifically, a gloss-black rear valence is a V6-only modification.