1972 Jaguar E-type on 2040-cars

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Jaguar Land Rover releases a vintage-looking infotainment system for classics

Jaguar and Land Rover have a new option for owners of its older vehicles: a touchscreen infotainment system. Much like the Porsche classic infotainment head unit released a few years ago, this one tries to blend in with its interior surroundings. Five distinct designs of these "Classic Infotainment Systems" are offered in an effort to have an option that fits well with the interior of any particular car offered by Jag or Land Rover over the past few decades. Chrome and black options are available for Jaguars, while brushed aluminum and black are the choices for Land Rovers. The infotainment system has navigation with 2D or 3D maps and Bluetooth audio. Sure, you don't need to stream Spotify in a 1970s Land Rover, but now you can. Jaguar says it'll offer much higher quality sound with a 4 x 45 watt output from the single DIN head unit, but you might need to upgrade those ancient speakers to actually take advantage of it. There's no mention of satellite radio like Porsche's unit offers, unfortunately. It is a radio though, so we get both AM and FM functionality. Jaguar says it's "compatible with negative earth vehicles" (newer vehicles use negative grounding systems) and retails for $1,796 before taxes in the U.S. You can buy and have it professionally fitted at an "authorized" Jaguar or Land Rover dealer if you'd like as well. It's easy to shake your fist at such a device for classic cars, but this head unit tried hard to be an elegant piece — we're still not sure about slotting it into an old E-Type though... Here are U.S. specific model fitments: Jaguar XJ40; XJS; XJ Series 3 Sedan Land Rover Defender 90, 110; Range Rover Classic (93-96); Discovery 1 (94-98); Freelander (97-04) Related Video: Featured Gallery Jaguar Land Rover Classic Infotainment System News Source: Jaguar Jaguar Land Rover Technology Infotainment

Jaguar recalls 1,500 XJ sedans over brake issues

A problem with the hydraulic brakes on the flagship XJ sedan has prompted Jaguar to issue a recall. The issue, as publicized by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in the notice you can read below, revolves around the brake line junctions underneath the affected vehicles, which may leak fluid, thereby reducing the effectiveness of the braking system. The problem only affects an estimated 1,571 units from the 2014 and 2015 model years, manufactured between February 6 and July 23, 2014. Owners of those affected units are being notified to bring their vehicles in to their local Jaguar dealers to have the brake line junctions inspected and tightened. This issue appears to be unrelated to Jaguar's recent recall of several model lines, the XJ included, over a problem with the power steering system. RECALL Subject : Incorrect Torque of Brake Pipe Unions Report Receipt Date: NOV 19, 2014 NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V741000 Component(s): SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC Potential Number of Units Affected: 1,571 Manufacturer: Jaguar Land Rover North America, LLC SUMMARY: Jaguar Land Rover North America (Jaguar) is recalling certain model year 2014-2015 Jaguar XJ vehicles manufactured February 6, 2014, to July 23, 2014. In the affected vehicles, the brake line junctions under the vehicle may leak brake fluid. CONSEQUENCE: A brake fluid leak may reduce the vehicle's braking ability, requiring additional distance to stop the vehicle, thereby increasing the risk of a crash. REMEDY: Jaguar will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake line junctions, tightening them as necessary, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin on January 16, 2015. Owners may contact Jaguar customer service at 1-800-452-4827. Jaguar's number for this recall is J048. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.

Jaguar Land Rover planning to allow owners to earn cryptocurrency

Jaguar Land Rover, Britain's largest auto manufacturer, said on Monday it is testing software that will allow drivers of its cars to earn the IOTA cryptocurrency as a reward for sharing data. The company is developing what it calls "smart wallet" technology to be installed in its automobiles. This would reward Jaguar car drivers with IOTA coins for actions such as enabling their vehicles to automatically report useful data, such as traffic congestion or potholes to navigation providers or local authorities. Drivers could also earn rewards if the car participates in a ride-sharing program, Jaguar said. The tokens earned could be used to pay for tolls, parking and charging for electric cars. The overall goal was to "achieve zero emissions, zero accidents, and zero congestion," the company said. Global car companies are exploring blockchain applications, figuring out different ways in which they can leverage the technology to suit their different needs. Blockchain, the system powering cryptocurrencies like bitcoin, is a shared database that is maintained by a network of computers connected to the internet. The British car company is testing the technology at the new Jaguar Land Rover software engineering base in Shannon, Ireland, where engineers have already equipped several vehicles, including the Jaguar F-PACE and Range Rover Velar, with "smart wallet" features, the company said. It does not yet have a timetable for when it will be commercially available, said Jaguar, a subsidiary of Tata Motors. The IOTA token is based on a distributed ledger technology that enables people and machines to transfer money and data without any transaction fees. IOTA trades on digital asset exchanges and was last at 27 U.S. cents per token. "The smart wallet technology ... can be easily adapted into all new vehicles," Dominik Schiener, IOTA co-founder and co-chairman of its board, told Reuters on Friday. "IOTA wants to enable interoperability with all these different players. So there is no Jaguar coin, no BMW coin, but one universal token for this machine economy," he added.