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Jaguar XJ50 Road Trip Review | Driving the XJ50's history

PARIS, France – It's motor show week in Paris, and Jaguar – which launched the original XJ here in 1968 – is indulging in a little nostalgia to celebrate the 50th anniversary that event. In the half century since, it's become the brand's definitive model – as the Wrangler is to Jeep and the 911 is to Porsche. This sexy, curvaceous and unashamedly sporty sedan set the template for generations of XJs. And to get to the show, I'm going to drive examples of each on a roadtrip from Jaguar's home in Coventry and onward to Paris, via Goodwood and Le Mans. There's new product to enjoy along the way, too, in the shape of the celebratory XJ50 trim level created to mark the anniversary. But this is really a chance to explore Jaguar's past, and how previous XJs will inform the company's future. Respecting traditions without being chained to them is a recurring theme in the XJ story and one Jaguar has, at times, struggled with. Nobody understands this better than design boss Ian Callum, who says the original XJ inspired his dream to one day design cars for Jaguar. When his moment came, however, the opposing pressures of nostalgia and innovation became apparent. He recalls seeing the clay models for the circa 2002 XJ, code named X350, styling for which had already been signed off when he started. "I asked 'this is the new one?' because, to me, it looked just like the old version," he says with characteristic bluntness. Callum's chance to truly reinvent the XJ finally came in 2009 with the current model, a car that jolted Jaguar and its customers out of their comfortable slumber. "It's nearly 10 years old now but I still think it looks good – I'm very proud of what we did with that car," he says. Professionally Callum is always looking ahead. Personally he's happy to indulge himself in what came before. He even brought his own XJC – the rare coupe version of the 70s XJ – to drive on the event. Sadly, the XJC didn't make it off the start line in England, but he's clearly enjoying the chance to immerse himself in XJ history. As am I. Given his appraisal of its retro looks, it's interesting to start in the X350. Here you encounter those aforementioned opposing forces: the forward-thinking aluminum construction (which inspired manufacturing techniques used by Jaguar to this day) and the staid styling. Like many of the heritage fleet examples here, this one is actually badged as a Daimler – to Jaguar what Maybach is to Mercedes.

Jaguar Land Rover and Cambridge have developed a touchless touchscreen

Jaguar Land Rover and the University of Cambridge are working on new touchscreen technology that eliminates the need to touch the screen. Counterintuitive, right? It’s called “predictive touch” for now, in part because the system is able to predict what you might be aiming for on the screen.  The video at the top of this post is the best way to understand how users will interact with the tech, but weÂ’ll do some more explaining here. You simply reach out with your finger pointing toward the item on screen that you want to select. ItÂ’ll highlight the item and then select it. HereÂ’s how it works, according to the University of Cambridge: “The technology uses machine intelligence to determine the item the user intends to select on the screen early in the pointing task, speeding up the interaction. It uses a gesture tracker, including vision-based or radio frequency-based sensors, which are increasingly common in consumer electronics; contextual information such as user profile, interface design, environmental conditions; and data available from other sensors, such as an eye-gaze tracker, to infer the userÂ’s intent in real time.” Cambridge claims that lab tests showed a 50 percent reduction in both effort and time by the driver in using the screen, which would theoretically translate to more time looking at the road and less time jabbing away at the screen. If the prediction and machine learning tech is good enough, we could see this resulting in a reduced number of accidental inputs. However, on a certain level it almost sounds more difficult to point at a screen while moving than it does to actually touch a section of that screen. Without using the tech and its supposedly great predictive abilities, we canÂ’t come to any grand conclusions. One comparison you may already be thinking of is BMWÂ’s Gesture Controls. ItÂ’s already been addressed with a subtle diss from Cambridge: “Our technology has numerous advantages over more basic mid-air interaction techniques or conventional gesture recognition, because it supports intuitive interactions with legacy interface designs and doesnÂ’t require any learning on the part of the user,” said Dr Bashar Ahmad of the University of Cambridge. Of course, this tech can be used for much more than just vehicle touchscreen control. Cambridge says it could be integrated into ATMs, airport check-in kiosks, grocery store self checkouts and more.

Jaguar creates custom Greatest Hits XJ for Iron Maiden drummer

Manufacturers like Alfa Romeo and Toyota are trotting out Nurburgring-themed special editions like NRING and GRMN, but for Jaguar, it's all about the NWOBHM. That's New Wave of British Heavy Metal, for those who do not start their day with some '80s hair metal turned up to 11. Jaguar is celebrating the venerable XJ sedan's 50 th anniversary this year, and as part of that, the Jaguar Classic Works department in Coventry, England, has built Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain's perfect Series III XJ. The custom car, nicknamed "Greatest Hits," is the product of over 3,500 work hours and 4,000 redone parts. The Series III is, for some, the ultimate development of the first XJ body style, and McBrain's car is his third Series III. It's in most respects a restomod, as the front and rear bumpers, headlights, wheels, infotainment and other details have been modernized; the interior features rock-inspired custom touches like the guitar amplifier-style rotary knobs on the dashboard. The speakers of the 1,100-watt audio system are from the 2012 model year Jaguar XF, as those are what McBrain prefers. The steering wheel logo is a combination of the Iron Maiden mascot, "Eddie," and the Jaguar "Growler" logo. The Jaguar leaper mascot on the hood is from McBrain's first Jaguar XJ6; the paint is a special deep purple, and the interior has been retrimmed with Pimento red leather. But it's not just the appearance of the "Greatest Hits" XJ that has been massaged, as the 4.2-liter straight six of the 1984 XJ6 has been upgraded with three E-type SU carburetors. It also has a custom exhaust with quad tailpipes. There have been nine XJ series so far, and the 10th version is expected to arrive sometime next year. There are persistent rumors that it might eschew internal combustion completely, facing a reinvention as an electric sedan instead. Related Video: Featured Gallery Iron Maiden Jaguar XJ "Greatest Hits" View 13 Photos Image Credit: Jaguar Aftermarket Geneva Motor Show Jaguar Luxury Classics Sedan 2018 Geneva Motor Show