1989 Jaguar Xjs Base Convertible 5.3l V12 on 2040-cars

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Audi and Jaguar Land Rover recalls address seatbelt issues

Audi and Jaguar Land Rover are each recalling several thousand vehicles for separate potential seatbelt issues. The recalls cover the 2022 Audi A3 and S3; 2022 Jaguar F-Type, F-Pace and XF; and the 2022-23 Land Rover Defender, Discovery, Discovery Sport, Range Rover Sport and Range Rover Velar. Examples of these vehicles may have shipped with seatbelt pretensioners that will not function properly in the event of an accident.  Audi is recalling its sedans for tensioner devices that may not adequately restrain drivers or passengers during a crash. The issue was discovered during Korean market crash testing of the high-performance RS 3.  "The seat belt tensioner in the affected vehicles serve the purpose of holding the passenger in his position in the seat," Audi said in its defect report to NHTSA. "In the event of a crash, the retention force of the seat belt may not reach the intended level. As a result, the position of the body can be further to the front of the seat, which leads to a negative influence on the whole restraint system, increasing the risk of injury." A different company, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR), meanwhile, also has an issue with a batch of pretensioners installed in its cars and SUVs. Pretensioners are the devices that fire off to rapidly retract the seatbelt when a crash is detected. Most utilize an explosive charge and pressure tube JLR says that some pretensioner devices provided by one of its suppliers may not have properly-specified pressure tubes that may not channel the gasses to the retraction mechanism correctly.  "A damaged front seat belt pretensioner tube may have been installed on the seat belt retractor," JLR's report said. "This may result in a reduced level or complete loss of pre-tensioning in the event of a crash and increased occupant injury." Owners of the models included in both recall campaigns should receive notices from the manufacturers in the coming months.  Related video: Recalls Audi Jaguar Land Rover Ownership Safety SUV Sedan

Automakers want to stop the EPA's fuel economy rules change, and why that's a shortsighted move

With a Trump Administration looming, the EPA moved quickly after the election to propose finalizing future fuel economy rules last week. The auto industry doesn't like that (surprise), and has started making moves to stop the EPA. Ford CEO Mark Fields said he wanted to lobby Trump to lower the standards, and now the Auto Alliance, a manufacturer group, is saying it will join the fight against cleaner cars. The Alliance represents 12 automakers: BMW, Fiat Chrysler, Ford, GM, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Porsche, Toyota, VW, and Volvo. Gloria Bergquist, a spokesperson for the Alliance, told Automotive News that the "EPA's sudden and controversial move to propose auto regulations eight months early - even after Congress warned agencies about taking such steps while political appointees were packing their bags - calls out for congressional action to pause this rulemaking until a thoughtful policy review can occur." The EPA was going to consider public comments through April 2017, but then said it would move the deadline to the end of December. That means that it can finalize the rules before President Obama leaves office. The director of public affairs for the Consumer Federation of America, Jack Gillis, said on a conference call with reporters last week when the EPA originally announced its decision that it is unlikely that President Trump will be able to roll back these changes. Gillis also said on the same call that any attempt by the automakers to prevent these changes would be history repeating itself. "These are the same companies that fought airbags, and now promoting the fact that every car has multiple airbags," he said. "These are the same companies that fought the crash-test program, and now are promoting the crash-test ratings published by the government. So, it's clear that they're misperceiving the needs of the American consumer." There are more reasons the Allliance's pushback is flawed. Carol Lee Rawn, the transportation program director for Ceres, said on that call that the automotive industry is a global one, and many automakers are moving to global platforms to help them meet strict fuel economy rules around the world.

Jaguar E-Type Zero electrics will enter production

In case you thought the electric, future-proofed Jaguar E-Type Zero concept was merely a flight of fancy, Jaguar is about to prove it's far from that. The E-Type Zero is about to make production, at Jaguar's Classic division in Coventry, England. One of the core ideas with the electrified E-Type is that the new electric powertrain, picked from the I-Pace, takes up roughly the same space as the original XK straight-six engine and gearbox. Not only does this enable building new electric versions from reproduction shells, but it also allows for electric conversions of vintage E-Types, while weight distribution and handling remain close to the way the cars were originally designed — albeit with more power and torque. And the battery pack still wears XK badging to make it feel more at home in the E-Type. The automaker expects a driving range of over 170 miles. The E-Type Zero was originally unveiled a little less than a year ago, and at that point Jaguar remarked it was just a concept. Now things have progressed far enough for Jaguar to announce small-scale production at the same Coventry facility where Jaguar also builds as-new E-Type Reborn versions. In case a prospective client wants to electrify their old E-Type, that is also possible. And, as Jaguar says, the conversion is fully reversible, in case owners would want to revert back to that sweet straight-six sound. "We've been overwhelmed by the positive reaction to the Jaguar E-type Zero concept," said Jaguar Land Rover Classic Director Tim Hannig. "Future-proofing the enjoyment of classic car ownership is a major stepping stone for Jaguar Classic." The first production E-Type Zeros will reach customer hands in the summer of 2020, according to Jaguar. The newest concept version will be shown at California's Monterey Car Week. Related Video: