Jaguar glimpses into future with new concept car

The year 2040 comes early for Jaguar following their announcement of the FUTURE-TYPE concept car, which the English automaker imagines could be a reality by the future date. Supporting both autonomous and manual driving modes, the real story here is that its users may actually only own the steering wheel, sharing the rest of the vehicle with the community.

Called Sayer, named after the FUTURE-TYPE’s designer, the removable wheel is intelligent, voice-activated and acts as a control centre for the car, as well a sophisticated virtual assistant. Like a more advanced version of Apple’s Siri, Sayer can make reservations for you at a restaurant, tell you if you’re running low on milk, and of course, summon your car.

Unlike traditional vehicle shopping, prospective FUTURE-TYPE customers would join a fee-based club. Members can either opt for sole ownership, or choose to let others use the car during periods of inactivity.

“FUTURE-TYPE offers an insight into the potential for driving and car ownership in the future. It’s partof our vision for how a luxury car brand could continue to be desirable, in a more digital and autonomous age,” said Ian Callum, Jaguar director of design.

“Our FUTURE-TYPE Concept is an advanced research project looking at how we can ensure an on-demand Jaguar will appeal to customers in 2040 and beyond. Whether it’s commuting to work, autonomously collecting children from school or enjoying driving yourself on the weekend in the countryside, if there’s a choice of on-demand cars driving around city streets, we need to ensure  customers desire our 24/7 service over our competitors.”

Sayer also helps to take the guesswork out of travel planning. State where you need to be at a certain hour, and it works out what time you should be ready, when to deliver the vehicle and even suggests a part of the journey that might be enjoyable for automatic steering to be switched off.

Featuring 2+1 semi-tandem seating, occupants can more easily share a conversation or get some work done on the way to their destination. The FUTURE-TYPE will have the ability to communicate with other smart automobiles on the road allowing shorter distances between bumpers and more efficient lane changing, in turn reducing traffic congestion and preventing accidents.