Jaguar Sayer concept might be the only part of a car you’ll own in 2040

By Ronan Glon September 4, 2017

Jaguar sayer concept — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Jaguar – Land Rover envisions a future where cars are autonomous, fully connected, electric, and shared. Its newest concept takes us on a trip several decades into the future by previewing an intelligent removable steering wheel that doubles as a personal assistant. The Jaguar Sayer concept could become the only part of a car motorists actually own.

The concept is named after Malcom Sayer, a prominent designer who worked for Jaguar between 1951 and 1970. Some of his most notable designs include the race-winning D-Type, the iconic E-Type, and the XJS. It’s a tribute to a man who helped make Jaguar what it is today, but there is nothing retro or historic about the cutting-edge Sayer concept. It takes the shape of an oval-shaped, spoke-less unit with an elegant brushed metal fascia and two integrated information displays.

Sayer remains docked in the driver’s home when it’s not in use. It records each user’s agenda and sends them reminders when appropriate. For example, it knows when the user needs to wake up earlier than usual to drive to a meeting, and it relies on artificial intelligence (AI) to decide when to send an autonomous car to pick them up based on approximately how much time it takes them to get ready. It also uses navigation data to suggest where the driver might want to take the wheel, such as when traveling on a twisty road without a lot of traffic.

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Jaguar Sayer concept — Ronan Glon/Digital Trends

Jaguar Sayer concept — Ronan Glon/Digital Trends

Jaguar Sayer concept — Ronan Glon/Digital Trends

Jaguar Sayer concept — Ronan Glon/Digital Trends

Jaguar Sayer concept — Ronan Glon/Digital Trends

Jaguar Sayer concept — Ronan Glon/Digital Trends

While the future is autonomous, Jaguar stresses motorists will still want to take the wheel from time to time. Car-sharing programs will give them a much wider selection of models to drive on a regular basis. It will be possible to reserve a humble sedan for the daily commute, a powerful coupe for a weekend getaway, a pickup truck for a quick run to the hardware store, and a crossover for a week-long vacation with the family. Sayer was designed to function in all of these applications, and more.

The Sayer concept made its debut during the first-ever Jaguar – Land Rover Tech Fest. It also equips a futuristic concept named Future-Type built to explore what mobility will look like in 2040 and beyond.

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Ronan Glon is an American automotive and tech journalist based in southern France. As a long-time contributor to Digital…

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