Jaguar launches innovative challenge with Formula One star

Formula One driver Romain Grosjean has set the standard for drivers to beat by completing a unique test of agility and skill. Roman put a Jaguar XF through its paces around a new ‘Smart Cone’ course to mark the start of Jaguar’s ‘Art of Performance’ Tour.

The global tour, which is set to kick off in South Africa later this year, gives existing and potential customers the opportunity drive the Jaguar range of cars in a series of activities.

A test of agility
The course will feature at some of the tour locations to measure driver skill and exploit the cars’ handling.
Grosjean, a driver for the Haas F1 Team, was the first to try the Smart Cones, which use wireless technology to randomly illuminate pairs of cones to set out a different route each time, notifying drivers of their next target with only a moment’s notice.
As a car is driven, its precise co-ordinates are measured in relation to the cones and sent to a central computer system 100 times per second to track its performance.
Every driver gets a score report that takes into account the model of car used, the weather and the driving conditions.

Diverse activities
“My tip for Smart Cones is to stay completely alert and engage your peripheral vision, as the randomness of the course is perhaps the biggest challenge,” he says.
“Trust me, it’s a lot harder than it looks, and I’d welcome you to try to beat my score of 49 032.”
Over 12 months, the The Art of Performance Tour will visit more than 600 venues in 46 countries, welcoming more than 100,000 guests to an unforgettable driving experience.
Each one will include diverse activities, ranging from the Smart Cone challenge and dynamic track and road drives to wet and dry extreme condition challenges.