The challenge was set...

The challenge was set up by the US Pentagon to see if anyone could race a pilotless vehicle, avoiding natural obstacles. In a similar contest in 2004, eight miles was the record.

As Team GB flew home...

As Team GB flew home with an unprecedented haul of medals from the Beijing Olympics, another Brit was being crowned the best in the world. JaguarтЂ™s new XF beat off stiff opposition to be crowned Auto Express Car of the Year. The victory marked a reversal of fortune for the firm. When Auto Express launched in 1989, Jag was in the doldrums тЂ“ it had just been rescued by Ford and had an outdated range of cars. The prospect of the firm making a model good enough to take a Car of the Year title would have been laughable. Today, nearly 20 years on, Jag is back where it belongs тЂ“ at the top.