WAS DRIVING MY 2000 JAGUAR XK8 ON INTERSTATE 55 IN ILLINOIS WHEN THERE WAS A "POP" THAT SOUNDED LIKE A SPEAKER GOING OUT. SMOKE RUSHED OUT OF THE DASHBOARD VENTS. A FIRE OCCURRED WITHIN THE DASHBOARD. FLAMING PIECES OF PLASTIC AND PARTS DROPPED TO THE FLOORMAT AND SET FIRE TO THE CARPET. THE VEHICLE CABIN QUICKLY FILLED WITH HEAVY SMOKE. IT ALL HAPPENED SO FAST - I WAS ABLE TO PULL THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE INTERSTATE AND BARELY CLEARED THE CAR BEFORE THE ENTIRE PASSENGER CABIN BURST INTO FLAMES. I CALLED 911 - BY THE TIME FIREFIGHTERS ARRIVED, THE ENTIRE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. IT WAS A TOTAL LOSS. THE POLICE, FIREFIGHTER AND OTHERS SURMISED A PROBLEM WITH THE WIRING HARNESS OR ONE OF THE ONBOARD COMPUTER/FUSE/RELAY SYSTEMS IN THE VEHICLE. THIS CAR HAS BEEN WELL MAINTAINED - ALL THE RECORDS EXIST TO PROVE IT. TO BE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AND HAVE YOUR DASHBOARD BURST INTO FLAMES SHOULD BE OF CONCERN. I AM NOT SURE IF THERE ARE OTHER REPORTS OF INCIDENTS LIKE THIS BUT ONE IS TOO MANY. I NEARLY LOST CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE AT 65 MPH AND COULD HAVE KILLED MYSELF AND OTHERS DUE TO THE BUILD UP OF SMOKE IN THE CABIN - I COULD BARELY SEE OUT OF THE WINDSHIELD. A FEW CONCERNS HERE - NOT THE LEAST OF WHICH IS THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE. BEYOND THAT, THE FACT THAT THE MATS AND INTERIOR CARPET CAUGHT FIRE SO QUICKLY IS ALSO AN ISSUE. HAD I NOT BEEN ALERT ENOUGH TO RECOGNIZE WHAT WAS HAPPENING SO QUICKLY AND ABLE TO TAKE CORRECTIVE ACTION AS SOON AS I DID, THE DEATH BOX BELOW MIG