Jaguar is jettisoning its history to transform into an exuberant, all-electric carmaker, starting with its concept, Type 00. CAR Magazine contributor Mark Smyth got up close and personal with it during the unveiling. 
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Jaguar hopes the debut of its Type 00 will dispel the controversial rebranding. Even today, enthusiasts talk about that day in 1961 when the E-Type made its debut in Geneva. It was undoubtedly a copy of nothing and was considered by many to be one of the most beautiful cars in history.
“We will create the same sense of awe that surrounded iconic models like the E-Type,” said Adrian Mardell, CEO of JLR. “Our journey is already underway, guided by our original ethos of ‘copy nothing’ and the results will be spectacular.”
Jaguar has lived off the legacy of the E-Type for decades, but now it has attracted creative teams and created a new future, starting with the Type 00. Unveiled in Rhodon Rose and the E-Type-inspired London Blue at Miami Art Week , the concept is more than five meters long and fits the company’s new JEA electrical architecture. A four-door GT model, due to be unveiled in late 2025, is already being tested. Jaguar isn’t revealing much about the powertrain, other than to say they’re aiming for a range of 470 miles and the ability to add 200 miles in just 15 minutes on a fast charger.
Related: Jaguar has been rebranded ahead of its all-EV future due to poor global reception
For now, it’s all about design and how Jaguar expects the Type 00 to herald the start of a renaissance that its marketing folks say is all about exuberant, modernistic and compelling. AUTO got an exclusive look at the concept at the company’s headquarters in Gaydon, England, where we also spoke to those behind the car’s design and rebranding.
“We are very excited to bring Jaguar back to life,” said Gerry McGovern, Chief Creative Officer of JLR. “Type 00 does not comply with current EV design. It won’t be liked by everyone.”
Jaguar doesn’t need him to be loved by everyone. With its models set to start around R3 million, it’s going all-in on niche luxury, taking on its Range Rover sibling as well as the top end of the BMW and Mercedes-Benz market, and even wanting a few Bentley customers lure.
It does so with something that looks different from all previous Jaguars. The traditional ‘Growler’ is gone and replaced by the new Jaguar logo on the faux grille with its horizontal lines. Flanked by LED lighting, the front of the car has a dramatic presence that carries through the rest of the design.
“We wanted the front end to reflect the switch to electric, to create a minimal and refined surface,” says David Eburah, exterior design manager at Jaguar. That facade precedes a very long hood and sets the tone for a car of more than five meters. The windows are also minimal, with a distinct visor look, but the minimalism goes even further at the rear, where there is no window at all.
The side profile features the Jaguar ‘leaper’, laser etched into a copper bar on the front fenders that folds out to reveal the reversing cameras. Don’t expect a real buyer on a production model, though. It’s also unclear whether the massive 23-inch wheels will remain. At the base of that fastback rear end is more of a strikethrough pattern, a formation of lines that some on social media referred to as an air conditioning unit after a teaser image was sent. Those lines sit between massive rear hips, geometrically sculpted to add even more visual presence and impact. Full-width LED lighting follows the trend, while the Jaguar logo appears subtly on the tailgate.
Related: Has Jaguar alienated itself or has the rebrand been a masterstroke?
Lift the large butterfly doors and you are greeted by an interior that pushes even further into the realm of minimalism and sensory experiences. The enormous dashboard seems devoid of any instrumentation; the design team has instead opted for two screens that fold up when needed.
“We want to have technology that is there when you need it and not be the star of the show,” says Jaguar CEO Rawdon Glover. “The star must be the environment we create.”
Other things are hidden too, including storage areas that open when you touch them. Even some of your preferences for lighting, sound and scents are hidden in a totem that you click into the center console and put back in a case afterwards. You can’t miss the spine that runs between the seats to the dashboard. There is a long piece of copper on it, again something that will not be in production. The designers are aware that in a country like South Africa the metal may become a little too hot. There is a plinth between the seats, which competes with that translucent line pattern, but here too there is a material that you normally do not find in a car: travertine stone. Yes, real stone.
Its inclusion is partly due to the fact that architecture was such a major inspiration in the design of Type 00. Travertine is also known as a material associated with the Renaissance period and the concept is seen as a marker of the Renaissance of Jaguar. Stone probably doesn’t help with the weight of a five-meter luxury electric car, so don’t expect that to be used in a production model. Whatever materials are used, the interior really feels like a luxurious and peaceful space. It may not have traditional Jaguar wood and leather, but it definitely has a very Zen thing going for it that works well.
“We’re not trying to copy anything, we want to be different, we want to be disruptive in the industry,” says Aimee Larson, chief materials designer at Jaguar. “We don’t want to do everything the same as everyone else, we are trying to pave a new path and a new future for Jaguar and that is something we have to be brave and fearless about, so doing something completely different to what we do. expected is exactly what we have done, and that is what we want to continue to do.”
The Type 00 is just a concept, but the prototype four-door GT currently being tested shows the shape is likely to stick around and we’re told many of the interior elements will too. This is not Jaguar as you know it, this is Jaguar of the future.
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