We won’t see a new Jaguar we can actually buy until late 2025, when the luxury automaker reveals a production-ready electric four-door GT. The ambitious two-door concept seen here, named Type 00 (“zero zero”) and revealed last night in Miami at Art Basel, gives us an idea of what Jaguar’s recent rebranding means for its future lineup.
Whether or not you’re a car nut, you probably know about That Jaguar Video if you spend any time online. A week ago, Jaguar released a 30-second commercial on YouTube announcing its rebranding, and the clip got major media coverage even with mainstream, non-automotive outlets. Those on social media did not hesitate to weigh in. What was with the bright outfits? The house beats? The catwalk-ready models? And where were the cars? Love it or hate it, the video got eyeballs – as of this writing, more than 2.7 million of them.
Today, finally, we meet the vehicle we expected to see two weeks ago, the design concept that offers a glimpse at a language for future production cars. Meet the Type 00.
The very location of the reveal indicates Jaguar’s new ambitions. Traditionally, cars are unveiled at events with a direct automotive connection: An auto show, a race (perhaps one in which the automaker participates), the high-society events surrounding a concours, the unveiling of a museum, or perhaps a standalone event hosted by the automaker. Auto shows, as you’ve likely noticed, are no longer the venue of choice, and Jaguar apparently decided against a Formula E grand prix, Pebble Beach, or the Villa d’Este Concours. Instead, the arena is one of the world’s highest-profile contemporary art shows – Art Basel in Miami.
“Why Miami?” Rawdon Glover, Jaguar’s managing director, asked at the reveal. “Well, for a brand that wants to be bold and disruptive and do things differently, we probably shouldn’t turn up at an auto show to say, ‘Hey, look at our incredible new design language.’ We should act differently. So actually, what better place for us to come to the world’s premier Art Fair . . . a centre of creativity and art in all of its forms. So, what better platform for us to unveil our latest automotive art form?”
In the same way that Monterey Car Week sprung up around the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Miami Art Week has created a festival around Art Basel, which in 2002 branched out from its home event in Switzerland to the Florida city. Art Basel is the leading art fair for contemporary and modern art, with four events throughout the year: Miami, Hong Kong, Paris, and Basel. According to Barnebys.com, a publication of the Barnebys Group, which made its name as a search service for value collectable art and antiquities, Miami is the most popular of the four stops among collectors.
Against this background, Jaguar is showcasing the Type 00 concept. (Pronounced “Zero Zero,” Jaguar would like you to know.) The locale sends a clear signal about the demographic that Jaguar covets – it wants to move upscale from its current environs alongside BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz to reside in the realm of Bentley or Aston Martin, and perhaps Rolls-Royce. Those attending Art Basel to buy, sell, and invest are keen to roll up in something with deep-pile carpet.
Behold, the car we were expecting to see in the “Copy Nothing” video. The wheelbase is long, as you’ll find in other electric vehicles of this body type, like the Rolls-Royce Spectre or Cadillac Celestiq. The dash-to-axle ratio implies big-money luxury, and the wheels measure 23 inches in diameter, a size optional on the Rolls and standard on the Caddy. Look closely around the two-door fastback and you’ll spot the new wordmark, J+R logo, and “leaper.” Though we don’t know horsepower or torque figures for the driveline, Jaguar has let slip the projected range (up to 430 miles) and a maximum charge speed of 200 miles in 15 minutes. The automaker has also revealed that production of whatever the Type 00 foreshadows will be limited.
Says Glover: “We look back into our history, and what was very, very clear is when we were at our best . . . we were a brand that sold in relatively small volumes. We didn’t chase volume. It was value over volume. We created desirable motor vehicles that connected at an emotional level with people.”
In a video shown to media this afternoon, Gerry McGovern, chief creative officer for Jaguar Land Rover, said that Type 00 “does not conform to the automotive, electrified norm, nor does it desire to be loved by everyone.
“I have no doubt it will shock, it will surprise, and it will polarise, but what it does is speak volumes for our desire to return Jaguar to the values that once made it so loved.”
The cabin is as minimalist as the blocky exterior. Jaguar did restrain itself from replacing the steering wheel with a yoke, a decision we applaud, but it is introducing some materials more closely associated with sculptures and kitchen remodels than with cars: bronze, alabaster, and travertine stone. The command centres of the car are, of course, screens, but they retract into the dashboard for a very austere vibe.
Where do you put your stuff? In colourfully lined cubbies that also retract into the dash, like so:
As you probably noticed from the teaser image, there is no back window; like the production Polestar 4 SUV, the Type 00 uses a rearview camera to compensate for the lack of visibility – or some of it, at least. The cameras deploy out of that section behind the front wheel, and we’re confused how even two of those could see directly behind the car. Of course, the Type 00 is a concept, not a production model, so we’ll set our practical concerns aside.
As announced in June of last year, Jaguar will be one of JLR’s “House of Brands,” alongside Range Rover, Defender, and Discovery. Jaguar will be the only pure-electric brand of the portfolio; the other three will offer one pure-electric model at the outset. Range Rover prototypes (such as the one pictured below) are already testing.
Concepts are typically the first step on a long road. As Glover put it: “We need to move beyond being a heritage brand to a brand with heritage. Our job as the custodians of the brand is to make sure that Jaguar has relevance, desirability, sustainability for the next 90 years of its history. That’s our job.”
Jaguar’s road to success appears longer than most, especially as luxury EVs are faltering in a market not as sparkling with demand as automakers had hoped. This rebranding plan has been in the works for several years now – in the coming months, watch this space to see how it fares.
