The most annoying and stupid people on the internet have been screaming about Jaguar’s “woke” rebrand for almost a month now, despite the teaser campaign being extremely typical fashion-adjacent stuff that’s fitting for the new concept’s launch happening at Miami Art Week, and the “Copy Nothing” tagline actually being the company founder Sir William Lyons’ original saying, not something a new ad agency came up with. Now none of that discourse matters, as the new Jaguar Type 00 concept has been revealed, and we can have discourse about what it’s actually like instead.
What do I think? I’m obsessed with it. Jaguar’s been in a fairly boring rut for a long time now, a few exciting models notwithstanding, and I’ve been hoping the brand would finally take some risks. The last-generation XJ sedan and I-Pace EV were the only production Jaguars in my lifetime to really excite me design-wise, and since then the company seemed to get shy. Not so now, with Jaguar killing off its entire lineup to prepare for a totally electric reinvention that will see the iconic brand go upmarket and cater to a new customer set. The Type 00 (pronounced “zero zero”) debuts Jaguar’s new Exuberant Modernism design language, and it previews the recently teased four-door GT that will enter production in 2026. However you feel about the Type 00’s design, you’ll at least feel something, and it’s closer to production than you might think, at least from an exterior standpoint.
When the car leaked earlier today people made comparisons to the Batmobile in “Batman: The Animated Series” from the 1990s; I can totally see that, but to me it’s more like a car from “The Pink Panther” or a Syd Mead illustration. It’s like if the Cheshire Cat was turned into a “Transformers” robot. The Satin Rhodon Rose paint certainly helps, but even the Inception Silver Blue example gives sci-fi vibes. Jaguar says “the bold use of colour is a cornerstone of Jaguar brand’s new brand identity, embedded in its association with art,” and to that I say thank god.
Jaguar hasn’t given dimensions for the Type 00 but it looks absolutely massive — those wheels are 23s, to give you a bit of perspective. The hood is absurdly long, with an extremely swept-back windshield and a fastback shooting brake–esque roofline that’s reminiscent of the kinda bulbous E-Type coupe. Its nose is blunt with a sharply angled rake at the front edge of the nose, and the rear end is nearly upright but is nicely curved instead of being totally flat. A nice crisp line runs along the shoulders, and the Type 00 has more of a coke-bottle shape than it seems from the side view, with the rear wheels being dramatically flared out and the quarter panels aft of them tapering back to the tail.
The most controversial parts of the Type 00 are easily its grille-less front and its tail end that has a grille. Up front basically everything is made of straight lines, including the super-thin lights sitting at the top edges that do look pretty cat-like. In place of a traditional grille is a large rectangle in the center of the nose that has a bunch of raised horizontal bars evoking traditional grille slats, and Jaguar’s redesigned script sitting near the top. It kind of looks like a cat’s nose, and the wide intakes lower in the bumper kind of look like a cat’s mouth, with grille panels that open when cooling is needed. Maybe I’ve just been staring at my cats for too long.
Where those wide fenders finally end at the Type 00’s rear, the car has “horizontal Strikethrough graphics” that look like cooling vents, hiding thin horizontal taillights inside. The Type 00 has no rear window, with that panel electronically lifting up to expose the cargo area. That’s no concept car showiness either, as Jag’s production GT won’t have a rear window, instead relying on a camera feed. The Type 00’s “body-harmonized glazed” panoramic roof also has tons of strakes running along it to match the vents at the base of the curved windshield, another panel that’s shaped like the one on the E-Type. From the dead-on rear view, the Type 00 doesn’t even really look like a car per se, and I think that’s awesome.
The Type 00 is a two-door car, with a long butterfly door on each side that forms side cutlines very similar to that of the E-Type. Placed just ahead the base of the doors is a brass ingot with the Jaguar leaper laser-etched into it; they “theatrically” deploy to reveal the cameras that are used instead of side-view mirrors. The Type 00’s charge port is hidden too, though Jaguar hasn’t said where it is. That panel above the brass ingot opens so you can access what Jaguar calls the Prism case, which I’ll get back to in a bit.
Inside there are just two seats surrounded by a fabulous mix of materials that includes wool, more brass and real stone. A 10.5-foot-long brass spine runs along the center of the interior, and there’s an additional hand-finished brass line on each door panel. On each side of the straked dashboard a large screen “silently and theatrically” deploys, as chief interior design Tom Holden says, “we believe technology should enhance the modern luxury experience, not dominate the architecture, and the digital screen at the centre of the dashboard is an example of this philosophy. The Clearsight display replaces the traditional rear-view mirror, improving overall visibility.”
A plinth made from travertine stone functions as the base for the floating seats, which are made from a tactile wool blend. It’s like a lounge chair that you’d Denzel Washington use in “Gladiator 2.” Despite the low roof and small windows the Type 00’s interior seems pretty airy, and it looks like there’s a lot of cargo space behind the seats, bisected by that wild brass spine. Panels on either side of the spine in the passenger area open for more storage.
OK, so that Prism case that’s housed in the hidden exterior panel? It carries totems made of brass and stone that you can place in your center console to make a “new sensorial experience” inside the car. Who wouldn’t want a car that comes with totems? Here’s how Jaguar says it works:
The Jaguar design team explored new ways of enhancing the interior. Occupants can tailor the cabin to suit their mood using the uniquely crafted Prism case. The objective of this feature is for occupants to engage with the vehicle and extend the concept of customization and personalization. It stows behind an exquisitely engineered powered door on the bodyside and contains three totems of natural materials – Brass, Travertine and Alabaster. Together they create a new sensorial experience, inviting users to reflect and to appreciate simple sensations.
Placing one of the totems inside the center console tailors the mood of the interior. Everything, from the ambient lighting and unique soundscape to the tailored screen graphics, reflect the properties of the chosen material. Bespoke scents interact with the materials for unprecedented personalisation. This exuberant and artistic approach to engaging the senses extends to the display screens, where animations are formed through the creative technique of ‘Chiaroscuro’ – using light and shadow to define three-dimensional objects.
Jaguar didn’t bother giving the Type 00 any potential specs beyond saying that it uses the Jaguar Electrical Architecture (JEA) modular platform that will underpin all of the brand’s future EVs. The company says this blank-sheet new platform “will ensure clients experience a captivating driving experience, engaging handling and exemplary ride comfort.” Jaguar did confirm that the production four-door GT will have an EPA range of up to 430 miles, and it will be able to add 200 miles of range in 15 minutes of charging.
Before you dismiss the Type 00 as being a concept car that’s totally detached from reality, look at how it compares to the official “spy shots” of a camouflaged test car of the upcoming production EV. Aside from the addition of side mirrors and a second set of doors, it looks pretty damn close to the concept. Sure, the concept has an even longer hood and even lower roof, but the proportions and features are there.
What looks like a trunklid and spoiler lip could just be camouflage, hiding a greenhouse and tailgated shaped exactly like the concept’s. The production car still has a ridiculous dash-to-axle ratio, and the low hood angles downward in the same way. The headlights look thin and are mounted just as high. We can’t see the prototype’s rear end, but it won’t have a rear window, and I hope the grille-like treatment remains.
In fact, Jaguar already has released a teaser image of the production car without any camouflage, which basically confirms as much. Those haunches are really similar to the concept’s body shape, though the fenders and greenhouse don’t come to as extreme as a point where they meet the rear end. Still, it’s quite a radical shape for a road car.
Jaguar says the four-door GT will be revealed in production form in late 2025, and it will be built in the UK. The brand will be building a handful of exclusive brand stores that “will present an immersive step into the world of the Jaguar brand that embraces their setting and local culture and will be complemented by a wider global network of luxury retailers.” The first one will be in Paris’ Golden Triangle at the center of the fashion district. That fits with Jaguar’s aim to move way upmarket, with the GT likely to carry a starting price of around $125,000.
To really hammer home the vibe that Jaguar is going for in its new era, a few more quotes from the press release:
Adrian Mardell, Chief Executive Office, JLR, said: “The magic of Jaguar is close to my heart – an original British luxury brand unmatched in its heritage, artistry and emotional magnetism. That’s the Jaguar we are recapturing and we will create the same sense of awe that surrounded iconic models like the E-type. Our journey is already underway, guided by our original ethos to Copy Nothing – and the results will be nothing short of spectacular.”
Rawdon Glover, Managing Director, Jaguar, said: “We have forged a fearlessly creative new character for Jaguar that is true to the DNA of the brand but future facing, relevant and one that really stands out. “Our presence at Miami Art Week emphasises Jaguar’s purpose as an advocate for art and creativity in all its forms. We know that art is a passion point for our future clients, so what better way than to go and talk to them directly, at one of the world’s premier art festivals”.”
Professor Gerry McGovern OBE, Chief Creative Officer, JLR, said: “Type 00 is a pure expression of Jaguar brand’s new creative philosophy. It has an unmistakeable presence. This is the result of brave, unconstrained creative thinking, and unwavering determination. It is our first physical manifestation and the foundation stone for a new family of Jaguars that will look unlike anything you’ve ever seen. A vision which strives for the highest level of artistic endeavour.”
No matter what you think of the Type 00 concept, you have to at least admit that it’s unlike anything Jaguar has done before. It’s sparked conversation and controversy, going anti-retro without abandoning the past. It’s much more interesting than the electric XJ that was planned for this decade and then canceled at the last minute, which recently leaked online. It has people actually talking about Jaguar for the first time in a long time, which is what the brand has really needed. Whether it resonates with the younger, richer, chicer customers that Jaguar is going after remains to be seen, but it’s certainly more likely with a car like the Type 00 than with whatever boring stuff Jaguar has been putting out this century.
