New Jaguar Type 01 showcased in Monaco
Latest prototype the closest yet to dropping test-mule disguise - thoughts?
Is Jaguar building the most famous car of modern times? Or just the most infamous? One to discuss. But rest assured, no matter which side of the fence you're on, its maker will be delighted to hear from you: it has gone from placating the naysayers to presenting its EV almost as a fait accompli - as if the entire firm were steamrollering to its battery-powered future on a runaway train that will brook no course adjustment, no matter the contradictory evidence piling up around it. BMW, with its Alpina hat on, has just given us a vision of a brand that will sit squarely in the same six-figure, design-led bracket as Jaguar. Its unapologetic power source, based on customer research? A V8. Go figure.
But Alpina's revival is a ripple compared to the tsunami of attention and column inches that Type 01 generates. So much so, it has created an energy all of its own, a rip tide of awareness and opinion so strong that JLR is probably starting to think it can't miss. It might be right. After all, for every 10 people who declare the flagship GT about as appealing as finding a comfort peacock in the adjacent EasyJet seat, there are probably two who find its contrariness thrilling. And on the basis that Jaguar needs only to convert a tiny fraction of this vast audience to declare the car a success, perhaps it has merely to keep the ball rolling to see it safely into the back of the net.
Hence the appearance of the Tyoe 01 on the world’s most famous street circuit, ahead of the Monaco E-Prix. Obviously you could be forgiven for not realising that Formula E racing occurs at the Principality (this would place you in the 99 per cent of human beings currently alive today), but apparently it does, and no car has ever lost points for sweeping majestically through the streets of Monte Carlo - especially when said streets are closed to the interminable traffic. Even, it must be said, when the car in question has about as much to do with top-end EV racing as Matt Bird does with actual birds.
As you might expect, JLR would refute that, suggesting that the Type 01’s responses have been honed ‘using learnings from Jaguar TCS Racing’s all-wheel drive control software and fast-switching silicon carbide-powered inverters’ - but at any rate, we're here instead to consider the next stage in the car's drawn-out reveal, given an additional layer of cladding appears to have gone. Perhaps that doesn’t wildly affect the overall impression of its proportions, given these have been set virtually from day one, though it does reinforce the idea that many of the concept’s design cues will be carried through to the showroom model. Granted, questions remain about the final look of the grille and rear end - but these are surely now just details. If Jaguar were currently taking orders, you would know 90 per cent of what you need to about the car being delivered next year.
You might even have learned to like the colour. Jaguar’s return to something approaching pink in its camouflage wrap is notable for reasons beyond its suitability in low Mediterranean light, though we’re also supposed to be noting the pairing of its new strikethrough motif with ‘straight and circular monolithic strokes’. Or, if you prefer your messaging more plain spoken, it also has ‘Type01’ written on the roof in ‘bold linear graphics’. This, we’re reminded, is a signature of future Jaguar. Even if the officially confirmed new name is very much synonymous with the past.
JLR is happy to give the impression - one adapted from its original position on the subject - that it is juggling past and future in respectful (if unequal) measure. That its idea of Exuberant Modernism doesn’t necessarily entail a definitive full stop, but can in fact reference the ‘power, refinement and composure’ of the original C-Type when pointing to the same attributes in its (sort of) namesake. While we can heartily attest to their presence in the prototype from behind the wheel, quite how many people are buying that line isn’t yet clear - nor arguably important, as there is currently no car to actually buy. But there will be soon enough. And if Jaguar sustains this level of interest up to that point, it will already have pulled off one kind of remarkable coup. Time will tell if it results in another.
If I'm going to add anything, it's concern that the stupid rear seat window looks like it's a permanent feature and it will be ridiculed, especially if back seat access is compromised. I do like the aggressively swooped roofline, which in profile makes it look more like a Wraith than a Ghost, but again suspect there'll be whining about rear seat access and being cramped. I've come to realise that the reason there's no back window is that all the space behind the driver is going to be passenger compartment to fit people in because the roofline is so low. So the reason there will be no V8 version (as they keep telling us) is that the only meaningful luggage space is going to be the massive frunk/froot. On which note, if there's one thing I don't like about the car it's the height of the bonnet line; they are selling this car on it being solidly in the "four door coupe" category which is all about being low and lithe. I appreciate the roofline's properly low, but the bonnet looks so high it makes the front of the car almost Rolls-ish. This needed to be lower, less Phantom and more (let's say it) E-type. My guess is that the proportions are probably deceptive and in the metal it probably looks like it's as high as your knees, but in the pics here that's my concern.
(edit) Actually, a better point of comparison than the E-type would be the Interceptor in this week's Six of the Best. It's probably about the same height, and has a similar roof line. However, the bonnet line looks about 4-6in lower and that makes it look faster; more like a sports car and less like a 300C with 6in of height taken out of the glasshouse.
Don’t you think that’s rather dramatic/hyperbolic ?
It may not be a roaring success, can’t say yet but it would still be in the thousands even if it doesn’t sell well.
Releasing it as a petrol V8 now would be mental, that time is gone, big cars always depreciate heavily.
Keep rolling out the same old speil, nothing new or particularly interesting is being released with each announcement they've shown us a car they won't be bringing out, and this car seems to have been doing the circuit in disguise for what seems like forever (year and half is it?)
Just release the car already or keep quiet.
They're obviously doing it to try and keep interest, but I would say they probably started this whole ordeal 2 years too early. They should really have had a product pretty much ready to go at the time of the announcement, people essentially losing interest now.
If they miss knockout looks then they’ve also wasted the opportunity to make a virtue of dedicated EV packaging. Bringing a traditional driving experience up to date won’t be enough; Jag’s been here before. Same old same old.
If they miss knockout looks then they ve also wasted the opportunity to make a virtue of dedicated EV packaging. Bringing a traditional driving experience up to date won t be enough; Jag s been here before. Same old same old.
The blocky bluff featureless nose of the 01 looks unnecessarily challenging. Hopefully it will look better without the disguise.
Why do an edgy design? Why not just build a graceful attractive car? It would be an open goal at the moment.
Hyundai
Kia
Honda
Jaguar will,sit atop of this low poly wave. But if it aint attractive. It will just sink without causing a 5 facetted blob.
Looking at the Monaco photos I do see a TRW Rover 3500 in the bloodline of this.
But, whatever…
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff