Jaguar’s GT concept shown off at Goodwood ahead of launch

Jaguar’s bold Type 00 concept made its UK public debut at the recent Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The four-door GT concept was revealed late last year at the reinvention of Jaguar. A production version of the Type 00 is due to launch soon, with deliveries beginning midway through next year. An SUV and large limousine are due to follow.

The concept car is a two-door oupé, a body type Jaguar will not build. It vaguely reminds of the original 1961 Jaguar E-Type, a car design head of its time back then. And the shape is not dissimilar to that of the Porsche Taycan-rivalling super-GT that is currently testing on road (below). 

All three new models will use the new JEA architecture. The GT will offer almost 700km of range and the ability to add 320km of range in 15 minutes. Its battery pack size is likely to be over 100kWh, though no details are yet to hand.

For more on the Type 00 see here.

The Type 00 informs us the production car will fly low, feature a raked roof, and will have a long wheelbase and bonnet.

It will purposely avoid having a rear window, using side cameras instead, and a digital rear-view mirror.

The overall look is one of boldness, sophistication and restraint, according to Jaguar. Its closest relative is probably the XJS. But the new car has a bluff front with no real grille. Instead there is Jaguar’s new 16-bar Strike Through design that is also seen on the bonnet and in the raked windscreen at the rear. The 23-inch alloys feature the multi-line design theme as well.

Inside is a cream-coloured compartment that features sustainable textiles such as Kvadrat. Seats avoid visible stitching, as with Defender Octa. There’s also a stone veneer on the centre console while a central brass spine is unique.

Two rearview screens mean the Type 00 has no exterior rear-view mirrors. The door releases are in the roof console. And to select D or R, you drop a brass token into a slot centre console slot.

Certainly the concept owes little to other designs.

A new brass leaper provides detail on each of the car’s front flanks and ‘JR’ medallions form wheel centres. 

Quite how the Type 00 will accommodate its battery pack while retaining a low-slung stance is unclear.

Chief designer, Jerry McGovern, is evidently the driving force behind the reimagining of Jaguar. The forward thinking is primarily a result of reconsidering rivals. A decade ago it was BMW and Audi but now with new products much higher in price than outgoing Jaguars, the firm is setting its sights on competitors like Porsche.

Jaguar says its new customers will be independently minded, appreciate design and will be looking for exclusivity. They will also be wealthy, connected and young.

As to the EV slowdown, Jaguar does not seem unduly concerned, with its new models “in their prime by 2030”. Moreover, they will be high performers, both literally and electrically.