Jaguar: Break with the Past or Suicidal Gamble?

No one could miss Jaguar's recent announcements about its new concept car, the Type 00. A surprising clip, but a presentation that left many unsettled, described by some as "woke" for how sharply it deviates from the brand’s prestigious past. So, what has gotten into Jaguar to release such a vehicle?

Here at WOT, our initial thought was that we were witnessing perhaps the best automotive publicity stunt ever pulled off. With 3.6 million views on YouTube and the post being shared by figures like Elon Musk, one might have thought it was a joke orchestrated by Jaguar: a bold concept with no intention of being produced. But the reality is far more perplexing. This concept reflects the brand's new mindset, much more than just a design exercise.

Jaguar, a Brand Losing Steam

For several years now, Jaguar seems to have lost its sparkle. Their models struggle to attract buyers: outdated designs, high prices, lagging technology compared to competitors, not to mention engines often criticized for reliability issues. The result: only 360,000 vehicles sold in 2024, far below the manufacturer’s goal of one million. The brand seems on the edge of a precipice.

To turn things around, Jaguar announced an ambitious €10 billion plan. The goal? To reposition itself in the ultra-premium electric segment, with an electric GT car slated for 2026. The price? Around €130,000. This strategy seems like a risky bet.

A Revolution... or a Gamble?

Under the leadership of Rawdon Glover, Jaguar has decided to break the mold, even if it means surprising (or disappointing) its loyal customers. An internal study reportedly revealed that Jaguar’s customers prioritize design and interior comfort far above performance and engine power (which ranked only 13th). This echoes the statements of Mercedes-AMG’s CEO, Michael Schiebe, who recently stated in a similar study that V8 enthusiasts would not hesitate to switch to electric vehicles. According to him, customers are mainly looking for technology and innovation, putting the raw power of internal combustion engines in the background. These statements spark as many questions as debates.

Inspired by disruptive campaigns like Apple's famous 1984 ad, Jaguar aimed to make a bold statement with a colorful and daring video, marking a clear break from its past. A past which, surprisingly, is entirely left behind in this new direction. This tabula rasa strategy seeks to redefine the brand's identity by betting on the unexpected.

The shift is so radical that Jaguar plans to stop selling its current models as early as 2025 (with the exception of the F-Pace), and this will remain the case until the launch of its new flagship product. But behind this decision lies significant economic pressure: the looming threat of hefty CO2 taxes hanging over a line-up that's too poorly electrified. Withdrawing from the market for more than a year may seem bold, but at this level, it verges on a suicidal gamble. One question remains: will customers accept this leap into the unknown?

A Cold Reception

The new concept has certainly not gone unnoticed, but not in the way Jaguar had hoped. New logo, controversial design, a campaign focused on diversity: Jaguar has faced a storm of criticism on social media. Accused of bowing to “woke culture,” the brand is struggling to convince. Rawdon Glover himself denounced the “vile levels of hate and intolerance” directed at Jaguar.

The vehicle itself features a unique design: a monolithic front end, pronounced wheel arches, and the absence of a rear window, replaced by cameras. The rear, with its lights hidden behind an air-conditioner-style grille, is divisive. On the technical side, the Type 00 offers a 600-horsepower electric motor, a 700 km range... and plenty of skepticism.

Electric, Without Passion?

It’s hard to deny that electric vehicles often lack passion. Where combustion engines offered a strong identity through their sound, performance, and character, electric vehicles tend to homogenize: same batteries, same platforms, same motors. This makes differentiation difficult, even for prestigious brands.

Take Porsche, for example. Why pay more for an electric Macan when the Audi SQ6 offers a similarly performing alternative at a more competitive price? And let's not even mention the Chinese alternatives that are even managing to surpass the Stuttgart giant.

Faced with this, and quite understandably, Jaguar is betting on bold aesthetics and disruptive design to stand out. But can mechanical passion really be replaced by a purely visual approach? If even Porsche, with its heritage, struggles to appeal, one wonders if Jaguar will find the recipe to reignite the spark in its customers.

Néo-Retro as an Alternative?

In our view, Jaguar should have taken a different route, building on its rich heritage instead of abruptly turning its back on the past. Jaguar’s history and DNA are full of iconic successes, especially in motorsport and grand touring cars. So why not capitalize on this heritage by offering a neo-retro model? A car that combines the brand’s timeless codes with a touch of modernity could have sparked a far more authentic and powerful revival.

The answer has come from TWR. Coincidence in timing? Just days after the Type 00's presentation, TWR recently showed what “disruptive” truly means with its restomod of the legendary Jaguar XJS: the Supercat. This project, which revisits an icon of the 1970s-90s, embodies everything Jaguar could have been today: a vibrant homage to its glorious past, but with the performance and design to appeal to lovers of fine mechanics. With its supercharged V12 delivering 667 horsepower, manual gearbox, and sleek aesthetics, the Supercat proves that it's possible to reconcile tradition and modernity.

By refusing to give in to nostalgia and neglecting its heritage, Jaguar may have missed a golden opportunity to thrill its fans while attracting a new generation of enthusiasts. Where TWR reminds the world that Jaguar’s soul cannot be erased, the brand itself seems to have forgotten this. A strategic error, in our opinion, that could have been avoided by staying true to its roots while innovating.

With this bold shift, Jaguar is taking a colossal risk. Betting on an aesthetic and conceptual revolution, while abandoning the brand's DNA, might be a gamble lost from the start. But who knows? Maybe 2026 will prove us wrong. Here at WOT, we remain skeptical.