Jaguar didn’t just change the concept of the brand; in order to release its electric car, it canceled the development of several iconic models. The brand’s former design director, Ian Callum, revealed the scale of this phenomenon on the Road to Success podcast.
It turned out that the brand’s portfolio included not only the flagship XJ sedan project, almost ready for launch, but also new generations of XF and F-Pace, and most importantly, the F-Type sports car.
Callum, who left the company in 2019, confirmed that work was underway on a successor to Jaguar’s two-door sports car. How far the project has gone is unknown. But given that the original F-Type is considered by the designer to be one of the last great Jaguars, the loss of a successor is particularly poignant given the market’s hunger for classic front-engined sports cars.
The new XF and F-Pace were also ready (at least on a design level), but they were cancelled. In the end, instead of three potentially live models, the British focused on one – a four-door electric GT called Type 00. The car itself, according to Callum, is “bold, daring and has many good design qualities, but it is not beautiful. And Jaguars should be beautiful.” He also called the Type 00’s styling “too retro-oriented.”
The production version should retain the concept’s radical looks, but with a longer wheelbase and two additional doors. The technology has already been announced: three electric motors (one at the front and two at the rear) will provide a total output of more than 1000 hp.
As part of the new concept, the Type 00 model should bring the Jaguar brand into the premium segment above BMW and Mercedes, on the level of Bentley and Rolls-Royce.
Lamborghini previously delayed the release of its electric supercar.
