Type 00 Concept Jaguar

The bold look of Jaguar’s latest design has drawn plenty of online criticism, but a shocking change was necessary for the moribund brand.

Jaguar shocked everyone this week with the unveiling of the Type 00 concept, a bold new vision for the brand’s future. Breaking away completely from its past, the design sparked a wave of online debate. The Type 00 signals Jaguar’s shift into the high-end luxury market, where they plan to produce fewer cars but sell them at a higher price. Though the bold design is polarizing, it makes a strong statement about the brand’s new direction.

I had the chance to see the Type 00 up close a few weeks ago at Jaguar’s headquarters in Gaydon, England. At first, it wasn’t love at first sight, but the car’s striking proportions, sleek details, and unique Satin Rhodon Rose paint stayed with me. Jaguar kept the concept under wraps until the official reveal, and I spent days trying to sketch its sharp lines. When I saw the Type 00 again in Miami, now in both pink and a bold Inception Silver Blue, it left the same powerful impression on me.

When I first saw the Jaguar Type 00 concept, it was a nearly private showing, with Jaguar executives giving their polished pitch about the car’s “exuberance” and “modernism.” But part of the job is filtering out the marketing hype and forming your own opinion.

When Jaguar revealed its new brand identity a couple of weeks ago, the internet quickly erupted with criticism. While I don’t think the rebrand or the Type 00’s design is perfect, much of the negative buzz seems to be feeding off itself. Jaguar’s plan to move upmarket, ditching internal combustion engines and stepping away from models like the F-type, has raised some concerns.

The rebrand does have its flaws. The new “JaGUar” font on the Type 00 looks awkward, with a strange mix of upper and lower case letters. The new circular logo, which features a “J” and an “r,” feels a bit like an abbreviation for “Junior” rather than a luxury car brand. Fans of the old “growler” logo—featuring the face of a jaguar—will miss its bold, distinctive personality, as the new logos don’t quite have the same impact.

The reaction to Jaguar’s new direction has been a mix of confusion and anger, and it’s easy to see why. For years, Jaguar has been quietly laying the groundwork for a major brand overhaul, but with only a few thousand cars sold in the U.S. last year and a decade of struggle, it’s understandable that many missed the memo. The shock over the transformation is one thing, but the anger—especially the bizarre “anti-woke” and homophobic comments aimed at the brand’s bold use of bright colors and high-fashion vibes—is harder to explain.

I hoped that once the world got a good look at the new car, people would understand the bigger picture. Jaguar has been stuck in neutral for too long, struggling to keep up with the likes of Mercedes-Benz and BMW in the mainstream luxury market. Models like the F-type and XF were beautiful, but they didn’t stand out enough to lure customers away from the big players. Jaguar’s survival now depends on something radically different. By moving into more exclusive, high-end segments, the brand can stop chasing mass-market appeal and focus on creating truly distinctive cars.

There are definitely parts of the Type 00 that raise eyebrows. The front end feels too blunt, and the single LED strip for the headlights makes it look unfinished. In a world where LED tech can create intricate designs, the Type 00’s headlights look simple, almost outdated. The rear design is also too minimal, and the rear “strikethrough” feature feels more like an office HVAC vent than a stylish car detail.

But those calling it a “Jaguar Cybertruck” are missing the bigger picture. Unlike the Cybertruck, which looks like a bunch of metal panels welded into a triangle, the Type 00 has real depth, with sharp creases, muscular fenders, and classy brass accents. In person, it has a presence that photos can’t capture.

Jaguar’s goal is to attract younger, wealthier buyers with a taste for high style, and they’re planning stores in luxury shopping districts in cities like Paris and London. The Type 00 is about re-establishing the brand and grabbing attention—and it’s certainly doing that. It may not have the timeless elegance of the E-type, but it boldly announces that Jaguar has a future, and that future will look very different.