4 Minutes
Jaguar’s bold pivot inspires a softer digital take
Jaguar's recent radical repositioning — new branding, fresh colors and a daring electric grand tourer concept — has divided opinion across the automotive world. The production-lean Type 00 prototype, with its unapologetically angular silhouette and no rear window, has become emblematic of the marque’s all-electric gamble. But a fresh virtual interpretation from a student designer imagines a subtler future: the Jaguar Type 01 concept.
From controversy to reinterpretation
The Type 00 was designed to announce a sharp break with Jaguar’s past. It reportedly packs three electric motors, 23-inch wheels as standard and a combined output north of 1,000 horsepower — ambitions that underline Jaguar’s intent to compete with Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus in the EV performance segment. Yet dealers and fans alike have questioned whether an EV-only strategy is viable for the brand.
Enter Yiyun Chen, an ArtCenter College of Design student who goes by 1yun_chen online. Working in digital renderings, Chen reimagined the polarizing Type 00 as the Type 01: a concept that keeps the dramatic proportions — long hood, compact cockpit — but eases the angles into more flowing forms.
Design changes that matter
The virtual Type 01 softens the original’s hard edges with:
- Rounded wheel arches and a more sculpted rear end
- A wraparound front fascia that reads more cohesive at a glance
- A subtle hood scoop and a more traditionally Jaguar-like rear treatment
- A small but present rear window, restoring a visual connection to classic GT proportions
These tweaks make the car instantly easier to identify as a Jaguar, while preserving the futuristic, low-slung stance designers intended. Chen left the Type 00’s EV architecture unaltered in the renderings — no conventional grilles or visible exhausts — so the Type 01 remains conceptually all-electric.
Performance and market context
While the Type 01 is purely hypothetical, it points to how Jaguar might tone down its most controversial cues without abandoning its performance goals. Rumors around the Type 00 production program have included talk of an extended-range EV (EREV) variant that would add a small combustion generator to ease range concerns and broaden market appeal.
Quote: “Jaguar is trying to reestablish itself in a crowded premium EV market. The Type 01 shows how subtle design choices can make audacious technology feel more familiar,” says a design commentator.
Highlights:
- Student-led design offers a softer alternative to the Type 00 concept
- Maintains long-hood GT proportions while restoring a rear window
- Keeps EV design cues — no grille or tailpipe detailing in renders
Will Jaguar change course?
Production prototypes of the Type 00 have been spied in Arctic Circle camouflage, with a wider debut of a production model possible later in the year. Whether Jaguar will adopt elements similar to Chen’s Type 01 remains unknown, but digital reinterpretations like this one often influence public perception and can nudge brands toward more approachable styling without diluting performance credentials.
For enthusiasts tracking Jaguar’s EV strategy, the debate is now as much about design tone as it is about batteries and powertrains. Do you prefer the uncompromising Type 00 or the softer, more recognizably Jaguar Type 01? The conversation around brand identity, market positioning and the future of electric grand tourers is only getting louder.
Source: autoevolution
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