Jaguar has responded to the recent unveilings of the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door Coupe and the Ferrari Luce by throwing its arms wide and declaring “how you like me now, suckers,” according to a report. The British carmaker, which faced heavy criticism over its Type 00 and Type 01 electric concept cars, now finds itself in an unexpected position of being praised by parts of the automotive world.
The backlash against Jaguar’s design direction was fierce when the Type 00 concept first appeared. Fan communities and commentators called the pastel pink, cartoonish styling a mistake.
But after seeing the new AMG and Ferrari models, some observers have reconsidered. Sources close to Jaguar told the publication that the company plans to drive prototype Type 01s — with door graphics of Sir William Lyons wearing sunglasses — relentlessly around the streets of Affalterbach and Maranello, once a route with enough fast charging points is figured out.
“Bet we’re looking pretty sweet right now,” a source said. “National scandal over a sodding concept car and advertising campaign? Leave it out. Have you seen what the others are doing? Forget a bold and forward-thinking concept making the front pages of the rags, those things demand parliamentary committees be convened.”
The source added: “Suddenly a pastel pink Jaguar that looks like it came out of the cool Batman cartoons is now your automotive saviour, and after the two years we’ve just had, we’re here for it.”
Jaguar spent months defending its radical design language against what it called “fan” backlash. Now that Mercedes and Ferrari have revealed their own takes on the luxury performance segment, the Type 01 appears less outrageous by comparison.
This change in perception gives Jaguar a chance to reframe its strategy without changing a single line on the car. The company’s timing could not be more ironic.
When asked how Jaguar would capitalize on this about-face, the source said: “Just wait until you see the SUV version of the Type 01. It’s a brutalist critique on humankind’s automotive folly intertwined with sensually expressive premium luxury for the super-mega-ultra-highest-net-worth consumer.”
The source added, “We’ve put the Type 01 on massive stilts to create a road going naval destroyer, and it’ll still somehow look prettier than that AMG and Ferrari.”
No official timeline has been given for the production version of the Type 01 or its SUV sibling. They have not commented directly on the reported statement. The company continues to push forward with its electric transition, betting that bold design will eventually win over skeptics — especially as rivals reveal their own offerings.
Jaguar is moving forward.
