Jaguar has revealed the first concept car that will lead the 90-year old UK brand’s reinvention as a maker of high-end electric vehicles (EVs) costing more than £120,000.

Unveiling the Type 00 coupe, Jaguar management stated that the car recaptured the brand’s original ethos to ‘copy nothing’ and was an example of Jaguar at its best; “A fearless statement, an object of desire, a concept with bold forms and exuberant proportions to inspire future Jaguars.”

The launch of the Type 00 followed the style established by Jaguar’s controversial reveal in November of its new identity and logos (story here), in not being conducted at an automotive event but as part of the Miami Art Week in the USA.

However images of the car leaked widely online ahead of the launch and attracted more controversy, the colour and enormous grille-like use of the brand’s new 16-bar design signature encouraging several critics to reference the pink Rolls-Royce driven by Lady Penelope in the 1960s children’s TV series Thunderbirds.

The brand’s design chief Gerry McGovern was unfazed by such comments, telling the audience at the reveal event that “Controversy has always surrounded British creativity when it’s been at its best”.

The Type 00 previews a new series of electric production models that Jaguar will put on sale from 2026. The brand recently ended production of its current range to provide what was described as a ‘firebreak’ between old and new – until 2026 the brand’s dealers will be restricted to selling existing stock, used and aftersales.

The two-door coupe will not appear as a production model, more positive correspondents suggesting it has been chosen to relaunch the brand as its proportions echo one of Jaguar’s most iconic models, the E-type of the 1960s.

The general size, proportions and looks of the Type 100 are, however, said to be very close to the first of three new production EVs, a four-door GT model that will be a rival to the Porsche Taycan. These design pointers include a low profile with long bonnet, raked back cabin, 23-inch wheels, a glassless tailgate and a panoramic roof with ‘body-harmonised’ glazing.

The interior is highly minimalist, using latest sustainable materials for its surfacing and with plenty of new technologies on show, but far fewer indications as to the final look of the production models.

The production cars will be built on the brand’s new JEA (Jaguar Electric Architecture) platform, which promises a WLTP range of up to 478 miles and the ability to add 200 miles of range in a 15-minute recharge.

Unveiling the Type 00, CEO Adrian Mardell described Jaguar as an original British luxury brand unmatched in its heritage, artistry and emotional magnetism. “That’s the Jaguar we are recapturing and we will create the same sense of awe that surrounded iconic models like the E-type,” he said.

Mardell added; “Our journey is already underway, guided by our original ethos to copy nothing – and the results will be spectacular.”