Jaguar’s Most Bizarre Car Has Finally Arrived. Nobody Is Okay.

Jaguar has launched the Type 01, a £130,000 electric grand tourer that marks the first production car from its controversial “Copy Nothing” reinventio...

Jaguar has launched the Type 01, a £130,000 electric grand tourer that marks the first production car from its controversial “Copy Nothing” reinvention. The car follows the heavily criticised Type 00 concept from 2024, which sparked a huge debate about Jaguar’s new design direction. The controversy also followed Jaguar design chief Gerry McGovern, who was widely reported to have left the company in 2025, although JLR later denied that it had fired him.

Instead of trying to bring back the customers who bought its older luxury sedans and sports cars, it wants to attract a new group of wealthy buyers with a much more radical design.

The Type 01 measures around 5.2 metres long and uses three electric motors to produce up to 1,030PS and 1,365Nm of torque. Jaguar claims 0 to 62mph in 3.2 seconds and up to 400 miles of range.

But the numbers are not the main story.

The design is.

Why is the Jaguar Type 01 controversial?

The controversy started with the Jaguar Type 00 concept, which Jaguar showed at Art Basel Miami in 2024.

Jaguar gave the concept an extremely long body, sharp geometric surfaces, a huge bonnet and a dramatic rear section. It also removed the conventional rear window and used a very bold pink finish for the show car.

The internet did what the internet does best.

It mocked the car.

Some people praised Jaguar for taking a risk. Others called the design ugly, excessive and disconnected from the brand's history. The debate quickly moved beyond the car itself and became a wider argument about Jaguar's rebranding strategy.

Jaguar did not back down.

Gerry McGovern, the designer who led JLR's design direction, defended the company's decision to move away from familiar luxury-car styling. Jaguar wanted people to recognise its cars instantly rather than confuse them with a BMW, Mercedes or Bentley.

The Type 01 follows that exact idea.

Did Jaguar fire Gerry McGovern?

Reports about McGovern's position created another layer of controversy.

Several reports in 2025 said Jaguar had fired or removed McGovern from his role after the company's controversial redesign. JLR later denied that it had terminated his employment.

Reports in 2026 said McGovern remained associated with JLR, although his exact role had become less clear.

So it would be wrong to state simply that “Jaguar fired the designer of the Type 01.”

A more accurate statement is that McGovern's reported departure became a major part of the controversy around Jaguar's redesign, while JLR denied that it had fired him.

Jaguar Type 01 design

The production Type 01 keeps the basic shape of the Type 00 but makes it easier to build and use as a road car.

Jaguar has kept the long bonnet, wide stance, clean body surfaces and unusual rear design.

The biggest talking point remains the rear window.

The Type 01 does not have a conventional rear window.

Instead, Jaguar uses cameras and an interior display to give the driver a view behind the car.

That sounds futuristic, but it also shows how far Jaguar has moved away from traditional car design.

The company wants the Type 01 to look like nothing else on the road.

That comes with a simple problem.

People have to like looking at it.

Jaguar Type 01 performance

The Type 01 uses Jaguar's dedicated electric architecture and a three-motor powertrain.

Here are the key figures:

Jaguar says the Type 01 can add around 200 miles of range in roughly 13 minutes when connected to a suitable 350kW DC charger.

The performance puts the Type 01 firmly into serious electric grand tourer territory.

Why did Jaguar make such a radical car?

Jaguar had a problem.

Its traditional identity was no longer enough to generate strong sales, while the luxury car market had become far more competitive.

So Jaguar decided to change almost everything.

It moved towards an electric-only future, raised its price positioning and created a completely new visual identity.

That strategy carries a big risk.

A customer who wants a £130,000 luxury car can already choose from brands with decades of prestige in this price range.

Jaguar therefore needs to give that customer a reason to choose Jaguar.

Its answer is design.

The Type 01 essentially tells buyers:

You can buy another luxury electric car. But you cannot buy one that looks like this.

Jaguar Type 01 price and availability

Jaguar has priced the Type 01 from around £130,000.

Customer orders are expected to open in early 2027, with production scheduled to begin in 2027.

That means Jaguar still has time to prove whether its radical strategy can work.

The company has already achieved one thing.

People are talking about Jaguar again.

But attention does not pay the bills.

Jaguar now needs people to put down £130,000 and actually buy the car.

Jaguar Type 01: a bold comeback or a very expensive gamble?

The Type 01 has the performance, technology and design drama to make Jaguar stand out.

The bigger question is whether buyers will accept the new Jaguar.

The company has moved away from the familiar Jaguar formula and placed almost everything on a new luxury-electric identity.

That makes the Type 01 one of the most important cars Jaguar has ever built.

If buyers accept it, Jaguar may prove that abandoning the old formula was the right move.

If they do not, the Type 01 could become a very expensive reminder that being different gets attention, but being desirable gets sales.