There’s something undeniably enchanting about the first morning at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. The dew still lingers on the trackside grass, engines clear their throats in low, guttural roars, and among the roar of combustion and the hum of electrification, a moment can still stop the crowd in its tracks. That’s precisely what happened when Jaguar quietly rolled its Type 00 concept cars onto the scene. No dramatic reveal, no fireworks, just presence. And what a presence it was.
The crowd didn’t so much notice the Type 00 as get drawn to it like moths to a flame. Even among a sea of historic race cars, million-dollar hypercars, and prototypes wrapped in digital camouflage, this concept radiated something else entirely. Maybe it was the matte finish — that ultra-flat surface that made even the grey variant look sculptural under the soft Sussex sunlight. Or maybe it was the design language itself: clean, deliberate, and radically unlike anything Jaguar has ever done before, yet somehow still unmistakably a Jag.
Concept cars are always a bit of theatre. They’re the car world’s haute couture — daring, unfiltered, impractical, and entirely magical. But there was something unusually grounded about the Type 00, as if it had one wheel firmly in the future and the other still whispering to the past. The proportions spoke softly of luxury sedans, yet there was nothing traditional about the execution. This wasn't retrofuturism or a brand grasping at legacy — it felt like Jaguar finally leaning into a bold, unapologetic identity for an electric era.
It’s rare to feel an emotional reaction to a static vehicle display, but there was a warmth among the crowd. Parents explaining to their kids that Jaguar once made the world’s most beautiful cars. Elderly enthusiasts reminiscing about the E-Type, and then pausing to acknowledge that this — this new thing — could hold its own. The Type 00 didn’t need the memory of Le Mans wins or royal warrants to earn its stripes. It was doing the talking in the here and now, without leaning on history like a crutch.
Designers often speak of “surfacing” when discussing car design — the way light moves across a body, how a curve plays with shadow. The Type 00’s surfacing is something else. Each panel seems to float over the wheels like sheets of silk-wrapped metal. There are no gimmicky creases or shouty intakes. Instead, it invites you to slow down and look. And that’s not something you can say about most cars today. It’s an aesthetic that feels influenced more by sculpture than speed, more museum than wind tunnel — and that’s a good thing.
Of course, under all this visual finesse lies the question everyone wants answered: what will the production car look like? Jaguar’s kept its lips sealed, as expected, but the smart money says we’re getting a four-door electric grand tourer that shares more with this concept than you might expect. There’s a new electric architecture in the works, one that supports all-wheel drive, dual motors, and the kind of torque delivery that makes you forget this is a luxury brand first and foremost. If you’re trying to compete with Tesla’s Plaid or Lucid’s Air Dream Edition, you're going to need more than a pretty face.
And then there’s the interior — which, while not fully visible to the public at Goodwood, teased just enough to ignite curiosity. Jag’s design team has hinted at materials inspired by nature and heritage, but executed in a way that feels refreshingly modern. No over-the-top sci-fi screens or neon lighting here. Think tactile switches, calming fabrics, and a minimalism that feels deeply considered rather than cold. The idea is to make the cabin feel like a space you want to be in, whether you’re commuting or escaping for a weekend in the countryside.
That sense of experience-first design speaks to a wider shift in the luxury EV market. Buyers today aren't just looking for performance numbers and zero-to-sixty stats. They want connection. Identity. A reason to choose this car over the others. It’s what Porsche did with the Taycan, what BMW is starting to understand with the i7, and what Jaguar, with the Type 00, seems finally ready to embrace. The question is no longer just “how fast does it go?” but “how does it make me feel?”
And then, of course, there’s the question of color. It might seem superficial, but spend five minutes near the Type 00 stand and you’ll hear the debate. Do you go for the stoic grey, the almost space-age blue, or the audacious pink that lit up social media during the concept's digital debut? That pink version, by the way, is much more impactful in person. It catches the light in strange and unexpected ways — almost like it was designed for dusk drives and late-night city loops. A couple in their 30s stood in front of it for ten minutes debating whether it was “too much.” But they couldn’t stop looking. And that says everything.
Color aside, what matters most about the Type 00 isn’t what it is, but what it represents. Jaguar has been through an identity crisis over the past decade. The XF and XE were solid, but not unforgettable. The I-Pace was innovative, but quickly got outpaced. The F-Type, glorious though it was, has been feeling like the final verse of an old song. The Type 00 is a new melody — bold, architectural, ambitious. It tells us Jaguar isn’t just participating in the EV future. It wants to lead, in style.
Goodwood, with its perfect mix of heritage and innovation, feels like the ideal place for this reveal. You can walk from a pre-war Bentley to a Bugatti Chiron and, now, find a Type 00 quietly commanding just as much attention. It’s not screaming for relevance; it’s inviting you to come closer, to pay attention, to expect something beautiful.
And maybe, just maybe, to dream a little about what it would be like to drive one — whether in pink or not 🚘✨