- Jaguar engineers began reimagining the brand by driving great models of the past
- Experience revealed inherent Jaguar DNA that informed the development of the luxury four-door GT
- One car, two characters: all-electric Jaguar embodies engaging drive and composed comfort
- All will be revealed in September this year
Jaguar engineers revisited greatness before beginning work on the brand’s reimagined future. To appreciate the dynamic essence of what makes a true Jaguar, they started the development journey by driving iconic models from its past. Only then could they implement this feeling in the reimagined luxury four-door GT. The new Jaguar embodies two characters in one car: an engaging drive with deep reserves of power, plus refinement and composure.
This duality also defines the DNA inherent in the Jaguar E-type, XJS and XJ series – some of the cars driven by the team in May 2023.
Matt Becker, Vehicle Engineering Director, JLR, said: “At the outset we took the unusual step of spending time behind the wheel of great models from our past – to get under the skin of what truly makes a Jaguar. At its best, Jaguar has always delivered two characters – performance and comfort – in perfect harmony and our new luxury GT is no different.
“It embodies everything the brand stands for. Jaguar’s founder, Sir William Lyons, used to say that ‘driving should be a joy not a chore’.”
The ‘Spirit of Jaguar Drive’ experience confirmed distinctive driving attributes inherent in the brand – deep reserves of power with refinement and composure. These are essential to the new Jaguar four-door GT, along with a long bonnet and low roofline that provide a clear visual link to great models of the past while defying the EV design norm.
Jaguar engineers drove the XK120, E-type, XJ Coupe V12, XJS and XJ Series I. Each offered a visceral demonstration of the brand’s provenance – of what would make the new luxury GT a true Jaguar.
The XK120, composed on the road, demonstrated that the new GT must provide a cosseting cabin that shrinks around the driver. It must also surpass current performance levels in its class.
The E-type remains an exceptional representation of Jaguar. Comfortable and relaxing, yet fast with accessible performance, it showed you should never arrive unnoticed in a Jaguar.
Above all, the driving dynamics of the four-door GT are inspired most by the XJ Coupé with its blend of performance and comfort. The V12 always has power in reserve, while its chassis cossets like a luxury saloon.
Designed to travel long distances at pace, the XJS left today’s engineers feeling refreshed and energised. This translates into the new GT, with its ability to carve through corners and cross continents in complete confidence.
The XJ Series I, World Car of the Year in 1968, is another Jaguar with timeless appeal. It epitomises characteristics central to the future of Jaguar – power in reserve with exceptional refinement.
To faithfully capture the spirit of Jaguar, engineers have put the new GT through a demanding real-world and virtual development schedule. Testing in extreme conditions and environments around the globe, and in the digital realm, has allowed Jaguar to refine its distinct driving character and develop a suite of in-house propulsion technologies for a four-door GT that drives like no other electric car.
Intelligent torque vectoring and tri-motor technology, delivering more than 735kW and over 1,300Nm of torque, put power where and when it’s needed with embedded software that responds in as little as one millisecond for an engaging and rewarding drive. Dynamic air suspension works alongside twin-valve active dampers to finesse ride comfort. Composure is never compromised.
Rawdon Glover, Managing Director, Jaguar, said: “Right from the start, our aim was to deliver a true Jaguar. To do that, we wanted to re-examine the provenance of the brand and the best way to achieve this was to drive some of our greatest models from the past 90 years. It provided clear direction to help us create the most technically advanced Jaguar ever made.”
The four-door GT will be revealed in September this year. Its exuberant modernist design, pioneering technology and instinctive driving dynamics will underpin all future Jaguar models.
