I'm sure the many petrolheads on here will be following the Jaguar odyssey in the press and I wondered if your views have changed at all. Personally I figured if you were going to go down, you might as well go down swinging, so Jaguars "in for a penny" decision was not one without merit.

Like many, I despaired at what seems a Lemming like attempt at suicide by Jaguar, as they abandoned ICE cars and went full 'white goods' mode. It only seems to have become worse with the recent revelation that Europe has decided that ICE cars can continue to be made for the foreseeable future, something that Jaguar can no longer do now, I suspect, having thrown away their babies with the bathwater. Many people have ranted about how Jaguar had made some great cars, how they had great heritage and we should still support them, but 99% of those people were "all talk and no trousers" (imho) and never actually put their hands in their pockets and bothered to buy a Jag!

So this brings me to a piece published today on Autocar. Maybe....just maybe... Jaguar are on to something a little bit special? Steve Cropley intimates something on that note.

I personally think it'll get scaled back to the point where they're just sticking Jaguar badges on random chinese EV's

The name "Jaguar" I guarantee will continue. Just like MG does, Lotus, and any number of motoring IPs
But "Jag" as we know it? Probably not.
They went down some odd path with that last promotion. A pink car aimed at a demographic that doesn't buy Jags, which makes some sense if you're trying to reach a new market. Except they aimed everything at that demographic and they seemed to miss that the people they were marketing at don't buy cars much and couldn't afford a Jag anyway.

what is "Jag", pipe slippers and V8s?
What use is a rep for V8s in a world of EVs? Performance is pretty meaningless now. All EVs are fast really. Some are really fast.
But an electric motor is an electric motor. You've lost all the sparkle around superchargers, turbos, multipoint injection.
I've not seem nay attempts to jazz up electric motors with the same technowhizzery. I guess a motor is magnets and coils. And having a better majnet or a better coil is just not interesting outside of the electrical engineering and physics fraternity.

I did wonder if it was a "no such thing as bad publicity" stunt, it certainly got people talking about Jag although they sounded more like eulogies. .

Edited 17 December, 202517 Dec by Aspman

Jaquar's future must be reliant on tariffs in the USA, China and rest of the world more than anything to do with sales in the UK. They are not British owned or financed.

Jaguar 'let go' the man deemed responsible for the horrific launch of the pink elephant campaign, but having seen the Autocar video and read the article, maybe they are on to something special. It will be a tough sell, but who nows, it just needs a few of the right celebrities to be seen driving them and it could take off (in relatively small numbers). I certainly don't think of Jaguar as pipe and slippers (I currently don't use either) and when I think of Jaguar engines, I think of silky smooth straight 6 engines, so in a way the EV thing is not a total departure.

Two days ago I feared the worst, which is saying something, as I didn't think much of their chances, even before the ICE U-turn. But now, I see "potential", not a word I thought I would use in the Jaguar rebrand. I'm genuinely looking forward to seeing what this car can do. I certainly won't be buying one, it will be far too rich for my blood and also I really don't want an EV, but Jaguar, which looked to be going down swinging, seems to be at a surprise training camp to get in shape.

I think Jaguar had a confusing range with it SUVs. What is an i-Pace and e-Pace or similar names? The saloons and F-types were its strength and traditional market. I hope it survives but competing with Bentley narrows its position in the market.

It's interesting certainly - I worry that Jaguar has lost it's way with the recent relaunch - but it is encouraging to hear the recent reviews of drives in test mules.

However, to me the big issue for many might just be the 'design' which, whilst 'clean' seems very angular and poorly thought out and detailed to me. But then I'm not the target audience, although historically a Jaguar would have been aspirational for me.

At the end of the day they'll probably sell to the types of people who currently buy BMWs and Audi's and other 'prestige' marques on the 'never never' as they are the sort of people who want the 'latest thing' on their driveway to keep up appearances - and that's not me in any way shape or form! 🤣

I think the biggest problem is they have killed off the old models 1-2 years before their new strategy.

It means the dealerships will die (or become 100% Land Rover), and any loyalty to the brand is likely to be lost (if not on sale, and want new car, going to have to try another brand, and if you like new other brand car, would you bother going back to Jaguar.

If new Jaguar is effectively some badge engineered EV from elsewhere, wearing a posh frock (or should that be Batman cape), then will people pay lots just to have it. I fear insufficient numbers will.

They are not looking for older wealthy drivers in the UK are they? Younger higher income wanting something they fancy will do. As it is the amount of power available is just wasted on UK roads.

Did they actually sack him then or let him leave their employ?

3 hours ago, Evolution13 said:

Did they actually sack him then or let him leave their employ?

That's why I used the phrase 'let go' as there seems to be a shift in the Jaguar narrative in this matter in the last few days. It certainly was a terrible rebrand, even if it got everyone talking about Jaguar for a while. It just needs some kn0bhead footballer to go to Mansory and spend a couple of hundred grand on making the car look totally legotastic and who knows, maybe every rich youngster will want one? It is ridiculously long though and it doesn't look like it has much room inside either. Maybe it will sell in Murica once Trump has gone.

2 minutes ago, Lady Elanore said:

Maybe it will sell in Murica once Trump has gone.

And everything's not computer.

Just now, Lee01 said:

And everything's not computer.

You know, I would have loved to have joined in on your Trump thread, but I honestly don't think my heart/bloodpressure could take it.

4 minutes ago, Lady Elanore said:

You know, I would have loved to have joined in on your Trump thread, but I honestly don't think my heart/bloodpressure could take it.

You know you're always welcome but IKWYM.

Frohe Weinachten 🎅🕯️🕯️🕯️

Gan canny with ye yool logs bonny lad.

I certainly hope so 🤞

Incidentally I was surprised to see how small my XJ looks next to it's EV successor⚡

Lots of jorno's have now been in a late model prototype and even some have been in the virtually finished car. The one thing that is repeated is the ride is sublime and the car doesn't want for performance. Perhaps the Jag strengths of Power, handling and refinement are still alive. I certainly gives me a lot more hope for the brand than I had earlier, even if it won't sell that many in the UK

Chris Harris and friends have had a drive in the car and seem genuinely impressed with it. I'm becoming excited that this once great British manufacturer may survive and produce cars worthy of the marque...even if they don't have proper engines

Wunderba.

Maybe "one day in the not too distant future..."

...a man (or woman, it could be a woman) will put a V12 into one of these as a restomod. Happy times will ensue

and a lot of spannering