New electric Jaguar GT will be ‘a copy of nothing’

Jaguar is preparing to launch an all-new GT car later this year – the first of a new generation of EVs that will underpin the British brand’s future.

The grand tourer will be based on the new Jaguar Electric Architecture (JEA), which is crucial to the car-maker’s transition to an EV-only brand.

Instead of competing with the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, the new GT will be the first sign of Jaguar’s aspiration to move upmarket to challenge luxury brands like Bentley, Porsche and even Rolls-Royce.

In an interview with Automotive News, Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) CEO Adrian Mardell said the still-secret Jaguar GT will make people “salivate” when they see its styling and that it would be a “copy of nothing”.

Despite the unique design, Mardell did say that designers had drawn inspiration from Jaguar’s enviable back catalogue, including the legendary E-Type.

The Jag boss also revealed that it was considering choosing either the Pebble Beach Concours in August or the LA motor show in November to debut the GT, which will first appear as a concept.

Targeting wealthy US buyers, Jaguar says it will begin rolling out special-edition models that will raise the average transaction price for Jaguar cars even further.

It’s not known if these will be coach-built bodies based on the new GT’s platform, in a similar way to the Bentley Continental GT-based Batur and Bacalar.

In the same interview, JLR chief creative officer Gerry McGovern went as far to say that Jaguar might even create a limited-run model called the ‘Pantera’ that could be an EV-based supercar.

When the GT arrives, it’s been tipped to cost more than £100,000 ($A190,00), but have a long range of more than 700km.

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