Is that the Pink Panther? Jaguar mercilessly mocked over concept car

by · Mail Online

Motoring enthusiasts have today rounded on Jaguar after the luxury manufacter's new electric car was leaked hours before its official unveiling. 

The new concept car signalling the direction for its controversial electric-only rebrand has been mercilessly mocked for it's very pink design.

With the images doing the rounds on social media, people have already likened the car's colour and extended body to the Panthermobile in Pink Panther and Lady Penelope's FAB1 from Thunderbirds.

Pictures of the futuristic GT car, dubbed the 'Design Vision Concept' ahead of its full reveal at Miami Art Week at 1am UK time, have been shared on online forums - and featured by major UK motoring publications Autocar and Auto Express.

Having teased snapshot images belonging to a striking blue vehicle of large proportions just over a week ago, the leaked pictures of the new Jaguar show the same car but finished in pink.  

These display its dramatic proportions in full, which include an enormous bonnet, expansive front grille and - as we previously reported - no rear window.

Given Jaguar's contentious rebranding launched just over a week ago, in which it ditched its legendary roaring 'Growler' badge, introduced a new 'jaGUar' typeface and released an advertisement video featuring no vehicles, the concept will undoubtedly generate plenty of debate about the future of the British brand.

Car lovers today flocked to social media to disapprove of the new design, with one witty user quipping: 'I wish it could be unleaked.'  

Jaguar's electric concept car leaked: Online forums have been sharing pictures of the British brand's daring new EV design hours before it is due to be officially unveiled
Having teased images of a blue vehicle, Jaguar will also showcase the same concept model later today in this daring pink colour scheme
The concept car has been widely mocked on social media, including comparisons to the Pink Panther

Another wrote: 'Good grief! Seems the opposite of everything the brand used to be about.'

And a third commented: 'If that thing is their idea of their future then it will be short-lived.'

Several others likened the concept car to the Pink Pather. 

One said: 'As a kid I loved pink panther, but the only pink thing I own is a t-shirt. Hope Jaguar finds their market, it's brave of them to make a brand statement that got so viral.

Another posted: 'Jaguar, more like pink panther, am I right?'

And a third, sharing photos of the concept car next to the Panthermobile, said: 'Who did it better? Jaguar or Pink Panther.'

As Jaguar was widely mocked on Monday, another user quipped: 'I hope it is a self drive autonomous vehicle because there's no way you'll catch me driving it.' 

Images of the concept surfaced on vehicle spy shot website Coches Pias earlier today and reveal the bold exterior from various angles.

Motoring enthusiasts react to the controversial new design for the 'ugly' fuchsia concept car
The concept previews the design language for a four-door electric GT due in 2026. It was first seen - heavily camouflaged - at the beginning of its rigorous testing regime last month
Leaked images of the concept car suggest Jaguar will be ditching the rear window in favour of a camera and digital mirror setup
The iconic growler logo has been axed from the grille and replaced by the new 'jaGUar' typeface
The pictures showcase its dramatic proportions in full, which include an enormous bonnet
With the images doing the rounds on social media, people have already likened the car's colour and extended body to Lady Penelope's FAB1 from Thunderbirds, which is based on a Rolls-Royce
A number of posts online reacting to the leaked images have compared the car to FAB1 from Thunderbirds - the converted Rolls-Royce owned by International Rescue agent Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward and driven by her butler, Aloysius Parker
The concept car's full unveiling in the early hours (1am UK time) will likely drive further debate about the vehicle and Jaguar's rebrand for its ambitious EV-only future

And leaked pictures of the cabin also provide a glimpse of Jaguar's vision for minimalist interiors for its new EVs.

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Jaguar is not looking back on its radical rebrand... quite literally: British car maker teases concept EV with NO REAR WINDOW

The vehicle is purely a design vision concept. As reiterated by the manufacturer previously, it will not be one of the three all-electric cars it has promised to put into production starting from 2026.

Instead, the concept offers a preview of the 'design language' of these models when they hit the market, starting with a sleek four-door GT model that could be showcased in around 12 months' time. 

Images showing a disguised versions of that four-door car on the road have been seen but the car itself hasn't been properly revealed.

Bosses said last month that the brand's daring new electrified direction will be spearheaded by the words of its founder, William Lyons, who famously said a Jaguar should be 'a copy of nothing'.

And what we see before us is certainly like no Jag that's come before. 

The images do confirm what we've already seen via a selection of 'teaser' pictures released by Jaguar and its staff in recent days.

However, we now know from the leaked photos that a rectangular rear section of straight, horizontal slats - which echo the new 'leaper' logo with a straight-lined background influenced by the IBM stamp - will also be replicated at the front.

Both the front and back also use the new 'jaGUar' font rather than one of its redesigned logos.

The substantial bonnet and front end is contrasted by slim headlights with a secondary pair of LED fog light strips in the lower grille section.

Teaser images shared by Jaguar officials last month also previewed a pop-out section with cameras likely enclosed. This panel can be clearly seen behind the wheel arches and will likely replace conventional wing mirrors
The panel, which features the new IBM-inspired Jaguar leaper logo, appears to conceal a rear-facing camera, which would send an image to a digital rear-view camera to compensate for drivers not having a rear window
The panel, which features the new IBM-inspired Jaguar leaper logo, appears to conceal a rear-facing camera, which would send an image to a digital rear-view camera to compensate for drivers not having a rear window
Prominent across the concept vehicle's design are panels with straight slats, which mirror those backing the leaper logo showcased as part of the controversial rebrand last month

At the back, there is no traditional light cluster, though one of the photos suggests the lighting could be hidden within the panel of slatted grilles - though we will have to wait until 1am to find out if that's the case.

The glass front and side windows are similar to the visor of a motorcycle helmet, wrapping around the body to give the driver an uninterrupted glasshouse view. 

However, there is no glass to the rear, with the likelihood that Jaguar will instead use cameras and a digital interior mirror.

Teaser images shared by Jaguar officials last month also previewed a pop-out section with cameras likely enclosed. This panel can be clearly seen behind the wheel arches and will likely replace conventional wing mirrors.

Above this is another fascia that opens and closes, the leaked photos show.

The interior of the concept car is extremely minimal. However, this is usually the case with concept vehicles, which are built to showcase a future design language
The cabin is split in two by a high centre console that divides the driver and passenger

They also provide a look inside the concept's stripped-out interior with no buttons, switches or touchscreens in sight.

While very minimal, there is a high centre console that splits the driver and passenger.

We will be able to bring you more details about the concept when it is showcased in full in the UK in the early hours of the morning. 

The glass front and side windows are similar to the visor of a motorcycle helmet, wrapping around the body to give a glasshouse-style look and view out for occupants
The substantial bonnet and front end is contrasted by slim headlights
Jaguar released this single teaser image of the concept car last month. However, it appears to have produced two examples that will be showcased at Miami Art Week at 1am UK time
Jaguar's new rebrand has attracted plenty of criticism from the public, especially when it launched its new look with an advert featuring no cars

Jaguar doesn't expect existing customers to like its rebrand 

Bosses said during the car company's heavily-scrutinised rebrand that they expect to lose the vast majority of the Jaguar's existing customer base as a direct result of its new brand identity and switch to only electric vehicles.

Managing director Rawdon Glover told MailOnline and This is Money that 85 per cent of future clients would be new to the Jaguar brand as it looks to target a much younger audience. 

Only 15 per cent – around one in seven – of buyers from 2026 onwards are expected to be existing customers. This is the 'scale of the transformation', he said.

While optimistic about the brand's future, Glover also conceded that there is 'no Plan B'. 

'We think it is going to be a success,' he added.

'There are a lot of people out there who have not got Jaguar on their shopping list. We have to persuade and convince them.'

Glover also stressed they had to be 'fearless', adding: 'This is a complete reset. Jaguar is transformed to reclaim its originality and inspire a new generation.' 

Jaguar managing direction Rawdon Glover says the ambitious EV move and rebrand won't appeal to 85% of the company's existing customers. Instead, it is aiming for a younger base
Gerry McGovern, Jaguar's chief creative officer, is unapologetic over the redesign. He said yesterday: 'It will make you feel uncomfortable. That's fine' 
The 'growler' logo, the universally recognised snarling Jaguar head badge used for decades on the grilles and bonnets of iconic cars including the E-Type, has fallen victim to a revamping of the firm's style and identity as it seeks out younger customers
The four-door 'Grand Tourer' is one of an all-new three-EV line-up due from 2026. The production car is expected to produce more than 575bhp and have a battery range in excess of 430 miles
Prices will start above £100,000 - almost double the average cost of a new petrol or diesel Jaguar in 2024 - and see Jaguar go head-to-head with EV heavyweights including the Audi e-tron GT, Mercedes EQS, Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S 

JLR design boss, Jerry McGovern, who has previously penned the new Land Rover Defender as well as the latest Range Rover and smaller Range Rover Evoque, added: 'We are creating Jaguar for the future, restoring its status as a brand that enriches the lives of our clients and the Jaguar community.'

Discussing the new direction, McGovern has been unapologetic about courting controversy with the rebranding and restyling of Jaguar: 'It will shock, surprise and polarise,' he said.

'It will make you feel uncomfortable. That's fine. The world is not standing still.'

His aim was to 'amplify our unique British heritage' in a modern 21st century manner.

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EXCLUSIVE
'It's cultural vandalism': Design experts ridicule Jaguar's rebrand

Speaking at a briefing at JLR's design centre at Gaydon in Warwickshire, he said he wanted to create the same stir that the E-Type created in the 1960s: 'The brief I set was to be jaw-dropping.'

He went on: 'This has been years in the making. It's not just about reshaping a car. It's about redefining and reimagining a brand. It's about reimagining Jaguar. This is big,' before jokingly promising: 'We have not been sniffing the white stuff.'

JLR CEO Adrian Mardell has described Jaguar’s rebirth as 'something spectacular'.  

Jaguar last month gave an early preview of the four-door electric GT beginning the early stages of its rigorous testing regime.

Jaguar's next-generation electric four-door 'Grand Tourer' is expected to produce more than 575bhp and have a battery range to cover in excess of 430 miles. 

Prices will start above £100,000 - almost double the average cost of a new petrol or diesel Jaguar in 2024 - and see Jaguar go head-to-head with heavyweights including the Audi e-tron GT, Mercedes EQS, Porsche Taycan and Tesla Model S.