THE WAY IT COULD HAVE(AND SHOULD HAVE)BEEN

This morning's hot news certainly is the reveal of the Bertone B99 Concept Jaguar for the Geneva Motor Show. Looking at this concept this morning was very evocative because it reminded me what Jaguar design could have, and should have, been all along. Now, it's clear that Ian Callum has taken Jaguar design in an entirely new, and very much needed, direction with the XF and, more importantly, with the XJ. The XJ really marks a break from all of the previous Jaguar traditions that were embodied by the old XJ Series 1, 2 and 3. This is critical for Jag, as it was stuck in such a terribly mundane, morose and uncompetitive design ethic, based on these older XJ models. So I am happy for that, and the new XJ proves that you can do a really modern car that is a complete revolutionary break with the past, and do it well, and do it very successfully, and make it beautiful.

However, having said all that, looking at the B99 reminds me of all the things that Jaguar could have been during this period. Bertone design director Mike Robinson claims the car is not retro, but, in fact, the car has tremendous flourishes of the basic design themes incorporated in the XJC Coupe of the 70's, yet these design themes are reinterpreted, modernized, and smoothed over into an entirely elegant and fantastically beautiful profile. It's like what you would have imagined an XJC could have been, had it been updated successfully throughout the years.

Also, this concept highlights a couple of other existing observations I wanted to make this morning. The first is that sometimes a modern evocation of a classic design, such as the B99, if it is pulled off successfully and with enough subtlety, ends up doing a couple of important things. It looks new, it looks modern, yet it has an emotional hint of things gone by. It has an emotional linkage to the past through some of its specific design parameters. Now, in the case of the B99, obviously the heavy volume of the body and the wheels compared to the light glass house is certainly the first giveaway, but also the C pillar is very reminiscent of the XJC, as is the overall treatment of the body aft of the C pillar. Yet, at the same time, these are not in your face design themes. They are done subtly as to evoke the past only when looking at it through the present, which is the best way possible.

The last point about this concept is that it once again shows the power of Italian design. Italian design houses have traditionally produced not only some of the most beautiful cars in the world, but also some of the most beautiful concept cars based on cars from other countries, and this include Jaguar. There have been a number of Bertone and Pininfarina concept cars based off Jaguars that have been so much more beautiful than the production Jaguar, you simply had to look at them and wonder why didn’t they build this? In the case of the B99, the only response can be the same.