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How and why Jaguar designed an electric SUV

Adrian Belew, front man of famed progressive rock band King Crimson and collaborator with Bowie, Zappa, and the Talking Heads, released a prescient song in 1982, but we didn't know exactly how prophetic it was until this week. The song was titled Big Electric Cat, and its lyrics seemed to predict nearly 35 years ago the unveiling of Jaguar's first all-electric vehicle, a production-ready crossover concept with the not-so-ingenious name, I-Pace. She arrives like a limo/Smooth and moving/On the prowl through the crowd/To the beat of the city/She glows in the dark/Wherever she parks/Concrete crumbles and the night rumbles. At first glimpse of the I-Pace, you may not have precisely the same feeling of disintegration as the roadbed Belew mentions, but there is no denying that the new Jag is important for the brand. Flush with investment from its corporate overlords at Tata, the company is on its most robust product offensive ever, rounding out its lineup to become a full-range manufacturer, investing in autonomous driving and projective head-up technologies, nearly doubling global sales, and now going electric. "This is probably the most important car since the E-Type, I really mean that," says Jaguar director of design Ian Callum. "And when we get this car out into production and it gains recognition and popularity, I think history will show it's a significant step for the brand. Not only because we're embracing the future, quite openly and honestly, but because we're going to beat the rest of them. Tesla is there already, but none of the rest." As a challenger brand – one not in the top of mind consideration set like rivals at Mercedes, Audi, or Lexus – Jaguars are made or broken on this kind of differentiation. The I-Pace is certainly distinctive, and looks like nothing else on the road. Like many contemporary Jaguars, its rear three-quarter view is its most compelling, with the slender half-round taillights inspired by the legendary E-Type that were first revived on the F-Type and have since become a signature. But here, the rear end is shaved off and in an angular concavity that seems an effort to take as much mass as possible out of the back, and one that echoes elsewhere on the vehicle: in the scalloped sides, in the continuous path of glass from the base of the front windshield to (almost) the base of the rear liftgate. But especially in the foreshortened and deep-nostriled hood.

Are you the Jaguar F-Type Coupe R-S?

It's no secret that Jaguar is working on a fixed-roof version of the F-Type roadster, but now it looks like it's also developing a high-performance model for said coupe. Captured sharpening its claws at the Nürburgring, this F-Type Coupe prototype could very well be an R-S or even a more track-ready R-S GT variant.
Our biggest clue suggesting the latter are its massive brake rotors with bright-yellow calipers - similar pieces are also found on the recently introduced XKR-S GT. This would make sense, since a report in May said that Jaguar is looking to create a full line of R-S GT models in a similar fashion as the Mercedes-Benz AMG Black Series. Missing from this prototype, though, are the telltale aero add-ons we seen on the XKR-S GT - go-faster bits like the latter's front fascia winglets and rear wing, though this model is obviously still being developed. Regardless of what this new grippier, quicker kitty is called, we say "Yes, please."

Jaguar woos Tesla owners with $3,000 I-Pace EV discount

In a bid to kick start sales of its I-Pace luxury electric vehicle, Jaguar has set its sights at an unlikely target: current Tesla owners. The automaker confirmed to Engadget that it's offering a select group of Tesla owners $3,000 off the price of its I-Pace EV. The offer is also available to anyone who lives in a Tesla-owning household. Those consumers can combine the company's "Tesla Conquest" incentive with a $5,000 dealer discount and $7,000 allowance credit to get $15,000 off the I-Pace. With all three discounts, the base model costs $54,500, instead of $69,500. To top it all off, you don't have to trade in your Tesla to take advantage of the promotion. Instead, all Jaguar is asking for is proof of ownership and or registration. The offer is available until September 30th, 2019. Additionally, you can't combine the zero percent financing option Jaguar has offered since the start of the year with the current Tesla credit. It's no surprise to see Jaguar offer a major discount on the I-Pace, though whether it makes sense for the company to target Tesla owners is a different question altogether. Despite excellent reviews, including one from Engadget's own Roberto Baldwin, the company has struggled to sell its first EV. According to InsideEVs, this past July the automaker sold approximately 217 I-Pace vehicles in the U.S. In other words, it's hard to sell a $70,000 EV in a world where a $36,600 Model 3 exists. And yet Jaguar shows no signs of giving up. In July, the automaker confirmed that its I-Pace team is building an electric version of its flagship XJ sedan. This story originally appeared on Engadget. Featured Gallery 2019 Jaguar I-Pace View 74 Photos Green Jaguar Tesla Car Buying Crossover Electric