Automaker investor days are joining spy shots and leaked documents as the most regular sources of unexpected information on future product. After Jaguar Land Rover held its confab with Wall Street last month, Automotive News found just how far upmarket the English group wants to go. JLR CEO Adrian Mardell, who left Bentley for his current job, referred to a “halo strategy” that, in AN’s words, is “looking to increase sales of high-value, special edition models costing upwards of 1.5 million pounds” in a new “halo strategy” push. That’s a floor of $1.95M U.S. at current exchange rates, a barrier few but the super luxury and super sports car makers cross. McLaren’s last Ultimate Series car, the Speedtail, asked $2.1M U.S. before options, as did the Bentley Batur, we can expect Ferrari’s coming halo special to start even higher, and the Bugatti Mistral opens the bidding at $5.1M.
Outside of Jaguar’s Continuation models, we aren’t aware of any JLR products that come close seven figures, much less seven figures that begin with a “2.” The 2015 Continuation Lightweight E-Type started at about $1.5 million ten years ago, the 2016 Continuation XKSS, 2018 Continuation D-Type, and 2021 Continuation C-Type all asked around $1.4 million. If Jaguar Classic’s web page can be believed, a buyer with 1.75 million pounds ($2.23M U.S.) can buy a Continuation D-Type now, suggesting the run of 25 cars hasn’t sold out.
Range Rover’s done the biggest business in special editions so far, releasing seven units of the latest Carmel Edition (pictured above) last year at $371,175 per, and 20 units of the Sadaf Edition for the Middle East earlier this year at $415,000 per.
We might find out more about the plan when Jaguar shows its electric concept later this year, lately presumed to be a four-seat GT with four-doors. It will introduce us to the Jaguar Electrified Architecture, baseline specs of at least 450 horsepower, all-wheel drive and all-wheel steering, super-fast charging times, and what kind of future product Jaguar intends for its six-figure prices. Designs will be minimalist, heavy on touchscreens and sustainable materials, and light on rear windows; Autocar says none of Jaguar’s first three EVs will fit a backlight. Like the Polestar 3, the Jaguars will use “a digital ‘mirror’ at the base of the windscreen.”
Speaking of Jaguar, when the automaker revealed its F-Pace 90th Anniversary Edition — while clarifying that F-Pace production would continue “for the foreseeable future” — we were left to think the the global Jaguar range would consist of the electric I-Pace, the E-Pace crossover and the XF sedan. A few days after that special edition F-Pace, Jaguar announced its Castle Bromwich plant had assembled the final examples of the F-Type, XE sedan, and XF Sportbrake. Automotive News reports Mardell told analysts Jaguar would kill everything but the F-Pace this year. Mardell didn’t provide timing, but with his comment that “None of those are vehicles on which we made any money,” it sounds like it could be sooner rather than later. In the most recent quarter, the F-Pace represented a third of Jaguar sales globally, while Jaguar sales represented 14% of Jaguar Land Rover Sales. Just three of the group’s models, the Range Rover, Range Rover Sport, and Defender, made up 59% of group sales.
The first production EV from the brand will be the battery-powered Range Rover, also expected to debut before the end of the year.
