IRVINE, Calif. — Jaguar will unveil its new R-Coupe Concept at the Frankfurt Auto Show on September 10, 2001. The four-seater luxury coupe is the first vehicle to explore and demonstrate the new design philosophy at Jaguar. Faithful to core Jaguar values from the past, the R-Coupe interprets them in modern form.
The design team responsible for creating the R-Coupe was lead by Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar Cars Limited. According to Callum, "The R-Coupe demonstrates that you can maintain traditional Jaguar design values — proportions, stance and graphic cues — and create an advanced car around them. The exterior of the R-Coupe looks engineered, not merely styled. Its integrity comes from strong, geometric forms such as the tubular fuselage — recalling that of the Jaguar E-Type. While Jaguar has no plans to produce the R-Coupe, themes and ideas embodied in its design will find their way into our future production cars."
The R-Coupe's proportions suggest power and movement, reminiscent of classic Jaguars. One of the key design objectives was to match the beautifully balanced proportions of the company's earlier cars. Equally fundamental to the character of a true Jaguar is the car's stance — the relationship between the road, the wheels and the body. The way the R-Coupe's cabin tucks down between the massive wheels conveys an appropriate impression of latent power.
Flowing lines over the structured forms, together with clean and simple surfaces contribute to the car's powerful, muscular presence. The R-Coupe's design detail is restrained and calculated to deliver a sense of movement. The side window trim subtly widens as it runs back, while the flowing waistline carries the eye along the length of the car — another Jaguar hallmark re-interpreted for the R-Coupe.