Jaguar Says Bertone B99 Concept Is: “Not For Us”

[Ultra]

I think Jag are idiots for not snapping this design up.
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It was one of the big surprises of last week's 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the Jaguar B99 sedan concept that had nothing do with Jaguar whatsoever. What makes the concept's gestation even more surprising was that it was developed by financial stricken Italian design house Stile Bertone, a firm that one would assume can ill afford to splurge on random concept cars.  

Given its dimensions and shape, many suggested the B99 was Bertone's take on the long-rumored successor to the Jaguar X-Type and may even have been commissioned by Jaguar to drum up excitement for a new entry-level sedan model. Unfortunately, despite its tasteful styling, Jaguar is quick to point out that it had nothing to do with the project and it by no means hints at a new small sedan model from the British marque.

Speaking with Automotive News, Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar's global brand director, said: "It is not our concept. We appreciate the fact that Jaguar is interesting enough for people to do a concept around. It's not that we are offended by it, or against it--it is just not for us."

So why would Bertone go to such great lengths to build a concept of a car that will never be built? The practice is common among niche design houses in Italy and has been done so for many years. It is a way for the design house to attract potential customers by showing off its talents in a concept vehicle that's eye-catching and easily recognizable.

Unfortunately for Bertone, its B99 concept, though stylish, is easily forgettable. Let's hope that Bertone still has some luck with it.

http://www.motorauthority.com/blog/1056382_jaguar-says-bertone-b99-concept-is-not-for-us

[Otto Puzzell]

It's a throwback to the previous-gen Jags, for sure.

Not bad looking, but Jaguar has gone down the path of busy George Jetson-esqe designs with blinders on, and I don't suppose they'll return to clean, classic design themes any time soon.

[Stephen M]

Great looking car...but I honestly think a lot of manufacturers could throw their corporate face on the front and call it their own. That's not a bad thing, at least not for Bertone. But it's not, to these eyes, a Jaguar and Jaguar only at first glance.

Of course, I could say the same thing about the CX75, and that was an in-house effort, so maybe I just don't have the eye for whatever Jag is going for these days. 

[richard cuyler]

I think this is probably how a new XJ series SHOULD look, but the strange thing is that sometimes harking back to a successful past aesthetic makes for something which becomes quite quickly boring to the general public. As wonderful as nostalgia is and as rose-tinted as it makes ones' spectacles, there is a definite been-there-done-that factor which must be taken into account by a designer. Most people know nothing about cars and are frankly not terribly interested (unlike us, of course!) and if a car has even a slightly old-hat air about it, it will soon be dismissed by the subconscious as somehow stale.

As has ever been the case, cars of an era always look alike. From the 1920s to the 1960s an enthusiast could tell them apart by looking at the grille design and certain other cues which gave the game away, but nowadays these cues are so subtle that even people who have an interest in cars will have difficulty telling one from the other - and in my case, I have to admit that as I'm not terribly captivated by modern cars, I don't care anyway - so there is a certain merit to applying design cues which have sparked public admiration in the past. But I think this design device is short lived and initial enjoyment soon gives way to boredom, which is a bad thing for car salespeople.

It is quite a tricky row to hoe for a car designer these days.

[richard cuyler]

Well, what a lot of twaddle. I was parked behind a 'new' Fiat 500 this morning and realised that not everything which is retro-styled leads to boredom. Indeed, the said Fiat and the 'new' MINI show very adequately that in some cases, not only does it work, it works brilliantly. I also recall that some years ago Renault did a retro Renault 4CV (Renault 'Fiftie'), which I think may have hit the spot with the public. So please ignore the previous post.