We may be long past the days of requiring extraordinarily ugly impact bumpers be affixed to cars sold in the U.S., with those laws extending to supercars like the Lamborghini Countach , cars that are driving around on American roads still aren't quite as smooth as they may be in other markets. Whether for insurance reasons like the Bugatti Chiron or to meet regulatory crash safety regulations, U.S.-spec versions of some cars (typically wild-looking, high-end ones) sometimes get bumpers that protrude slightly further out, or have bumperettes or bumper guards added on.
๐ The Core Development
The latest victim of this is the Jaguar Type 01 , except its little U.S.-spec bumperette solution is actually extremely well done, perfectly integrated with its outrageous styling. I got to see the Type 01 in person for the first time at the Las Vegas Concours over the weekend, and I love it even more in the metal than I already did in photos. Luckily our American-market modifications haven't ruined that.
๐ Background & Sector Context
At the bottom of the body-color strakes in the upright rear end, the Type 01 has a black bar stretching across the same width that houses the parking sensors, with the license plate holder sitting just below it along with a fang-like diffuser design. On the U.S.-spec Type 01, that black bar juts outward a little more dramatically, with angled sections at the ends instead of it being flat all the way across. The rest of the rear end design is exactly the same, and the protruding bumper flows so perfectly with the car's design, you probably wouldn't even notice it if the two cars were side by side.
๐ Industry & Real-World Impact
There is one other difference between Euro- and U.S.-spec Type 01s you may have noticed. Here in America our cars need to have side marker lights and reflectors at front and the rear; usually automakers will integrated these as subtly as possible, maybe along the curve of the wheel arches, following the design of the bumper, or even putting them within the headlights and taillights themselves. Jaguar, though, decided to make them a more prominent part of the car's design.
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๐ฎ Strategic Outlook & What Lies Ahead
The Type 01's side markers are squares, positioned low down in the corners of the front and rear bumpers where their lines are aligned with other lines of the car. Yeah, they stand out, and some people will find them to be an eyesore, but I actually like this placement. At least nothing else about the Type 01's lighting design had to be changed for the U.S. market โ the headlight arrays are still ultra-thin, and the pair of full-width taillights are still hidden between those strakes.
Other than those two little details, the Type 01's design is identical across markets, which is a good thing. Love it or hate it, you've got to respect Jaguar really swinging for the fences here and creating production car with pure concept-y looks , like it traveled back in time to show off how wild cars will look in the future.
