Monterey Car Week encompasses The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering; the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion; and, of course, the 75th Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, among other events. Needless to say, there’s a hell of a lot going on. JLR—the umbrella company comprising Jaguar, Land Rover, and Range Rover—nevertheless managed to stand out with an array of vehicles spanning the past, present, and even near future, from cutting-edge electric cars and one-off luxury SUVs to some of the most important British classics ever built.
Jaguar provided the biggest glimpse of the future with the North American debut of the Type 01 prototype, the four-door electric GT that will spearhead the company’s bold new direction, presented by Jaguar Managing Director Rawdon Glover. Jaguar also used Car Week to reveal the Type 01’s futuristic four-seat interior in person for the first time. The production car is scheduled for its full unveiling in New York on October 6.
Glover framed Jaguar’s transformation as nothing less than a complete reset. “What Jaguar needed was a complete reinvention, a complete reboot from where it was,” he said. Yet he also argued that radical change is nothing new for a marque that has repeatedly reinvented itself over its 90-year history. “We shouldn’t be following EV trends. We should be carving our own path.”
At more than 16 feet long, the nearly 1,000-hp electric concept is deliberately extravagant, with an impossibly long hood, fastback roofline, 23-inch wheels, and almost none of the visual clutter that has crept into modern performance cars. The proportions might call to mind a traditional front-engined Jaguar GT, but there is very little that’s traditional about the car, from the lack of a conventional rear window to the butterfly doors and horizontal slatted panels.
The interior is no less dramatic. A central “spine” runs the length of the cabin, dividing it into four individual spaces, with brass-inspired finishes, travertine-influenced surfaces, and technology that appears only when needed. Jaguar says the four-seat concept is being brought to production, with Type 01 becoming the first production Jaguar built on the dedicated new Jaguar Electric Architecture.
Performance will be equally out there. Glover says the electric architecture allows Jaguar to “luxuriate with over a thousand horsepower,” but outright speed isn’t the only objective. “Lots of EVs are quick, but not many of them have character. Not many of them have what you might call a soul,” he said. “What we want is a car with drama. We want a car that when it passes you on the road, it really creates an emotional reaction.”
That Type 01 display was balanced by some serious Jaguar history at Pebble Beach. The company assembled a group of important classics that included Steve McQueen’s Jaguar XKSS, one of the most famous Jaguars in existence, and the bespoke XJ-S Cabriolet commissioned for Diana, Princess of Wales. Also on hand was the 1955 Jaguar D-type XKD 507 raced by Briggs Cunningham; and the as-new 1967 Jaguar E-type 4.2 OTS in Primrose Yellow that was once displayed aboard the RMS Queen Elizabeth, making its first appearance in North America.
Coincidentally at the Concours a beautifully preserved 1963 E-type Fixed Head Coupé won the FIVA (International Federation of Historic Vehicles) Postwar Trophy, while the 1950 Jaguar XK120 Don Parkinson Special took home the prestigious Phil Hill Cup. The awards, decided by 150 Honorary, Chief and Class Judges, garnered a standing ovation. It was a fitting result for Jaguar, whose own heritage display just yards away made the marque’s impressive heritage crystal clear.
Range Rover meanwhile used Monterey to show just how far its Bespoke operation can go. The new Range Rover SV Pearl Luster was unveiled at Range Rover House as a genuine one-of-one commission inspired by white abalone pearl found along the California coast. Its White Pearl Gloss exterior is paired with Orchid leather and real mother-of-pearl interior detailing, and a portion of the eventual sale will benefit the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Fund, a local nonprofit created to help protect the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
The long-wheelbase SV also features the rear-seat Signature Suite with fully reclining seats, and Range Rover House guests were given the first opportunity to register their interest in purchasing the sole example. New Range Rover Brand Director North America Irene Kakooza was on hand for the unveiling. Describing the white abalone inspiration as having a “natural jewel-like finish” and “iridescent luster,” she called Pearl Luster “a master class of design and craftsmanship.”
“The Monterey Peninsula is so beautiful,” Kakooza noted. “It’s been the inspiration for many remarkable Range Rover editions over the years, and this year is no different.”
Range Rover House itself was expanded for 2026 with The Residence at Range Rover House, a new concept that effectively turned an entire boutique hotel in downtown Carmel-by-the-Sea into an invitation-only Range Rover enclave for five nights. Guests booking in received accommodations, chauffeured Range Rover transportation, private dining, Bespoke commissioning appointments, and access to The Quail and Pebble Beach Concours. Packages ranged from $27,500 to $31,500 for two people.
One of the most compelling JLR displays connected old and new Range Rovers. JLR Classic spent more than 2,000 hours restoring and customizing a 1993 Range Rover Classic County Edition to match a new Range Rover SV Ultra. Both were finished in Titan Silver, while the Classic received an Orchid White and Cinder Grey interior mirroring its modern counterpart. The two were displayed together at RM Sotheby’s Monterey auction and offered as an exclusive matched pair, where they fetched a record $967,000.
Meanwhile at The Quail, the Defender Dakar D7X-R race car made its U.S. debut. This was the competition Defender derived from the OCTA that had just won the Stock class at the 2026 Dakar Rally on its first attempt. Defender finished first, second and fourth in class, with the three cars scoring 1-2-3 finishes on 10 of the rally’s 13 stages. Historic Heritage Defenders and custom versions were also on display, while guests could get behind the wheel themselves on the Land Rover Experience off-road trails.
But JLR had an even reveal: it used The Quail for the world preview of the new road-legal Defender Dakar. It’s essentially the D7X-R turned back into a street vehicle—based on the OCTA, with the same 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8, but unrestricted to 626 hp, plus 35-inch tires, widened track, Bilstein rally-derived suspension, carbon-fiber body pieces, roof lights, and even a Flight Mode developed to control the Car when it gets airborne. Reservations open in early 2027.
“The big question was, that’s a really cool car. How can I buy one?” Cameron said at the event. The engineering brief that followed was equally straightforward: “Make it like that, but make it road legal.” Even Flight Mode remains: “When you’re in the air, it presets the dampers for when you’re going to land.” American Defender Rally driver Sara Price, who finished second in class and became the first American woman to win a Dakar stage in 2024, was also on hand for a fireside chat about racing one of the world’s most challenging events.