For me, Jaguar and Land Rover are more than legendary marques, as they’re deeply ingrained in my own story. Throughout my childhood, my family owned five Jaguars and two Land Rovers, so when I walk into a Jaguar Land Rover experience at Monterey Car Week, I’m not just reporting on another debut. If anything, it feels like I’m stepping into a lineage that resonates on a deeply personal level for me.
But this year wasn’t simply a homecoming for me; to my surprise, it was an enlightening revelation.
The Jaguar Land Rover experiences at Monterey Car Week didn’t just echo what I’d come to expect (as I’ve been covering JLR for over a decade). Instead, they challenged me to dissolve old notions and familiar programming. During the week, I found myself rethinking everything I thought I knew about the brand, and, in many ways, about my own perspective.
This year, JLR made its mark across Monterey with a multi-faceted presence: the one-of-one Range Rover SV Asilomar revealed at Range Rover House, the dramatic debut of the Jaguar Type 00 at Open Studio, and a showcase of Land Rover Classic expedition icons on the 17th Fairway at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
Together, these activations told a story of reinvention and heritage; a company that’s both honoring its past while confidently moving into a bold new future.
The Global Debut: Range Rover SV Asilomar at Range Rover House
To kick off the week, against the backdrop of Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach, the Range Rover House created a curated environment of sophistication and exclusivity. Throughout the week, guests mingled across open-air terraces with expansive forested and golf course views, enjoyed live music, and previewed the latest in design-driven luxury.
During their VIP cocktail reception, the exciting highlight was the reveal of the Range Rover SV Asilomar, a one-of-one commission crafted through Range Rover’s SV Bespoke personalization program. In a press release about the event, Irene Kakooza (US Brand Director for Range Rover) exclaimed, “The debut of the Range Rover SV Asilomar at Range Rover House represents the pinnacle of Range Rover Bespoke. Every detail, inspired by the beauty of Monterey Bay, reflects the limitless possibilities of personalized design.”
Its dreamy color palette was inspired by Central California’s picturesque coastal landscape, while its interior details reflected the Range Rover’s outstanding craftsmanship. The bespoke Light and Dark Blue Duo Tone Fade exterior evokes the shifting hues of water and light refraction, while the 23-inch Diamond Turned wheels and Liberty Blue leather interior with Kvadrat fabric reflect Range Rover’s mastery of detail and craftsmanship.
Inside, the SV Signature Suite transforms the cabin into a sanctuary with fully reclining seats, a powered Veneer Club Table, and embroidered accents that make the interior as exclusive as its singular badge. More than just a showpiece, the Asilomar embodies Range Rover’s commitment to legacy and sustainability: from its 606-horsepower V8 engine to its $5,000 contribution to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, supporting ocean conservation.
The evening wasn’t simply about unveiling a car. It was about reinforcing Range Rover House as both a destination and a gathering place; an upscale, chic space where luxury, culture, and innovation intersect. Guests experienced not only the Asilomar but also the brand’s broader vision: creating vehicles that are as personal as they are powerful.
Jaguar Type 00: A Bold Rebirth at Open Studio
One of the most memorable moments during Monterey Car Week unexpectedly happened on a bright, sunny afternoon in Monterey. During the weekend, Jaguar collaborated with Road & Track and Harper’s Bazaar to create the Open Studio at 456 Lighthouse, a newly modernized industrial warehouse-turned-contemporary venue.
In addition to prominently displaying the all-new Jaguar Type 00 under a bright spotlight, like a dramatic starlet stepping onto her stage, the event also housed inspiring panel discussions featuring notable people. Panels brought together voices from fashion and design, including Rachel Scott (Founder & Creative Director, Diotima), Zoe Latta (Co-Founder & Designer, Eckhaus Latta), Gunnar Deatherage (Fashion & Costume Designer), and Axel Goulée (Lead Materiality Designer, Jaguar), moderated by Leah Chernikoff (Executive Editor, Harper’s Bazaar).
Steven Kittrell, Owner of 456 Lighthouse Events, described it best: “It was fantastic having Project 00 on the Monterey Peninsula during Monterey Car Week. It’s a significant market-changing automobile featured at the most important time of the year. It almost didn’t feel real — sitting there at 456 Lighthouse, under the lights and sounds of Questlove on the turntables. The vibe was high, and the clientele was strong. A perfect storm of Pebble Beach opulence and automotive excellence.”
Beyond the panel discussions, the most transformative moment happened when I saw the car. I have to admit that the Jaguar Type 00 stunned me in a way few cars ever have. For the first time in my life, I was actually speechless.
In truth, photos and videos don’t do it justice; you have to experience it in person to understand what I mean. While I’d seen the images online, nothing prepared me for the visceral reaction of standing before it. Given the fact that it’s radically different from the classic Jaguars I grew accustomed to in my youth, it struck me with such intensity that, for a moment, I think I was genuinely in shock.
As Axel Goulée (Lead Materiality Designer, Jaguar) explained during the forum, the car’s exterior hue was directly inspired by art history. The striking French Ultramarine blue pays homage to Renaissance pigment, developed as a bespoke color and paired with a satin finish to accentuate the car’s form. By incorporating materials like brass, long associated with sculpture and architecture, Jaguar blurred the boundaries between engineering and artistry. As the brand describes it: “Bold, unexpected, fearless.”
The design has an almost two-dimensional quality, something that reminded me of the 1995 Take On Me music video by A-ha, where the lead singer crosses into a sketched, animated world and becomes part of the art itself. Similarly, the Type 00 doesn’t just sit in front of you as a car, but rather, it has the power to magnetize you at first glance, pulling you into its own artistic reality, and then magically leaving you feeling transformed, once you step out of its orbit.
The effect is electrifying. The illusion comes from its streamlined angles, satin-finished electric blue paint, and sophisticated silhouette. When I first laid eyes on it, it felt like a jolt to the nervous system; both shocking and mesmerizing. The experience was like growing up around horses and suddenly coming face-to-face with a unicorn; at once familiar yet otherworldly, irresistibly intriguing, and so surreal it felt like stepping into a lucid dream.
For my family, the debut carried even deeper meaning. My mother (Suzy Goodman-Pollack) was one of the event attendees. Along with my father, they owned multiple Jaguars when I was growing up. Seeing the new iteration through her eyes provided a loyalist’s perspective on how the brand is evolving. As she told me afterward:
“As a Jaguar loyalist, I have always been attracted to the polished interior and comfort, but the new lines depict a trendy car that speaks the ‘wow’ language. The design elements that initially attracted me were the dynamic lines and coloration. The 3 words that can sum up the new, modernized Jag are unique, stunning, and eternal.”
Beyond the artistry, Jaguar’s leadership emphasized that this debut represents a radical pivot for the brand. Through my conversations with Jaguar Land Rover executives over the week, I gained a greater understanding of the type of clientele they’re targeting with this new design, which seems to encompass wealthy entrepreneurs, tech and crypto executives, and design-forward visionaries who see automobiles as artistic and cultural statements.
By launching creative event-based marketing activations as a way of introducing the new Jaguar to audiences, they’re strategically creating spaces designed to expand our horizons and encourage open-minded perspectives, while bridging the worlds of fashion, architecture, and automobiles.
As Brandon Baldassari, U.S. Brand Director for Jaguar, explained:
“The E-Type is undeniably one of the most beautiful cars ever made. Its long bonnet, dramatic proportions, and assertive stance have made it an icon of automotive design — a symbol of elegance and sophistication that still turns heads today. While Jaguar’s new design language embraces a more modern aesthetic, it remains deeply rooted in the qualities that have defined the brand for over 90 years. Elegance and sophistication evolve with time, and our latest models reflect that evolution — with clean lines, luxurious interiors, and a driving experience that’s unmistakably Jaguar. We’re not moving away from our heritage; we’re reinterpreting it for a new era. The spirit of the E-Type lives on — just expressed through a contemporary lens.”
And on the emotional challenge of change, he added:
“Change can be challenging, especially when it involves a brand people feel deeply connected to. We understand that — and we’ve approached this transformation with great care and respect for our legacy. Our engineers studied the most iconic Jaguars ever built, capturing their dynamics, emotion, and craftsmanship. Those qualities have been infused into our future models. Design-wise, we haven’t abandoned our heritage; we’ve gone back to it. The new brand vision is about distilling Jaguar to its purest form — bold, modern, and unmistakably luxurious.”
It’s evident that the Jaguar 00 Type represents more just another rebirth. It reflects the very intersection of a traditional past and a daringly modern future. If Monterey Car Week proved anything, it’s that Jaguar is no longer content with nostalgia; it’s driven to create a new era defined by boldness, imagination, and emotional impact.
Land Rover Classic: Heritage on the Fairway
Lastly, to culminate the week’s festivities, at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, Land Rover Classic curated a tribute to 75 years of expedition heritage on the iconic 17th Fairway.
Surrounded by some of the rarest and most celebrated automobiles in the world, Land Rover’s display celebrated utility elevated to legend: Series I models, Defenders, and expedition vehicles that shaped the brand’s reputation for endurance and adventure. The lineup spanned early Series I workhorses to the latest Range Rover electric prototypes, underscoring how Land Rover has become both an icon of adventure and a symbol of prestige.
Among the standouts were legends like the Oxford and Cambridge 1955 First Overland Expedition Series I, a classic Camel Trophy Defender, and a pristine 1989 Range Rover; vehicles that didn’t just look extraordinary, but told stories of resilience and discovery that shaped global exploration.
In a press release, Sandra Button, Chairman of the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, said: “We are proud to welcome this gathering of historic Land Rover expedition vehicles to our show field. While the Pebble Beach Concours has often celebrated cars that set forth new standards for style, technology, and speed, this special class gives us the opportunity to celebrate cars that made their mark by forging new paths through some of the most difficult terrain on our planet. We thank Land Rover Classic and JLR North America for helping to curate this special class, as well as the British Motor Museum and individual owners who are sharing their cars here at Pebble Beach.”
In a week dominated by futuristic hypercars and multimillion-dollar debuts, Land Rover’s rugged display was a reminder of authenticity.
These were the vehicles that conquered deserts, jungles, and mountains; not for glamour, but for grit. And yet, their presence at Pebble Beach underscored how heritage and authenticity are every bit as aspirational as modern luxury. The showcase epitomized a lifetime of great expeditions, grand adventures, and the drive to be daring.
Jaguar Land Rover’s presence at Monterey Car Week was more than a trio of showcases; it was a meditation on legacy and reinvention. Range Rover displayed the pinnacle of bespoke luxury with the SV Asilomar, Jaguar unveiled a provocative new vision with the Type 00, and Land Rover grounded the brand in expedition heritage at Pebble Beach.
For me, it also came full circle. Having grown up with Jaguars and Land Rovers in my family, seeing these debuts wasn’t just an editorial assignment; it was a personal reminder of why these marques matter. They’re not just vehicles, but symbols of endurance, reinvention, and imagination.
Whether reflecting upon the past, embracing the power of the present, or charging towards the future, JLR continues to shape stories that move us, both on the road and far beyond.
For more behind-the-scenes coverage from Monterey Car Week, discover MCW stories on Inspirations & Celebrations.
[Media access provided by JLR. Image credits: Christina-Lauren Pollack for Inspirations & Celebrations and Jaguar Land Rover. All opinions are my own.]
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