Monaco is one of the few places in the world where a Lamborghini, Ferrari or Rolls-Royce might seem ubiquitous. Around Casino Square or the Fairmont hairpin, exotic cars are such a routine part of daily life that even serious machinery can struggle to stand out.
That made Jaguar’s decision to put its Type 01 prototypes onto the streets of Monaco ahead of the E-Prix particularly interesting.
The camouflaged development cars circulated through Sainte-Dévote, Casino Square, La Rascasse and other familiar sections of the Grand Prix circuit, giving spectators and the Principality’s ever-present car spotters a rare look at Jaguar’s controversial new design in the real world.
Even under camouflage, the Type 01 is difficult to mistake for anything else.
Its long hood, low roof, minimal greenhouse and broad surfaces give it a very different presence from the compact, cab-forward proportions of many modern supercars. In Monaco’s tight streets and dense urban setting, those proportions arguably became even more pronounced.
Jaguar created a special wrap for the appearance, incorporating its new strikethrough motif with straight and circular graphics in vivid colors. Rather than hiding the shape, the camouflage emphasized the silhouette and surfaces Jaguar has been gradually revealing as development progresses.
The Type 01 name appeared where the hood meets the windshield. Jaguar says the “0” represents electric propulsion and zero tailpipe emissions, while “1” identifies the car as the first model of its new era.
Monaco also gave Jaguar an opportunity to highlight the connection between the Type 01 and its Formula E program.
Jaguar TCS Racing’s experience has influenced areas including all-wheel-drive control software, silicon-carbide inverters, regenerative braking, energy management and charging performance. Jaguar won the Monaco E-Prix in 2024, making the circuit an appropriate backdrop for that technical connection.
More importantly, the appearance put the Type 01 somewhere far more revealing than a studio or motor show.
Monaco is a useful test of automotive presence because exceptional cars are ordinary there. Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys and McLarens pass through Casino Square and around the Fairmont hairpin every day.
Against that background, the Jaguar still looked unusual.
Whether its new design direction appeals is another question. Jaguar’s reinvention has been polarizing precisely because the Type 01 represents such a deliberate break from what came before.
But for the crowds lining Monaco’s streets, it would have been one of the more interesting spots of the weekend — not necessarily because it was the fastest or most exotic car there, but because almost nothing else looked like it.
Useful Information
Location: Monaco
Event: Monaco E-Prix
Jaguar Type 01 appearance: May 15, 2026
Why it was there: Jaguar ran Type 01 development prototypes on the Monaco street circuit ahead of the E-Prix.
Notable locations on the circuit: Sainte-Dévote, Casino Square, Fairmont hairpin, tunnel section and La Rascasse
Best-known car-spotting areas: Casino Square, Avenue Princesse Grace, Hôtel de Paris, Hôtel Hermitage and the Fairmont Monte Carlo hairpin area
Why Monaco is good for car spotting: The Principality has an unusually high concentration of exotic, luxury and collector cars, particularly around major motorsport events and during the summer season.
Getting around: Central Monaco is compact and most major car-spotting locations can be reached on foot, although the steep elevation changes can make walks longer than they appear on a map.
Planning tip: During Formula E and Formula One weekends, road closures and temporary barriers can dramatically change pedestrian and vehicle access around the Grand Prix circuit.
Photography tip: Casino Square tends to offer slower-moving traffic and architectural backgrounds, while the Fairmont hairpin provides one of the closest and most recognizable places to photograph cars circulating through Monaco.
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