Jaguar: Bertone B99 concept is "not for us"

Originally thought to be a preview of the company's upcoming small car, Jaguar says it had no knowledge of Bertone's B99 concept.

Italian design house Bertone unveiled a Jaguar-badged concept - dubbed the B99 -- at the Geneva Motor Show that was believed to be a preview of the British automaker's forthcoming 3-Series rival, but Jaguar says the show car has no links to any future products.

"It is not our concept," Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar's global brand director, said of the B99. "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."

Bertone reportedly created the concept in order to draw Jaguar's business interest for the project. However, the concept looked more along the lines of Jaguar's previous design language with little to link the cars to the current XF and XJ sedans.

Although Bertone won't be designing Jaguar's upcoming small car, the sub-XF sedan should arrive on dealer lots by 2013 or 2014.

References
1.'Thanks -- but no thanks...' view