Report: Jaguar passes on Bertone's B99 concept

Italian design studio Bertone came to the 2011 Geneva Motor Show with the B99 concept, a design study for a prospective Jaguar rival to the likes of the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The sleek show car fostered rumors that perhaps Jaguar itself, which has been considering a successor to the discontinued X-Type, had commissioned Bertone to design the purple machine that graced the Geneva stage. According to new reports, however, Bertone was apparently on its own with this one.

Speaking with Jaguar's global brand director Adrian Hallmark, Automotive News reports that the British automaker is passing on the concept car. "We appreciate the fact that Jaguar is interesting enough for people to do a concept around," says Hallmark. "It is just not for us."

Photos copyright ©2011 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]