Jaguar F-Type review

After seven years on the market, the Jaguar F-Type has had its biggest update yet. You’ve probably seen the dodgy new beacons before, and if the bottom half of the internet is some kind of barometer, you might not like them very much. But reserve judgment until you’ve seen one in person. It’s still an extremely attractive car in coupe and convertible form, and the rest of its styling has been largely left to itself. Sage.

The biggest stories of the F-Type are also just meters from these lights. Mainly its V6 engine was replaced, at least in the UK market, by a new supercharged V8. Yes, Jaguar has bucked all the current trends in the car industry and enlarged the engine of the mid-range F-Type. Whatever climate change protesters think.

They will be at least somewhat appeased by the continued existence of the entry-level F-Type ‘P300’ four-cylinder, whose 296bhp 2.0-litre turbo engine remains untouched. Last year it took 42% of F-Type sales, but Jaguar expects the new 444bhp 5.0-litre ‘P450’ V8 to significantly reduce that share. Above the two is also the 567bhp F-Type R V8, which is the halo of the range now that the savage SVR has gone on sale, but not before donating its engine and suspension tuning components to R.

Tous utilisent une transmission automatique à huit rapports, la manuelle F-Type ayant été retirée de la vente après seulement sept ventes en 2019. Sad, mais nous nous en sortirons: levier de vitesses derivé de ZF est superbe et a toujours été notre préféré anyway.

The P300 and P450 have rear-wheel drive as standard, with the latter getting optional all-wheel drive for £5,000, while the R only has AWD.

The F update sees some tweaks inside too, with an updated infotainment system and a new fully digital instrument display that alternates between single and dual dials or a large widescreen map like the one Audi launched six years ago with the cockpit. virtual of the TT.

Prices start at £54,000 for the coupe and under £60,000 for the convertible, rising to £102,000 for an F-Type R convertible. So, again, the F-Type lives in a curious middle ground. between the Porsche Cayman and the 911, apparently a rival of the two with a wide range of powers. There are also Alpine A110s and Toyota Supras to worry about these days, as well as a reborn TVR. If the new Griffith ever arrives.

Will there be another F-Type SVR, to lure the next 911 Turbo or GT3? “SVO is continually committed to expanding performance attributes and bringing more SV vehicles to market in the future,” is the company’s official line. Our fingers are firmly crossed for a Batsh*t Project 9.

The F-Type is an excellent sports car. It’s been seven years now, and a relatively light tweak doesn’t move the boat at all. Great if you like a slightly brutal coupe or cabriolet with a big front engine, less so if you want something packed with tech.

Yet it remains in its small segment, priced between the Caymans and 911s, while stubbornly offering something a little different for both. And with handling that’s tidier and more confident than ever, a charismatic new engine, and an added burst of modernity inside, it’s not that much harder to recommend than it was in 2013. Whatever you were thinking of these headlights.