HOME > BLOG > The Jaguar F-TYPE. What is all the fuss about?
First built in 2013, the Jaguar F-TYPE is a two-door, luxury sports car. It is said by Jaguar, the F-TYPE was built as a replacement to the XK Grand Tourer and so-called ‘’spiritual-successor’’ to the famous E-TYPE.
The F-TYPE was originally launched as a two-door soft-top convertible and followed by a fastback coupe version in 2013. There is no doubt that the F-TYPE is a Jaguar, with flashbacks of history throughout its design. Concepts such as the XJ41 (coupe) and XJ42 (convertible) show where the F-TYPE model came from, however, these concepts only ever made it to the development stage when they were pulled from production due to Ford Motor Company taking over Jaguar in 1989. The focus at this time was to upgrade the current Jaguar production facilities, which resulted in the XJS facelift. It is thought the XJ41 and XJ42 then evolved into the Jaguar XK8 and the Aston Martin DB7 which were launched in 1995.
The Jaguar F-TYPE concept was first shown in the British Motor Museum, Gaydon in 2000. It was a two-seat lightweight sports car with a 3.0-litre V6 engine, from the S-TYPE Saloon. However, budget cuts by Ford led Jaguar to pursue its efforts in F1 (Formula One) and by 2002, the F-Type project was canceled due to its failure to meet production feasibility.
Finally, the Jaguar F-TYPE Convertible was unveiled at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, the first two-seater sports car Jaguar had launched for 50 years. Its inherent desirability is proven by the fact that 75% of F-TYPE Convertible customers are new to the Jaguar brand.
Just a year later the stunning Coupé arrived, headlined by the performance-focused 550PS F-TYPE R model, which could accelerate to 60mph from a standstill in just 4 seconds and reach a top speed of 186mph. The introduction of Carbon Ceramic Matrix brakes and Torque Vectoring by Braking technology further enhanced the F-TYPE’s impressive driving dynamics. Both were available for sale in Spring 2014, in F-TYPE, F-TYPE S, and F-TYPE R.
Another year on, in 2014 Jaguar hand-built their first limited-edition F-TYPE’s to meet the demand of the unique appeal. Faster and more driver-focused, the F-TYPE Project 7 went from a concept sketched on a piece of paper to a production car in just a few months. Only 250 units were built, worldwide and developed by Special Vehicle Operations, the Project 7 paid homage to Jaguar’s seven victories in the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race, with a distinctive roadster body that captured the legendary looks and extraordinary profile of one of Jaguar’s most successful racing cars: the iconic Jaguar D-Type. Powered by a 575PS V8 engine, the two-door, rear-wheel-drive convertible delivered a truly engaging driver experience.
And again, in 2016 the range expanded from six to 14 derivatives. The 550PS F-TYPE R Convertible was introduced, along with a six-speed manual gearbox, All-Wheel Drive and Intelligent Driveline Dynamics were introduced, resulting in a car that offered blistering performance to meet every customer in all conditions.
Between 2013 and 2015, a 69% increase has ensured that the F-TYPE is the best-selling sports car in its core segment in the UK. In Canada and the USA, sales had more than doubled – outselling both the Porsche Boxster and Cayman. Whilst in Germany, the F-TYPE outsold both the Aston Martin Vantage and Audi R8. The most impressive upsurge was seen in China, where sales have swelled by a massive 173%. Finally, the F-TYPE has also won more than 150 global awards to date and it also boasts the youngest average customer age in the Jaguar range.
The first Jaguar ever to carry the SVR badge, the Jaguar F-TYPE SVR, a 200mph, all-weather supercar. Developed by Special Vehicle Operations, lighter, quicker, faster, louder and more powerful than the AWD F-TYPE R, while remaining tractable and usable day-to-day. By exploiting the lightweight aluminium sports car’s full potential, SVO has created Jaguar’s fastest and most powerful series-production car ever. Raising the output of Jaguar’s supercharged 5.0-litre V8 to 575PS and with 700Nm of torque, it enables the F-TYPE SVR to accelerate from 0-60mph in just 3.5 seconds, with a top speed of 200mph for the Coupé and 195mph for the Convertible.
The Jaguar F-TYPE put on quite the show for the Queen’s 90th Birthday in May 2016. The celebration saw millions of people gather at Windsor Castle, along with around 900 horses 1500 participates and 7 award-winning Jaguar F-TYPE’s for a spectacular evening of music, song, dance, horse equestrian displays all of which was broadcasted live on TV. The event saw talent including Kylie Minogue, Dame Shirley Bassey, Gary Barlow, Alfie Boe, Jess Glynne, Beverley Knight and Katherine Jenkins to celebrate The Queen’s life, from her birth in 1926, through World War Two, to her Coronation in 1953 and a reign spanning more than 60 years. Jaguar Land Rover was honoured to play a role in the evening’s proceedings, which also included the Queen’s extraordinary birthday cake being towed into the event arena by a Land Rover Discovery.
The Jaguar F-TYPE has since featured in an unlimited amount of TV, movies, and series. Here are a few you may remember: Midsomer Murders (2016 model), Doctors (2013 model), American Horror Story (2014 model), NCIS: Los Angeles (2014 model), American Dad (2014 model), Leather Weapon (2015 model) and of course, across Top Gear and The Grand Tour.
And now, the Jaguar F-TYPE has performed again. The new Jaguar F-TYPE looks more beautiful than ever and embodies Jaguar design DNA in its purest form. F-TYPE evolves into a purer, more sculpted and assertive expression of the definitive Jaguar sports car. The two-seat sports car offers a perfect balance of performance and driver reward with an even more muscular, assertive design.
Luxurious materials, exacting craftsmanship, and beautiful detailing define the driver-focused interior, along with a new 12.3-inch HD virtual instrument cluster, Smartphone Pack with Apple CarPlay® (also includes Android Auto™ and Baidu CarLife) as standard, and Meridian audio enrich the driving experience. Two superb Meridian sound systems offer enhanced sound reproduction.
Adding to the experience is a Jaguar-first embedded Spotify app, giving Spotify Premium customers instant, on-demand access to a growing library of 50+ million tracks.
All engines – 300PS turbocharged four-cylinder, 380PS supercharged V6 and 450PS, and 575PS V8s – feature active exhaust systems, which are switchable either as an option or as standard. Customers who choose the 450PS or 575PS supercharged V8s benefit from the new Quiet Start function, which ensures a more subtle, refined sound – the electrically-actuated bypass valves in the rear silencer remain closed until they automatically open up under load. Customers also have the choice of the exclusive F-TYPE First Edition. Based on the R-Dynamic models, the First Edition is offered for one model year only, and has refinements such as the Exterior Design Pack in contemporary Dorchester Grey and five-spoke, 20-inch wheels in Gloss Technical Grey with contrast Diamond-Turned finish, complementing the choice of Santorini Black, Eiger Grey or Fuji White paint.
The F-TYPE range is built at Jaguar’s Castle Bromwich plant in the UK and consists of:
F-TYPE Coupé and Convertible:
300PS 2.0-litre four-cylinder; Quickshift RWD
380PS 3.0-litre V6; Quickshift; RWD/ AWD
450PS 5.0-litre V8; Quickshift; RWD/ AWD
F-TYPE R-Dynamic Coupé and Convertible:
300PS 2.0-litre four-cylinder; Quickshift RWD
380PS 3.0-litre V6; Quickshift; RWD/ AWD
450PS 5.0-litre V8; Quickshift; RWD/ AWD
F-TYPE First Edition Coupé and Convertible:
300PS 2.0-litre four-cylinder; Quickshift RWD
380PS 3.0-litre V6; Quickshift; RWD/ AWD
450PS 5.0-litre V8; Quickshift; RWD/ AWD
F-TYPE R Coupé and Convertible:
575PS 5.0-litre V8; Quickshift AWD
‘’The new F-TYPE is the definitive Jaguar sports car and continues to set the benchmark for design purity, driver engagement and reward, and truly visceral driving experience – it makes every journey extraordinary. Its timeless looks are more assertive than ever, technologies such as the high-definition virtual instrument cluster deepen the driver-focused feel of the interior, while the range of powertrains offers a breadth of choice unrivaled in the segment. Enthusiasts will appreciate the new F-TYPE R’s 575PS supercharged V8, enhanced chassis and intelligent all-wheel-drive system, which delivers truly outstanding performance in all conditions while retaining its inherent tractability and usability.’’ – Alan Volkaerts, Vehicle Line Director, Jaguar F-TYPE
Buy your new Jaguar F-TYPE today, from the comfort of your own home with Rockar.
