The Jaguar F-Type was officially revealed at an exclusive event in the gardens of the Musée Rodin Museum in Paris last night.
Adrian Hallmark, Global Brand Director, Jaguar said: “Jaguar is a founder member of the sports car segment with a rich sporting bloodline stretching over 75 years, and in the F-Type we’ve reignited that flame. The Jaguar F-Type isn’t designed to be like anyone else’s sports car. It’s a Jaguar sports car – ultra-precise, powerful, sensual and, most of all, it feels alive.”
The new Jaguar F-Type features all-aluminium double wishbone front and rear suspension, as well as a quick-ratio steering rack for responsiveness. The aluminium construction provides the stiffest possible underpinnings for the suspension with rigidity gains of more than 30 percent in key areas compared with any other Jaguar application
Available in F-Type, F-Type S and F-Type V8 S, each variant is distinguished by the power output of its supercharged petrol engine, which all feature stop/start technology.
A new 3.0-litre V6, is available in either 250 kW or 280 kW guise, which powers the F-Type and F-Type S respectively. The V6 models are joined by the F-Type V8 S, which produces 364 kW and 625 Nm of torque. The V8 offers acceleration from 0 – 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds and an electronically limited top speed of 300 km/h. In comparison, the 280 kW F-Type S completes the 0 – 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 275 km/h, while the entry-level 250 kW F-Type does the same in 5.1 seconds and reaches a limited speed of 260 km/h.
It adds that “every great car must have a great soundtrack”. The V6 gets dual exhausts and the V8 and quad outboard pipes.
All models come standard with an 8-speed ZF automatic transmission. Unlike the rest of the Jaguar range, however, the F-Type offers a more involving experience, having done away with the rotary gearshift dial to offer a conventional lever that affords a sequential manual mode. Paddle shift levers are also mounted behind the steering wheel.
Both the S models have a limited-slip differential, the V6?s is mechanical and the V8?s is electronic. They also have an Active exhaust system, which is optional on the entry-level V6 model. Jaguar says that, “every great car must have a great soundtrack” and so have equipped the F-Type with valves in the exhaust system that open under load from 3 000 r/min. The V6 F-Type is fitted with twin-exhausts, while the V8 receives a set of quad tailpipes.
Exterior highlights are the frontal Jaguar grille, bi-xenon headlamp lights and integral LED daytime running lights, full LED rear lamps and an active rear spoiler, which deploys at speed to reduce lift by up to 120 kg. The total weight of the F-Type is just 1 597 kg. Jaguar design chief, Ian Callum, says four key areas were targeted for the F-Type design: proportions, beautiful lines, clean surfaces, and details. From the front we pick up a hint of Mercedes-Benz SLS and Nissan GT-R thanks to the elongated and squared off headlight design. The Jaguar F-Type has been given a fabric roof to save space and weight. The roof can be raised or lowered in 12 seconds at speeds of up to 50 km/h.
The entry-level Jaguar F-Type will start from €73 400, the F-Type S from €84 900 and the range-topping V8 S will come in at €99 900. In relative terms, these prices place the F-Type below the Jaguar XK Cabriolet, which starts at €99 400.
