Paris Motor Show - Jaguar’s first two-seater sports car since the iconic 1961 E-Type made its world debut at the Musee Rondin in Paris on Wednesday night.
The F-Type is the real deal - a front-engined, rear-wheel drive convertible - and will be available in three variants.
The base F-Type has Jaguar’s new three-litre V6 supercharged petrol engine with 250kW (0-100 in 5.1sec, 260km/h flat out); the F-Type S has the same engine tuned for 280kW (4.8 seconds and 275km/h) and the supercharged, five-litre F-Type V8S with 364kW is good for 0-100 in 4.2 seconds and 300km/h.
Each drives through a close-ratio, eight-speed semi-auto transmission with a launch control option for Stoplight Grand Prix getaways.
An active exhaust system, which is standard on the S and V8 S models has valves that open under load from 3000rpm, building to a seriously authoritative sound-track at the redline.
An active rear spoiler deploys at speed to reduce lift by up to 120kg.
LAID OUT LKE A FIGHTER JET
The ‘one plus one’ layout of the asymmetric cabin is emphasised by the grab handle, which sweeps down the centre console on the passenger side, separating it from the driver’s seat.
The controls are ergonomically grouped by function, as they are in a military aircraft – which was also the inspiration for the joystick-shaped gear selector controlling the eight-speed transmission.
The air vents on top of the dashboard only pop up when instructed to by either the driver or the climate control systems; the rest of the time they stay tucked discreetly out of sight.
The F-Type is built around the fourth generation of Jaguar’s lightweight aluminium architecture, with a new sports-car design language for Jaguar that achieves cleaner lines through the discreet use of technology such as deployable spoiler and door handles.
It’s also the greenest Jaguar yet, according to the maker. The all-aluminium body is glued and riveted together, which produces 80 percent less CO2 than if it had been welded up in steel. More than half the body is made out of recycled metal and all the off-cuts go back to the smelters to be re-used.
BOTTOM LINE
UK pricing for the F-Type will start at £58 500 (R775 000) for the V6, £67 500 (R895 000) for the S and £79 950 (R1 060 000) for the V8 S. South African prices will be announced when the F-Type is released here in July 2013.
JAGUAR F-TYPE PROMO VIDEO
JAGUAR F-TYPE V8S PROMO VIDEO