Jaguar advertises its new F-TYPE sports car as “the legend for your lifetime” and reviewers clearly agree.
Named the World Car Design of the Year, Jaguar bills the 2014 F-TYPE is “a return to the company’s heart: a two-seat, convertible sports car focused on performance, agility and driver involvement.”
Comparing the F-TYPE to a Porsche, The Wall Street Journal says the Jaguar comes out on top. Car & Driver proclaims the F-TYPE is “endowed with more than enough firepower to fight any sports-car adversary.”
Jaguar views the F-TYPE as continuing the company’s “sporting bloodline” and advancing its tradition of “sinuous, muscular elegance…with new, assertive design language.”
From its J-blade headlights and four-sided center grille to its running lights, The F-TYPE design is distinctive. Two bold “heartlines” define the signature look. The convertible top is “fast and refined” and can open and close in 12 seconds.
Jaguar offers three models: the F-TYPE with a 340 hp, 3.0 liter V6 supercharged engine, the F-TYPE S with 380 hp and a 3.0 liter V6, and the F-TYPE V8 S with 495 hp and a 5.0 liter V8. The latter can go from 0-60 in 4.2 seconds, about a second less than it takes the F-TYPE. Top speeds for the three models are 161 mph for the F-Type, 171 mph for the S and 186 for the V8 S.
The car’s interior boasts a “1+1” cabin that emphasizes the driver. A prominent grab handle on the center console clearly separates the passenger from the driving controls marking the driver’s territory. Different trim materials on either side of the cockpit further delineate the driver and passenger spaces.
With respect to driving dynamics, Jaguar’s website states that the F-TYPE’s “high power and low weight means effortless speed. By combining powerful engines with an all-aluminum body, the F-TYPE achieves high power to weight ratios for each model.” To sum it up: the F-TYPE “feels fast, lively and responsive.”
“Like a jungle cat ready to pounce, it’s hard not to feel impressed.” So purred Autoguide.com.