History of the Jaguar F-Type

Posted by D Harrill on June 19, 2014

British automobile manufacturer Jaguar ended a nearly 40-year wait in the summer of 2012 when it made a triumphant re-entry into the luxury sports car market with the initial version of its stunning F-Type model. The F-Type was billed as the long awaited successor to Jaguar’s iconic E-Type, which was last manufactured in 1975.

E-type The E-Type was a tough act to follow; after all, it is one of the most recognizable sports car brands in all the world. When it was first introduced in 1961, legendary Italian automaker Enzo Ferrari was reported to have called the Jaguar E-Type the most beautiful automobile that had ever been made.

Jaguar’s F-Type is a two-seater that more closely resembles their C-X16 model (a hybrid that was introduced just a year before the F-Type in 2011) than it does the E-Type of yesteryear. What Jaguar accomplished with the F-Type was a model that captures the look and feel of a true luxury sports car without diminishing or simply making a carbon copy of its famous predecessor; a true luxury sports car that can compete with Porsche’s 911 and Boxster models for market share.

Those who behold the majestic style and experience the sheer power of the F-Type believe it to be a worthy heir to the E-Type’s throne. After two highly successful years on the market for the F-Type, it is now entering its third year of production. The F-Type’s 2015 models are already on the market.

Introduction of the Jaguar F-Type

The world first saw the 2013 Jaguar F-Type when it was introduced at the 2012 Paris Auto Show. The car is sleek and lightweight (it’s made of aluminum) but also extremely powerful – even the most basic F-Type model features a supercharged 3.0 liter V6 340 horsepower engine that can accelerate from zero to 60 in 5.1 seconds. For the first year, 2013, Jaguar offered an upgraded “S” model of the F-Type that gave buyers the option to add even more power to their engine: 3.0 liter V6 380 horsepower or 5.0 liter V8 495 horsepower.

For the sophomore model of the F-Type the following year, Jaguar expanded the options by offering even more models of the F-Type:

The 2014 F-Type became available in both convertible and coupe models. Only convertible models of the 2013 version were made.
In addition to basic and S models of the F-Type coupe, Jaguar introduced an R model coupe with an even more powerful engine. The F-Type R features a V8 550 horsepower motor that can go from zero to 60 in a mere four seconds.

What Makes the F-Type Unique?

F-Type When the lowest engine horsepower offered is 340, you know that a drive in a Jaguar F-Type is going to be a thrill ride. The roaring, high-performance engines of the F-Type have made it a force to be reckoned with in the luxury sports car market since its inception two years ago.

One of the F-Type’s unique features is a lightning quick, smooth, eight speed automatic transmission with an intelligent control system that carefully selects which gear to use based on the driving situation. Here are a few other features that make the F-Type a world class luxury ride:

A front splitter to manage the airflow beneath the car.
A deployable spoiler that automatically rises when the car accelerates to higher speeds, reducing lift by up to 265 pounds.
Deployable door handles that retract when not in use.
A smooth leather interior, making it a tantalizingly comfortable ride.
An adaptive lighting system that will automatically switch between high and low beam, depending on the driving situation.
For coupe models, buyers can choose a panoramic glass roof that can add more natural light to the interior of the car.
For convertible models, the top is made of light, compact fabric that can be raised or lowered in as little as 12 seconds when driving 30 miles an hour or less. The top is available in four colors and is especially designed to cut down on noise produced by wind and the road.

Safety Features

Jaguar has taken extra steps to add the latest in safety and security features to all models of the 2015 F-Type. One of the safety features available to the buyer is an optional Vision Pack that includes:

A blind spot monitor that warns you via a diagram in your exterior rear view mirror when another vehicle is approaching in your blind spot.
A closing vehicle sensing feature that alerts you when changing lanes might be more dangerous based on the speeds of approaching vehicles.
Parking aids, both front and rear, that audibly alert you when you are approaching an object while parking the car.
Reverse traffic detection, which warns you via a radar system when another vehicle is crossing your path while you are backing up.

Other safety features available include two front airbags and two side airbags that deploy appropriately by using sensors to detect the size and weight of the driver and passenger.

The Price of the Jaguar F-Type

All 2015 models of the Jaguar F-Type have an MSRP of less than $100,000. The basic coupe model of the F-Type carries with it an MSRP starting at $65,000, while the MSRP of the basic convertible F-Type starts at $69,000. For the F-Types with the V8 engines, the coupe S model’s MSRP starts at $92,000 while the MSRP for the V8 R model begins at $99,000, which is the highest base MSRP of any F-Type model.