Jaguar has unveiled the spiritual successor to its iconic E-Type sports car – 50 years after the original went on sale.
The stunning F-Type has been designed to be an uncompromising two-seat convertible which offers motorists an exhilarating driving experience.
It will see the British firm take the fight to the Germans – with the F-Type going into direct competition with thoroughbred sports cars like the Porsche 911.
Jaguar is yet to reveal the full details of its new sports car, but it will be available with a choice of 3-litre V6 or 5-litre V8 engines – offering blistering performance.
All models should be capable of accelerating from 0-62mph in less than five seconds and have top speeds of 155mph-plus.
The rear-wheel drive sports car will be fitted with an eight-speed gearbox and cost around £50,000 when it goes on sale next year.
There have been direct comparisons made between the F-Type and the legendary E-Type which was built between 1961 and 1974.
It will be the first two-seat Jaguar since the E-Type with the firm hailing its as their “return to the sports car market”.
And the first impressions of the F-Type is that it will be a huge success with James Blackwell from the Jaguar Enthusiasts’ Club describing it as “gorgeous”.
He said: “Jaguar built its success on proper sports cars and, after the E-Type, all models had rear seats and were designed to be grand tourers.
“Now they’re bringing it back and the F-Type is very exciting. It looks gorgeous and has a lovely presence with its aggressive styling.
“I’m sure it is going to be an amazing success, everything Jaguar seems to do at the moment turns to gold.”
The F-Type will make its global debut at next week’s Paris Motor Show after being previewed as a disguised prototype at various events.
Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar global brand director, says the F-Type’s launch in France will be a “truly significant day” as the firm returns to the sports car market.
He said: “As its sporting forebears did in their era, the F-Type will break new ground by delivering stunning sports car performance while vividly demonstrating Jaguar’s cutting-edge engineering technologies and world-class design excellence.”
Ian Callum, director of design, added: “A true sports car needs to be pure in both its purpose and its form; to have the opportunity to produce such a car for Jaguar has been a privilege both for myself and for my team.
“The C-Type, D-Type and E-Type Jaguars were all sports cars that held true to this principle in their era, and the F-Type will hold true to that same principle in its time, a time that is soon to arrive.”
