Jaguar has long talked about an E-Type replacement and the F-Type is now here. It's been worth the wait. It was back in the 1970s that Jaguar stopped the production of the iconic E-Type, and ever since there's been speculation about a successor. The F-Type is that car, adding a proper sports car to the Jaguar line-up, this roadster model, in standard F-Type V6, F-Type S and F-Type V8 S certain to be joined in the near future with a coupe. Jaguar also isn't ruling out the potential for faster, even more focussed derivatives, which given the intensity already on offer from the V8 S model is a very enticing proposition indeed. Performance The three F-Type models introducing the car come in either F-Type, S or V8 S guises, the F-Type and F-Type S coming with a supercharged 3.0-litre V6, the V8 S adding a further two cylinders and a jump in capacity, its 5.0-litre V8 also featuring supercharging. The standard F-Type might be the entry model, but with 340PS and 450Nm of torque it's able to reach 62mph in 5.3 seconds and onto an electronically limited 161mph. The S adds 40PS and 10Nm of torque to that, dropping the 0-62mph time to 4.9 seconds, that electronic limiter's bar raised a little to 171mph. The V8 S is a little bit more unhinged, its 495PS monstering the F-Type to 62mph in 4.3 seconds and a 186mph (again electronically limited) top speed. All are fast then, and sound it, with even the entry model's tailpipes very vocal. The right kind of noise to many, but some might find the bluster it creates a little bit intrusive. That's less of a case on the V6 S, while the aural stimulation on offer from the V8 S is in the betters many supercars - such is its intensity. All are mated to an eight-speed Quickshift automatic, which works beautifully when left alone, and is pleasingly quick and responsive to inputs should you take over via the paddle-shifters - not leaving you in complete control when Dynamic Mode is selected. Ride and handling The engines impress with both their performance and aural character, but it's the chassis that's the headline act. Jaguar might not have offered a pure sports car for a while, but on the evidence on exhibit in the F-Type it's forgotten nothing in how to do so. The chassis balance is sublime, the suspension's control quite staggering - even on the V8's standard 20-inch alloy wheels - the F-Type's ability to mix a compliant ride and sharp control among the best there is. The aluminium structure inevitably helps here, but Jaguar's resistance to opt for electric power steering is a sizeable contributer, the hydraulically powered system delivering not just immediacy and fine feel and weighing, but achieving that precision without feeling nervous or fidgety. Add a traction and stability system that's been honed to mete out just the right amount of assistance without intrusion and the F-Type exhibits remarkable control. Underlining the basic elements of the chassis are spot on is the car's behaviour with the stability systems off, it retaining its fine composure and never surprising with its responses up to and beyond its limits of traction and grip. There's an opportunity to fiddle with the settings in the S badged cars via the Adaptive Dynamics system, though even its most focussed settings don't upset the ride/handling balance, only the slighty over sharp throttle in dynamic mode upsetting the car's flow. Comfort and practicality A sports car, so you can forget about practicality, though perhaps the biggest failing of the F-Type being that it struggles to match Porsche's 911 for usefulness. The boot is comically small, the 200-litre capacity not demonstrating the awkwardness and flatness of the luggage compartment - you'll struggle to get much more than a squashy bag or two in there. The cabin, beautifully built as it is, lacks much in the way of oddment stowage either. You can forgive it a lot, though Jaguar's off-the-shelf infotainment system is woefully outdated and clunky in its operation, the graphics more Etch A Sketch than smooth-scrolling retina-display tablet. A low point in an otherwise nicely executed, driver-focussed interior. Running costs The entry price for the F-Type is £58,500, which pitches it about £10,000 more than a PDK equipped Porsche Boxster S. Performance is pretty much identical too, though the Jaguar trails the Stuttgart car a fair bit on economy - the F-Type's official 31.4mpg figure significantly bettered by the Porsche's 35.3mpg. CO2 emissions of 209gk/m is also higher than the German. So the F-Type is more costly then, though the Porsche's ubiquity counts against it. The V6 S's list price of £67,500 puts it between that Boxster S and the Porsche 911 Cabriolet, it only losing out slightly in economy to its 340hp relation, with an official combined figure of 31.0mpg and CO2 emissions of 213g/km. The £79,950 V8 S is an entirely different proposition again, its price undercutting the Porsche 911 S cabriolets, yet its power output actually pitches it up against the 911 Turbo. It will never be cheap to run with an official combined consumption of 25.5mpg, the reality certain to be significantly less than that, but it'll be worth it. Standard equipment across the line-up includes sat nav with DAB tuner, Bluetooth connection, intelligent start-stop, bi-xenon headlamps and sports seats, but there are some items you'll need to dip into the extensive options list for. Dual climate control adds £350, a wind deflector £250, while things like rain sensing wipers, headlamps and cruise control all require deeper pockets, too. Summary Worth the wait, Jaguar's F-Type possesses a fine chassis, a good choice of engines and a mighty V8 flagship. That V8 feels like a bit of a bargain, while the V6s struggle to make quite as convincing argument for themselves against their German rivals. A mixed range then, that gives both the Boxster and 911 some serious competition, that V8 S making cars like Aston Martin's V8 Vantage look silly in comparison.
Our Rating
