Over the years, there have been many amazing cars that have caught our eyes. But only one earned Enzo Ferrari’s praise as “the most beautiful car ever made” — that car was the Jaguar E-Type.
Mr. Ferrari wasn’t the only one to appreciate the iconic Jag’s look. In 1996, the New York City Museum of Modern Art added a blue roadster to its permanent design collection.
Interesting fact: Sir William Lyons — the co-founder of Jaguar — was completely underwhelmed by the finished product. He didn’t like the look of the back end and didn’t think it would sell. He couldn’t have been more wrong. When the E-Type was unveiled to the public at the Geneva Motor Show in 1961, it created a sensation.
But it wasn’t just its beguiling looks which captivated everyone. Back in the early ’60s, the comparable sport grand tourers came from Italy, in the form of Ferrari and Maserati — no one expected one from England. Despite costing a third of their price, the E-Type was faster thanks to its 3.8-litre straight six. This instantly made it the must-have car for the jet set.
Unfortunately, it has been forty years since the last E-type was made. No Jaguar since (arguably no car) has stirred up the emotions like the E-Type had. Jaguar is hoping to end that with its spiritual successor, the F-Type.
Design
Ian Callum, a highly respected car designer and current director of design at Jaguar, oversaw the design of the F-Type. And while the new F-Type is intended to recreate the soul of the legendary E-Type, it is not just a retro re-make of the E-Type — it is a truly revolutionary design that is fresh, aggressive and simply beautiful.
This is a truly modern sports car with an all aluminium body. The long hood and short rear deck give the F-Type proper roadster proportions, and its grill and air intakes are more aggressive than any Jaguar before.
Callum aimed to create a car that was as sleek and as smooth as jets. To that end, there are no protruding door handles or rear wing. The handles are hidden and not revealed until needed and the spoiler remains flush until you reach 100 km/h.
The F-Type is available in four variations, each having unique styling cues. The base model is available as a coupe or convertible. The F-Type S, also available in coupe of convertible trim, is a bit more aggressive with gloss-black accents, a front splitter, rear diffuser, and 19-inch wheels.
The F-Type V8 S is only available as a convertible and the most visible difference is the exhaust tips doubling and moving outward. F-Type R models are only available in coupe form and boast exotic car levels of performance.
Inside, the F-Type feels very much like a modern sports car, with a dash angled toward the driver and body-hugging seats. The centre vents remain hidden and only rise up when you turn the climate control on; a neat feature you would not have found in an original E-Type.
Performance
While the ancestors of the F-Type, the C and D-Type, were purpose built track cars, Jaguar didn’t want that kind of feeling for this car. They wanted F-Type to be a fine handling car that would still maintain high level of refinement on the road. And they have achieved just that.
If you leave the driving settings in normal mode, it’s surprising smooth and comfortable. The hydraulic steering is sharp but never twitchy and there’s loads of grip.
If you want to play, put the suspension in dynamic mode. Then you can get that aggressive feel right into your hands — it remains completely flat through the corners. Dynamic mode also quickens throttle response, makes steering heavier and makes shifts from the excellent eight-speed gear box faster.
If you’re driving a convertible and get tired of the wind in your hair, you can raise the fabric roof in twelve seconds. With it up, it’s surprisingly quiet — that is unless you turn on the active exhaust.
The sound of this car is phenomenal. The exhaust note is so “raw,” it’s amazing it made it into production. Most modern sports cars are so smooth and quiet, the driving experience is not much different from that of any sports sedan. But the F-Type acts like it has a mission to accomplish.
Each of the four versions of F-Type comes with their own supercharged engine. The showpiece F-Type R has a 5.0-litre V8 boasting 550 hp and can go from 0-100km/h in 4.1 seconds.
The V8 S also has a 5.0-litre V8. It produces 495 hp and can get to 100km/h in 4.9 seconds, which is plenty fast in a car without a roof.
The model most buyers will want is the F-Type S, with its 380 hp, 3.0-litre V6. It can still do 0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds, but because the V6 is lighter than the V8, this car is not as nose heavy so it’s a bit sharper to drive.
The least glamorous is the base F-Type and its 340 hp, 3.0-litre V6. It’s still fast enough (0-100km/h in 5.3 seconds), but it doesn’t come with features like the configurable dynamic mode, active sports exhaust or a limited slip differential.
Environment
The cabin is highly driver focused with its few auxiliary controls within easy reach.
The standard TFT display surrounded by race-inspired analogue dials in the instrument panel looks nice in this interior, although it looks a bit simplistic.
There are a few notable traits missing — the first being chrome. Not only is it going out of fashion, but it can also be blinding when reflecting all of the sunlight pouring into a convertible. The ignition button, paddle shifters and driving mode toggle switch are finished in a nice anodized bronze colour as a result.
Also, the rotary gear selector knob, which rose out the centre console in Jag’s of the recent past, is gone. That was an interesting feature, but the more traditional stick lever continues the sporty nature.
It needs to be noted that the F-Type I drove is a roadster and as a result, cargo space is severely limited. The trunk is shockingly small, but then again, this car is meant to be driven for fun and not for hauling a lot of luggage.
Features
The F-Type is not a cheap car, but when taken into consideration with all its features, it’s quite reasonable. Pricing starts at $76,900 for the base model, 88,900 for the S and $100,900 for the V8 S. Pricing for the R has not been released.
Standard equipment includes 8-inch colour touchscreen display, Bluetooth, Intelligent Start/Stop, keyless start and rain sensing windshield wipers.
Additional features, available as options or on higher trims, include panoramic glass roof (coupe models only), heated windshield, heated steering wheel, heated seats, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry, reverse traffic sensor, blind spot monitor and rearview camera.
Fuel efficiency numbers (L/100km) for the base model V6 are 10.4 city, 7.1 highway, for 8.9 combined.
Thumbs Up
Few cars have been as eagerly anticipated as the F-Type. Thankfully, its blend of classic styling and modern performance and features make it worth the wait. The sound of the exhaust is worth the cost alone.
Thumbs Down
The infotainment system is a bit simplistic. Also, the lack of cargo space means this car can’t even carry golf clubs.
The Bottom Line
The 2014 Jaguar F-Type is the embodiment of what a modern sports roadster should be, and no other car on the market matches its emotional appeal.
Competitors
- Porsche 911: No car on the market today can match the F-Type’s sense of occasion, but the Porsche 911 comes close. The current 911 is the standard by which all other sports cars are measured. The 911 is available in an impressive fourteen models and ranges in price from $96,200 to $221,200.
