► Jaguar F-Type nears end of the road
► Final model year update for coupe, roadster
► F-Type 75 special edition marks anniversary
The Jaguar F-Type has been with us in one shape or another since 2013 – and after a decade in production is nearing the end of its lifecycle. Why? Because Jag is becoming an all-electric brand from 2025, so this is the final model year for the quintessentially brutish British sports car.
To go out with a bang, not a whimper, Coventry is launching a brace of special editions: you’re looking at the 2023 model year Jaguar F-Type 75 and F-Type R 75 models, available in coupe and roadster bodystyles.
They’re not mucking around: the four-cylinder engine is not offered, so it’s V8 all the way for the 75th anniversary models marking three-quarters of a century of Jag sports cars. Take your pick from the supercharged 444bhp model or the rabid 567bhp lump in the R 75 special edition.
Jaguar F-Type Coupe review
Jaguar F-Type Roadster review
What do we get on the 2023 Jaguar F-Type 75 and 75 R special editions?
This is classic special edition territory and the F-Type twins are made over with a raft of cosmetic and design details:
- Giola Green metallic paintwork harking back to the earliest XK120s
- Badges on the front wings
- Gloss black 20-inch wheels
- Stainless steel tread plates
- Interior Black Pack smoked details
- Windsor leather standard on 75 models
- Ebony Suedecloth headliner
Mind you, these first official pictures are so dark, you can barely make out most of these details…
The chassis of the 75 models is updated, too, with revised upper ball joints on the suspension for greater camber and toe stiffness, while the rear knuckles are made from new aluminium die castings, said to improve control of the tyre contact patch. Results? Jaguar claims an even more connected steering feel and tighter handling prowess.
Jaguar F-Type tech specs
The F-Type enters its twilight years with a roster of very old-school engines. The top R model sticks with the charismatic 567bhp, 5.0-litre supercharged V8 to hit 60mph in just 3.5 seconds, and pushes out 516lb ft of torque on the way to a limited 186mph top speed. It’s a proper old-school sports car.
Since Jag dropped the screaming V6s in the mid-life facelift, most buyers make do with a 444bhp-rated version of the V8. It’ll hit 60mph in just 4.4 seconds, delivers 428lb ft of torque and has a top speed of 177mph.
More cost-conscious buyers can pick the 2.0-litre four-cylinder, turbocharged unit for the regular R-Dynamic model (it is not available with the 75 anniversary package). That puts out 296bhp and will do the 0-60mph sprint in 5.4 seconds. Not shabby at all, even if you do miss out on the multi-cylinder soundtrack.
All models are V8 models are available with the Project 8-dervied Quick Shift along with AWD or RWD – except for the R which comes with AWD only. All four-cylinder cars are only available with rear drive. And because this is Jaguar, all models are available with active exhausts systems for that classic pneumonia-ridden bark F-Types have become known for.
When can I buy the new Jag F-Type? And when does it go off sale?
The final model year Jaguar F-Type cars go on sale in January 2023. A fitting start to the year when the big cat will celebrate 75 years since its first sports car – the XK120 of 1948.
Sadly, it’s on countdown to retirement. Matthew Beaven, Jaguar Land Rover chief exterior designer, said: ‘For 75 years Jaguar has been renowned for producing extraordinary sports cars that deliver performance, agility and maximum driver reward. The F-Type special editions hold true to these principles, adding unique interior and exterior design details to celebrate this lineage before Jaguar becomes an all-electric brand from 2025.’
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