► F-Type production ended May 2024
► No more V8s from Jaguar. Sadly.
► CAR gets final drive in this sports car icon
If you weren’t aware, Jaguar is soon reinventing itself as an electric car maker. Set to begin in 2025, it will discontinue all its existing petrol models, and even the electric I-Pace.
It’s well on the way with this too, with production of its Castle Bromwich-produced models already coming to an end in May 2024. That means no more XE and XF, and most disappointingly, no new F-Type with a thunderous V8 engine.
This has been the crown of Jaguar’s range for more than a decade, but all things come to an end and now it’s the F-Type’s turn, but not before one last drive…
At a glance
Pros: Glorious V8 engine, muscular styling, still great to drive
Cons: There’ll never be another V8 Jaguar now, interior hasn’t aged well
What’s new?
Jaguar’s reinvention begins with a four-door GT car. It’s all kept impressively under wraps – we’re yet to see even any spyshots but the clocking is ticking. Now that the XE, XF and F-Type are no more, the only new Jaguars you can actually order from the factory are SUVs – the E, I and F-Pace.
But Jaguar was quick to sign the F-Type off in style. In 2023 it marked its 75th anniversary of making sports cars with a ‘75’ edition. There were no performance changes, but a range of specific interior and exterior elements helped to differentiate it from the rest of the line-up.
Specifics include black 20-inch alloy wheels and black badging instead of Jaguar’s usual red colour, along with more standard kit, which is always a good thing.
What are the specs?
While Jaguar’s four-cylinder F-Type has remained until the final year, if you want to sign off in style, Jaguar knows its V8 is the way to go. While the ‘75’ is not the final edition F-Type per se – that honour goes to the very limited ZP Edition that honours past racing E-Types – it’s the last one you can readily get your hands on.
The 75 comes exclusively with some manner of V8 under its mahoosive bonnet, but if you want to do it properly, the ‘R’ is the only way to go. Powered by the F-Type’s legendary 5.0-litre supercharged V8 petrol engine, it puts out 567bhp and 516lb ft of torque, it is quite a beast to say the least. An eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox is used and drive is sent to all wheels – you haven’t been able to get a tail-happy F-Type R for a number of years. The 0-62mph sprint is dispatched in 3.5 seconds and you could hit 186mph if given the space, and legal flexibility.
While you won’t buy a V8 F-Type for its fuel economy, it’s useful to know it’s not quite as thirsty as you might expect – Jaguar claims 27mpg and 239g/km CO2 emissions, but we saw 33mpg on a run down the A1. Impressive, considering the complete lack of electrification.
What’s it like to drive?
The R and its V8 is much, much heavier than the four-cylinder and as a result it gets a raft of specific chassis changes, new springs and anti-roll bars to handle that extra bulk, and it does a remarkable job.
The F-Type R is almost quattro-like in its ability to dispatch distance at speed in all weathers, with its rear-biased four-wheel-drive system enabling fun to be had whatever the conditions. Performance is brutish but manageable, and the sound of the V8 mixed with the performance exhaust system is intoxicating, if not quite as obnoxious as models from years gone by when regulations weren’t quite so tight. Jaguar has even stored the car’s engine noise with the British Library for ‘future generations to enjoy’. Yes, really.
Everything about the F-Type has a reassuring heft to it, from the steering to the switchgear to the firmer ride setup, though never uncomfortable. It’s still a near-perfect sports car-cross-GT, and the ZF gearbox typically responsive. Even a decade old, and that includes the facelift, this is still a sublime car to drive.
What’s the interior like?
What’s not quite so sublime about the F-Type is its interior, and the element that shows it’s age. While technology is not the focus here, Jaguar could have done so much more to keep the cabin looking fresh. The 10-inch touchscreen looks very 2015 with its graphics, and why JLR’s significantly better Pivi Pro infotainment system was never fitted remains a bit of a mystery.
Lots of physical buttons and even real turn dials to adjust the climate control will be welcomed by traditionalists, but there’s no escaping the fact the cabin and switchgear shows its age. A 992-generation 911, even pre-facelift, looks much more modern inside. Material quality is impressive, mind, with lots of leather used across the cabin and the ‘performance’ seats offering lots of support.
There’s never been a four-seat F-Type option, but the room on offer upfront is spacious enough and the boot a very respectable size for a sports car with this power. There’s easily room for a couple of away bags and even a smaller set of golf clubs can fit in with a bit of imagination due to the fairly small boot opening.
Before you buy
While production of the F-Type might have ended in May 2024, there’s expected to remain a slow stream of nearly-new cars available until much later in the year, across both coupe and roadster (convertible bodystyles). They might have had to be registered to meet GSR2 requirements that come into force in July 2024, but pre-registered cars will remain for some time. Expect the same trend with the XE and XF.
Prices for the F-Type start from £67,355 for one with a four-cylinder engine, though the spec is generous, including 20-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry and a Meridian sound system. The R 75 Plus specification is considerably more expensive at £107,155, and while you’re mainly paying for its V8 engine and extra performance, it also gets a fixed spoiler, additionalal safety tech and a full extended leather upgrade.
A quick scour of the classifieds reveals delivery-mile cars available for considerably less – four-cylinders from £50,000 and V8 Rs from £80,000. You’d be mad to pay anywhere near the asking price for one now given the end of the production run.
Verdict
As the curtain closes on the F-Type, and soon petrol Jaguars as a whole, it’s a reminder of just how sorted its 2010-era cars were, E-Pace aside. Few cars, regardless of which manufacturer you look at, could set up a car as well as Jaguar did with its F-Type.
This sports car is still a delight, both to look at before you even get in and then from the moment that V8 engine breathes into life. The outdated interior is really the only element that dates it. It’s widely known that Jaguar hasn’t been performing at its full potential in recent years, and a lot rests on its electric rebirth. But if it can make a car with the longevity, desirability and style of the F-Type, it stands a decent chance of survival..
(Specs below are for F-Type R 75)