► Month 3 with Jag’s last V8
► No hybrids here
► Read month 2
It’s easy to find gaping holes in the F-Type’s armour. It’s in the V8 departure lounge, knocking back a second Martini and catching the waiter’s eye for a third. No hybrid, cylinder deactivation or electric assist technologies to be found here.
Its D6a platform traces its roots back to the 1996 XK, which explains its compromised packaging. And while it’s still visually striking, the 11 years since its debut have softened the impact.
These challenges instantly disappear every time I thumb the starter button, drop the hood and rumble onto the road. The F-Type creates a sense of occasion, exuding an invaluable combination of presence, style and authority – intangibles that elevate the already engaging and vivid driving experience onto an altogether loftier plane.
I have the unshakable feeling that the F-Type is emblematic of a marque rich in heritage but poor in future prospects. It carries a vast amount of rose-tinted baggage that includes the C, D and E-Types, style and sophistication, Le Mans dominance, engineering ingenuity, European Touring Car victories and an era when the British automotive industry walked with a swagger.
Jaguar F-Type 75 (month 3)
Price £84,125 (£88,145 as tested)
Performance 5000cc petrol V8, 444bhp, 4.6sec 0-62mph, 177mph
Efficiency 27.0mpg (official), 28.1mpg (tested), 238g/km CO2
Energy cost 24.0p per mile
Miles this month 666
Total miles 2175