Jaguar’s cunningly camouflaged F-type convertible was hard at work over the Goodwood weekend, giving the crowds a tantalising glimpse of the upcoming roadster
Driven by Jag’s chief engineer Mike Cross, the F-type in question was equipped with the 375bhp supercharged V6, which will sit in the middle on the range, above a lower-powered six-pot but below a 500bhp+ supercharged V8.
The full engine line-up looks like this:
• 3.0 V6 supercharged, 335bhp and 332lb ft @ 1800rpm
• 3.0 V6 supercharged, 375bhp and 339lb ft @ 1800rpm
• 5.0 V8, in either 503bhp or 543bhp forms (as yet undecided)
There’ll be no diesel, despite long-touted rumour of a black pump-friendly Jaguar: the oil-burners just can’t fit in the F-type’s engine bay even if Jaguar wanted to plumb them in. We’re likely to see a diesel XK long before an F-type D, should either ever appear.
When will we finally see if the F-type is a Porsche-beater?
The publicity-hungry disguise will be stripped away by spring 2013, with the convertible arriving first, and a coupe a year afterwards.
Prcies should start at around £55,000, sitting neatly between entry-level Cayman and flagship 911 territory – the cars the Jag simply has to compete with if it wants to be taken seriously as a proper Jaguar sports car.