CAR’s spies have caught the new Jaguar F-type filling up at a gas station in the US. It’s a sign that the F-type sports car project is advancing quickly – we’ve already scooped it in the UK, and now Jaguar is busy conducting hot weather testing in America.
Tellingly, the F-type caught in our spy photos today is filling up at a gasoline pump; our sources suggest that some of the UK prototypes were diesel powered.
Jaguar F-type: coming in 2013
The new smaller Jag sports car will be launched as a convertible first in 2013, with a coupe likely to follow in 2014. They’re being developed under Jaguar’s X152 programme name.
They are based around a shortened Jaguar XK platform, as witnessed in the shrunken XK looks of this cut-‘n’-shut test hack. We expect it to be some 400mm shorter than an XK.
The F-type pair will be positioned somewhere between the Porsche Boxster and 911, suggesting a price around £50,000.
Jag XE: a concept version
An F-type concept car is tipped to appear at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show this autumn. Then we will get to see the sort of design direction Jaguar is conceiving for its junior sports car duo.
Production versions will feature V6 engines mounted far back under that long bonnet. Four-cylinder engines are also being considered, should Jaguar wish to push sales volumes up.