Hoping to expand upon the success of its new F-Type convertible, Jaguar plans to introduce a coupe version of the sports car at the upcoming LA Auto Show and follow up with an Asian preview at the Tokyo Motor Show a day later.
Dubbed the “spiritual successor” to the legendary E-Type, the Jaguar F-Type has scored a long list of kudos – and strong sales – since its debut earlier this year, including honors as the World Car Design of the Year.
“We’ve been overwhelmed by the positive reaction to the F-Type Convertible, but for me the purity of creating a sports Coupe is a uniquely satisfying process – and I know that both visually and dynamically, F-Type Coupe raises the bar yet again,” said Jaguar’s global design director Ian Callum.
The Coupe version of the sports car will borrow liberally from the design direction of the Jaguar C-X16 concept, which has also received widespread acclaim. It will share the basic platform and mechanicals as the F-Type convertible, including the all-aluminum body and chassis that helped hold down the weight of the 2-seater.
(New Jaguar F-Type makes “short list” for North American Car of the Year. Click Here for more.)
Jaguar says it will release specific technical details on the F-Type during a presentation at a VIP customer event on the evening of November 19th, preceeding the official LA Auto Show media days. The Coupe will be revealed for a second time to the media the next day, both in Los Angeles and in Tokyo.
Jaguar says the new F-Type Coupe will reach U.S. and Canadian showrooms next spring, but has revealed little else, including price. The F-Type Convertible currently starts at $69,895 – though dealer tracking service TrueCar.com indicates that with supplies short, dealers are marking the car up, on average, to $71,831.
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It remains to be seen whether the Coupe version will maintain the three different drivetrain options currently offered with the ragtop version of the F-Type: a base V-6, a supercharged six-banger and the supercharged V-8S, rated at 495 horsepower. The latter model, with its 5.0-liter engine, is capable of launching from 0 to 60 in just 4.2 seconds.
There has been talk of offering even more powerful versions of the F-Type and the stiffer body of a coupe could prove particular adept at what is expected to be called the F-Type RS. Horsepower ratings of as much as 700 hp have been circulating in industry circles.
The maker has also hinted it is working up a hybrid version. That would be in keeping with the direction of its German rival Porsche, which has been expanding its young line-up of performance-oriented hybrid models.
The F-Type Coupe will become the latest in a growing family of new Jaguar models launched since the maker – along with British sibling Land Rover – was acquired by India’s Tata Motors from former owner Ford Motor Co. several years ago.
(Jaguar reveals C-X17 crossover concept confirms plans for new entry-lux sedan. Click Here for the full story.)
Among the other models now under development are a new entry-luxury sedan confirmed by Jaguar at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show. The British marque also showed a compact crossover model at the German car show, though it has yet to confirm plans to put that prototype into production.
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“New”? I don’t think so.