A lightly disguised version of the new Jaguar F-Type begins its run up Goodwood Hill.
The Jaguar F-Type made its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed over the weekend. Well, almost. The new British sports car was carefully clad in camouflage that covered up a few details but, like a classic burlesque fan danger left little to the imagination.
Designed to evoke the legendary Jaguar E-Type, the F-Type is the production version of Jaguar’s well-received concept vehicle, the CX-16, which was introduced last year.
“It opens up a much bigger part of the market to us,” explained Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar’s global marketing chief, during a conversation with TheDetroitBureau.com, adding that while the production F-Type drops some of the concept’s more radical features, such as the unusual, side-opening rear hatch, “to be relevant in this segment you have to innovate.”
What that means Jaguar wasn’t saying at the Good Festival, but the maker does promise that when the aluminum-bodied F-Type goes on sale in mid-2013 it will deliver 0 to 60 times in the sub-5 second range, with a top speed of “over” 180 mph.
Jaguar plans to offer the new F-Type with a choice of either a supercharged V-6 or a "blown" V-8.
The maker is expected to offer an optional 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 in the production car — making 550 hp and 500 lb-ft of torque. But most buyers will likely opt for a version of the new supercharged V-6 debuting in the 2013 Jaguar XJ. (For more on that story, Click Here.) That 3.0-liter package will turn out something in the range of 380 hp.
The smaller powertrain was used in the prototype that made the dash up Goodwood Hill over the weekend, driven by Mike Cross, Jaguar’s chief of Vehicle Integrity. Notably, the run was made with the convertible top down – the first time the public has seen the F-Type al fresco.
“The F-TYPE will deliver a driver-focused sports car experience, and camouflaged prototypes like this one are currently being tested all over the world. The development program is right on schedule, and coming here today to showcase just a little of the dynamic precision, noise, speed and excitement that the production F-TYPE will exhibit is very satisfying,” Cross said afterwards.
Jaguar officials promise to reveal a fully undisguised F-Type later this year, a hint that it is likely to debut at the upcoming Paris Motor Show and possibly reappear soon afterwards at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
Jaguar clearly needs the boost from something that might carry the credibility of the original E-Type. Sales have plunged in recent months — Jaguar among the few brands, large or small, to post a decline in the U.S. market in May – in large part due to the weak launch of the XJ.
The maker is hoping to regain momentum, in the near-term, by emphasizing its sharp upturn in the latest J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey. It surged from 20th place to 2nd, behind Lexus, after resolving some nagging issues with the flagship sedan.