When the Jaguar E-Type debuted at Geneva Salon in March 1961 it caused a sensation, and with instantly classic lines a British icon was born. Will the Jaguar F-Type live up to the expectation?

The Jaguar F-Type has been a while arriving. In the 1980s there was a secret attempt to design and produce an F-Type, which then influenced some design features of the Aston Martin DB7 (Ford owned both companies at the time). For this F-Type the task of bringing a next generation of iconic sports car to life was real and placed firmly in the hands of Jaguar Director of Design, Ian Callum.

A beautifully-tuned engine
As you approach an F-Type it instantly looks familiar. The body of the convertible smacks of a modern take on a sleek 1950s classic, and the Coupe echoes parts of the original E-Type such as the long sloping rear boot. Ian Callum must have spent hours thinking how to make this Jaguar an instant classic and he has hit the proverbial nail on the head.

The F-Type had a nice premium feel, easy to find all you need via tactile switches, and simple to discover a good driving position in the performance seat. I pressed the gold start button and the V6 engine burst into life. The F-Type has an aggressive sports car growl, which screamed a beautifully-tuned engine and a sports exhaust to delight.

The Jaguar’s 8-speed Quickshift double-clutch automatic transmission was both fast to use and refined. Its SportShift selector was also simple and intuitive. I have since tried the manual gearbox version and this is outstanding with a tight gear shift.

When I opened up the F-Type’s 375bhp V6 3.0 litre supercharged engine the sound was beyond stunning. In designing the F-Type, acoustics was one of the key attributes Jaguar took into consideration. The Active Sports Exhaust system features active bypass valves, which open during performance driving to allow exhaust gases to exit more directly for a deep, dramatic sound. On the upshift the exhaust popped and on the downshift, it crackled with a sense of fun. There was also a whirr from the supercharger and lovely induction noise, which added to the drama.

The golden time for Jaguar has well and truly arrived
The F-Type is a car to clear the sinuses with a 0-60mph time of 5.3 seconds for the Coupe S and a maximum speed of 171 mph. Braking is quick with one of the most precise systems I have felt under foot. Fuel-wise a combined mpg of 31.4 makes the F-Type S Coupe not too thirsty.

Price-wise the standard F-Type Coupe is £51,260, F-Type Coupe S is £60,260, the R Coupe V8 is £85,010 and there is a V8 AWD version. One word of advice – if you are after a pure GT car for a long European trip I would opt for the Coupe, as the Convertible does have limited boot space (compared to the Coupe’s 407 litres) and would suit more of a weekend away. The golden time for Jaguar has well and truly arrived.