Jaguar F-Type: Best Coupe?

When the Jaguar F-Type made its first appearance as the C-X16 last year, we knew it would be good; it has all the makings to be truly incredible. But is the F-Type the best coupé ever? We give you the verdict.


E-Type Successor

For their new sports car, Jaguar have taken the best bits of the legendary 1960s E-Type and
combined it with the tech and a modern twist that make it a serious contender for the title of best coupé ever. The design is stylish and classy and hints strongly to it's E-Type predecessor. The LED tail lights are a distinct nod to its relative, whilst the bold and sharp front makes it fit perfectly alongside its XF, XJ and XK siblings.

The F-Type was built to exploit a niche and sit under the XK in the company's current line-up, weighing in at 1597kg - that's 63kg lighter than the entry level XK. The new coupé is also 324mm shorter than its big brother, and has a decent 200.5 litre boot. Size wise, it slots between the Porsche Boxter and Porsche 911, but which would you rather have? Are any of them the best coupé around?

Engines

The F-type will have a strong and powerful engines line-up from launch, each with impressive figures:

F-Type - Supercharged 3.0L V6 (335bhp)

F-Type S - Supercharged 3.0L V6 (375bhp)

F-Type V8 S - 5.0L V8 (488bhp) 

All have quick 0-60mph sprint times, but the top spec V8 S boasts the best of just 4.2 seconds, and tops out at 186mph. 

Price & Release

The new Jaguar will hit showrooms in May 2013, which is not that long a wait now. However, it will initially arrive only in convertible guise, in time for the summer, with the coupé following in around November 2014; that's the year when the highly anticipated and revolutionary Jaguar C-X75 hypercar was being penned for release, but was subsequently cancelled, much to our disappointment. As for prices, the entry level model will start at £58,500 while the V8 S will start at a heftier £79,950. 

Jaguar F-Type Verdict

The Jaguar F-Type comes at a time when the company is re-inventing itself, and is just the beginning of Jaguar's planned expansion. It's beautiful to look at, boasts great engines, and is absolutely incredible to drive. And there's that Jaguar badge, something that is becoming truly special again. And it's the long-awaited E-Type successor. Is it the best coupé ever? Yes.