Jaguar F-Type

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It took the best part of half a century before Jaguar finally reverted to type – and named its new sports car the F-Type. Jaguar’s previous XK sportster showed that company didn’t live in the past anymore and the F-Type took it a stage further design-wise but equally as important, the body has the modernised beauty that you’d demand from a long awaited E-type successor. Undoubtedly a modern classic, but new car depreciation has still forced prices down to the point where you may be able to net a high miler for around £30,000 – that’s a similar outlay to a top TR6 and at least half the price of a good E-type!

Driving

With power figures ranging from 335bhp to a whopping 567bhp, their supercharged performance is hardly an issue on any model and that includes the recently launched entry ‘four-cylinder’ 2-litre that’s turbocharged to dial out a hardly sluggish 296bhp! The majority of F-Types sport Jaguar’s excellent nano second shifting eight-speed automatic, the sole exception being the V6. With near ideal 50/50 weight distribution and light on its feet (with adaptive damping on the V6 S and V8 R), the F-Type has the poise and agility of a classic cat; four-wheel drive adds astonishing grip and security into the mix. If the F-Type has a flaw it’s the surprising lack of cabin space and a laughable boot capacity.

Values

Scouring the dealer sites throws a wide price spectrum, with the bottom line a smidgen below £35,000: we wager this year you’ll find high milers around £30K, if it’s a basic V6 in standard tune (there’s a choice of two), although the general plimsoll line floats around the £45,000 level. Specs, optional extras, whether its AWD and even colours has a significant affect on prices plus there appears to be notably more V6 models on the second-hand market.

Copy cats – A case of going one better?

Some Jags are so good that they can’t be left to die. Replicas and continuation models have been marketed for many years, making the good even better at a price – it’s hardly surprising that the factory has recently got in on the act with road and racing E-type rebuilds.

One of the instigators is Suffolk Sportscars, makers of SS100 and C-Type hand-built recreations (using XJ6 running gear) that are so acclaimed that they have become stand alone classics in their own right. Prices are in the region of £70,000 depending upon specs

Best models

V6 S

Best all rounder with enough go and a claimed economy in excess of 30mpg – although that’s optimistic. Stick shift and AWD option will appeal to many, however

V8

Forget the performance, it’s the noise this engine makes! The 535bhp Type R can be had in superglue AWD form together with lots of desirable bespoke options

Base models

Plain V6 and ‘Four’ could be best value, the former as it’s the S that’s wanted, the latter over prejudice about such a small engine in a Jaguar sports car…

Top five faults

Service plan

When new, a three-year £1000 service plan, or a five-year scheme in the region of £1500 were options. Is one still active as these are expensive cats to keep purring? Likewise, the standard three year warranty can be extended for up to five years – a welcome bonus for any nearly new buyer

Recalls

There’s been a number of recalls for the F-Type, concerning power steering and suspension faults with the latest concerning problematic seat belts

Electronics

As you come to expect from a Jaguar, electronic gremlins plagued some of the early models and this included detached battery cables so check the service history

General

Barely five years old, most cars should be ship-shape; inspect paint carefully and see the hood works fine as there were some glitches reported in this department

Help

The Jaguar F-Type Owners’ Club and F-Type Forums are good places to join and converse with other owners to see what they are experiencing