Posted on Tuesday 29 January 2008
Jaguar’s F-Type Concept caused so much excitement back in 2000 when it was first rolled out at the Detroit Auto Show that officials decided to green light the project within that same year. This was before Jaguar’s sales slumped and the carmaker started posting multi-million dollar losses. All of a sudden, plans for an exotic flagship like the F-Type were dropped in favor of the mass market X-Type sedan.
The years went by and nothing seemed to change and then, finally, Jaguar was up for sale. Now with a new owner expected to be announced next month and a potential injection of funds on its way, hope is reignited that new and exciting Jaguar models will soon follow. Already in the works is a replacement for the XJ flagship as well as the high-performance XF-R and XK-R models, but now there’s talk of a car based on the original F-Type Concept being produced.
The car is tipped to be a two-seater sports car designed to take on Porsche, reports The Sun. Carrying on the tradition of classic sports cars like the C and E-Type models of the 1950s and ‘60s, the new F-Type would be a high-performance sports coupe that could rival the 911. To save development costs the car could be built off a shortened XJ platform and share the same naturally aspirated and supercharged V8 engines with the recently launched XF range.
The only ‘problem’ is if the F-Type is produced then the chances of the entry-level X-Type being replaced becomes next to nil.
bubye X type! good riddance. maybe you can come back with a cleaner futuristic look instead of being a midsized 70 year old retro mini-coach.
The X-type wasn\’t a bad car, it was just that the competition was better.
More important, the X-Type meant Jaguar was in the same level as Mercedes or BMW. Jaguar used to aim a little higher, so the discontinuation of the X-Type is a good way to recover that.
I assume this car will be closer to an SC, XLR or SL-Class rather than a Boxster, Z4, TT or SLK-Class. A small car would have the same effect on Jaguar’s image as the X-Type.
Bring it on! I actually had the privilege to have my picture taken while seated in the F-Type Prototype when shown in Orlando, Florida. The next day I went to the local Jaguar Dealer and plunked down a deposit. I was second on the dealers list. I patiently waited for two years and when it became apparent the F-Type project was killed, my deposit was returned. This was a very sad day. I have kept the dream alive since then. I only hope the ressurection of the F-Type project is more than a rumor. Having been an E-Type “freak” for more than 30 years, (own two) I would love to get my hands on the new F-Type before I depart this planet. I hope others will express interest in this fabulous car to keep Jaguar in its position of prominence.