You Can Now Have Your Jaguar F-Type With A 297bhp Inline-Four
Up until now, you’ve been able to buy an F-Type in two very distinct engine flavours: V6 or V8. Now though, there’s a third option, and it might prove a tad controversial for the moody purists out there. Yep, the F is the latest posho sports car to be offered with a four-cylinder engine.
It’s an all-new version of Jaguar’s 2.0-litre petrol Ingenium unit, putting out 297bhp. In terms of power it neatly fits under the 335bhp V6 which formally served as the entry point, but here’s the thing: as the new car is 52kg lighter, it’s actually a little quicker. 0-60mph takes 5.4 seconds, compared to 5.5 in the base V6. Colour us intrigued.
It gets better, as the bulk of that 52kg saving is - as you’d expect - located at the front. The V6 F-Type feels heavier in the corners than it really ought to, so a sizeable weight saving on the front axle is jolly good news. So it’s quicker in a straight line, should be more nimble in the bends, and uses 16 per cent less fuel than the V6 (39.2mpg combined). It puffs out just 163g/km of CO2, meanwhile.
And now for the downside: dropping two cylinders is - of course - not going to do wonders for this new ‘baby’ F in the noise department. Jaguar has assured the world that the air intake and exhaust have been “meticulously tuned to delivery renowned F-Type sound,” but we’ll be reserving judgement until we hear this beast for ourselves.
Tempted? It goes on sale this Spring in coupe and convertible forms, fitted with an eight-speed automatic gearbox - no mention of manual options just yet. It’ll set you back £49,900, around £3600 less than the cheapest automatic V6. It’ll make its public debut at the New York Auto Show.
Growing up on a diet of World Rally Championship highlights and lengthy Gran Turismo 2 sessions, a life in cars was as good as inevitable for Matt.
Comments
If you’re concerned about fuel economy and the environment, dont buy a sports car. Jagggg should have created a new hot hatcg and stuck the 4 pot in it, leaving the f type alone.
Porsche ruined the cayman and boxster by dropping the flat 6, imo that was one of the main selling points.
This car looks absolutely gorgeous.
The only two problems I see are the noise (of course) and the fact that you can have the four-cylinder 718 Cayman (which is also faster) for £10k less…
That’s like having a v6 or ecoboost mustang, it’s wrong
Now only $1,000,000 cars have 8 cylinders and above…cries
As usual, I’m not bothered unless they take away the V6 and V8. If it were my money, I’d save up a little more and buy the V6, but I’m sure there are some non-petrolheads that would prefer the 4.
The XJ is now the only true Jaguar left, and nobody gives a rat’s a$$ about it.
I love the car. It’s design is better than the previous ones. Thumbs up to Jaguar!!
These modern engines are becoming stupidly powerful while at the same time becoming just as effecient as wheezy pre-crumple zone econoboxes
@MattRobinson colour us?
It’s small, it must be a cute “baby” Jaguar, kind of.