Jaguar F-Type: The Final Journey

The Jaguar F-Type is no longer in production. After 11 years in production, the British two-seater will be discontinued as Jag refreshes its range with an all-electric approach. The decision marks the end of one of the UK’s all-time great sports cars. We’re sad about it.

To pay our respects to the F-Type, we thought it would be fitting to drive the car one more time. After spending a weekend on back roads, long highway drives, and running errands around town, it’s clear to us that the world lost one of the last truly versatile performance vehicles of the 2010s.

It’s hard not to stop and stare. Even 10 years after its introduction, the F-Type is a stunner. Whether we’re talking about the original car or the facelift introduced in 2019, it’s hard to find an angle that isn’t pleasing to the eye. It combines classic roadster proportions with a beautiful pair of fascias. People ask me about this car all the time, despite its age. I especially love the rear end; the quad taillights and taillights make it one of the most handsome cars produced in the 21st century, without a doubt.

Time has not been kind to this Jaguar’s interior, but it’s still hard to find fault with it. The cabin looks like it was designed in the early 2010s, with physical buttons scattered throughout in a less linear fashion. While not as pleasing to the eye as the new AMG GT’s setup, the F-type’s switchgear is much easier to use. There are no seven menus to navigate to access the cooled seats, or capacitive touch buttons to adjust cruise control. Just a solid, clicky set of buttons—as they should be.

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Pros: Best Supercharged V-8 Engine of All Time, Great Looks, and a Great Ride

The only thing that really makes the F-Type look dated is its screens. The gauge cluster is just an analog-style digital display of speed and engine revs, and doesn’t display much else. The 10.0-inch infotainment screen feels dated. It’s far less responsive and less vibrant than newer ones. The silver lining is standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which work well. Unfortunately, you need cables for both.

Otherwise, the F-Type is still a pleasant place to spend time. The seats are comfortable and easily adjustable, the stereo is punchy, and visibility is excellent. I could easily spend a full day behind the wheel of this car… which is exactly what I did over the weekend.

The car you see here is the F-Type P450 R-Dynamic, the cheapest variant in the F-Type lineup for 2024 (Jaguar discontinued the V-6 in 2019 with a facelift). In that sense, it’s also the best-possible version of the F-Type. Under its big hood is the company’s 5.0-liter supercharged V-8, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission that sends power to the rear wheels—the same layout that the F-Type debuted in 2013.

Brian Silvestro/Motor1

English: Rated at “only” 444 horsepower in this trim, this engine will go down as one of the all-time great V-8s of our time. Those who were on the internet in 2013 know that the guttural roar and unmistakable crackle of this engine took the world by storm. It’s no exaggeration to say that these quad pipes wrote the book on factory burble tones. More than a decade later, though, the sound fires neurons in your brain that no other exhaust could possibly reach. Much of that has to do with sheer volume. Because the F-Type is so old, it doesn’t seem to fit the constraints of modern volume enforcement—at least, that’s what my ears tell me.

Sending that power to the rear wheels feels like the right choice. The last F-Type I drove, an all-wheel-drive R model, was plenty quick. But it fell apart when the transmission was stressed. It felt underpowered and overwhelmed at the limit, and never consistent. Not so with this rear-wheel-drive model. There’s a core balance here that makes sense.

At 3,760 pounds and with a softer suspension, the F-Type isn’t as agile as the 911, but there’s still plenty to enjoy here. While the limits aren’t particularly high, the wind in your hair and the sound of the exhaust note make up for it.

Brian Silvestro/Motor1

Con: Chances are others won't remember it as well as we do.

The soft suspension pays off. While it makes the F-Type feel like it weighs 3,760 pounds, the ride quality is well worth it. It’s probably the most comfortable performance-oriented vehicle I’ve ever driven. Even on the roughest streets in New York City, it never hit an uneven surface or a broken curb. It’s the only car in its class I’d consider driving every day where I live. It’s better than some SUVs I’ve driven recently. Really, it’s that good.

On the other hand, the F-Type isn’t the most comfortable or connected car in the world. The steering is good but forgettable, and the brakes are also good. And there’s not much to adjust—there are just three modes, Normal, Sport, and a foul-weather mode. And it feels like the only thing that changes is throttle response and how long the eight-speed automatic will hold a gear. But as a capable all-round cruiser, it’s got real style and some of the best exhaust notes you’ll find on the market at any price.

Rest in peace, F-Type. We will miss you dearly.

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