Jaguar F-Type Concept Car

In 2000 Jaguar unveiled an F-Type concept at that year's Detroit show to much acclaim. Its swoopy curves and retro machine-turned fascia drew a lot of admiration, but it was ditched in favor of more mainstream products. The promising front-engine, rear-drive F-type concept car, gave Jaguar evidence of an "intent to return to the sports car market in which we so successful in the '50s and '60s". However, after the 2000 introduction it was subsequently dropped to concentrate on more mainstream projects. The previous owner Ford preferred to concentrate on mainstream products instead of image products such as the F-Type "If Jaguar had gone ahead with the F-Type, the Boxster would have had a serious rival," Porsche boss, Dr. Wendelin Wiedeking. Now, it seems that the F-Type might just be resurrected under Jaguar's new owners, Tata. Certainly the important players within Jaguar, from design to engineering to marketing, want it. Plans for Jaguar's on-again, off-again two-seater roadster are set to be revived. The car, code-named Jaguar F-type, could be launched in time for an end-of-recession launch in 2011.  If all goes well Jaguar could very easily end up with the coolest sports car of the 21st century.

F-Type Vision

 The Jaguar F-Type will be a lightweight sports car designed to rival competitive products, such as the Porsche 911. Tata is planning to use new introductions like the F-Type to break from the Ford mold, Jaguar's former owner. The new owner believes Jaguar must invest in image products, such as the F-Type, to keep the luxury brand on top of its competition. Now, it seems Jaguar and its new owner may be launching the new F-Type at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show - which, by the way, is also the 50th anniversary of the iconic E-Type. If this unveiling does happen, it would be a treat for Jaguar lovers who have wanted a direct replacement for the E-Type for far too long. It would also signal a move the Jaguar's new owners are committed to changing the strategy at Jaguar.

F-Type Design

 The F-Type is a two-seat sports car based on the XF sedan and considered the spiritual successor to the legendary E-Type. Production feasibility work has already been done on the car.  Given the sale of Jaguar alongside Land Rover and Tata Motor's ability to infuse capital - and likely desire to put their mark on the newly-acquired companies - production of these cars could be just what is needed. Jaguar's new parent company, Tata, is not planning on delaying production of the 2011 Jaguar F-Type despite the current economic conditions that the automotive industry is facing. Tata's Chairman Ratan Tata recently confirmed that the new roadster is still in Jaguars production plans an that it will be introduced in 2011. It is unclear what the final version of the F-Type will look like. The simple and less expensive route to a final design of the F-Type is to chop down the XF's platform, making it into a narrower and shorter 2-seater, while still using the XK's aluminum suspension components to save weight. When it comes to styling you can forget the retro look that gave us the S-Type and current XJ. And the future F-Type may not simply be a slimmer version of the XK. Instead, take the E-Type, morph it into the radical C-XF concept and XF production car and then develop those themes to become the F-Type. The styling will likely differ from the original 2000 concept car. Design cues will probably be taken from more recent Jags such as the XF and XJ.

Powering the F-Type

The supply relationship between former Jaguar owner, Ford, and its new owner, Tata, will continue for some years, with Tata relying on the Blue Oval for many of its powertrains. So, the F-Type will probably start with the current V-6 with 235 bhp. But to compete with the Porsche Boxster, Jaguar's engineers will need to find another 70 horses to put it on equal terms. Twin turbos are a possibility. The 2011 Jaguar F Type is expected to be a front engine, rear drive sports car that will be priced similar to the Porsche 911. It is expected to use a version of the 3.0L Duratec engine.

The Future of Jaguar

So what does the future hold for one of Britain's premier marques? This new model seems a betting certainty is a successor to the fabled E-Type, to be dubbed the F-Type. The Jaguar F-type, a Porsche Boxster rival, has the enthusiastic backing of group chairman Ratan Tata, who signaled his openness to it last year, even before his acquisition of Jaguar was complete. He believes Jaguar must use image projects like the new roadster to "show a new face" when demand for a new wave of more efficient luxury returns The move signals Tata's complete break with the management style of Ford, JLR's former owner, which believed Jaguar needed to spend its restricted model development funds on 'mainstream' projects like the Jaguar X-type estate and diesel. "Putting exciting projects on the back burner is the thing we should not do," said Tata. "Certainly we must attend to business by doing our utmost to cut costs and reduce time-frames, but above all we must ensure that we come out of this slump ahead of where we were - with exciting cars like the roadster that show where we want to go." If all goes well the 2011 Jaguar F-Type should provide the Jag enthusiasts with exactly what they are looking for - a return to luxury image products that excite drivers around the world.