Jaguar Bringing F-Type To India In July

Jaguar is planning on bringing its new convertible supercar, the F-Type, to India in July this year. Creating waves around the automotive world, the E-Type’s spiritual successor is trying to head Jaguar in a new and refreshing direction. Breaking from the tradition of building elegant, luxurious sedans, Jaguar is trying to carve out its place in the sports car segment with the svelte and feline F-Type, promising supercar performance with gorgeous looks.

The F-Type will reportedly be launched in India in two variants. The F-Type S has a 3.0-litre supercharged V6 under the hood producing 375 bhp and 460 Nm of torque. It can get the F-Type from 0-97 kmph in 4.8 seconds and on to a top speed of 275 kmph. The top of the line F-Type V8 S has a massive 5.0-litre supercharged V8 power plant under the hood producing 488 bhp and a tire-shredding 625 Nm of torque. This translates from nought to 100 kmph in 4.3 seconds and on to a 300 kmph top speed. Both models have the engines at the front sending all the power to the rear wheels, and are mated to 8-speed automatic transmissions with paddle-shifters offering manual override. The V6 employs a mechanical limited-slip differential and the V8 an electronic limited-slip differential to manage the F-Type’s raw power most efficiently. The F-Type has a double-wishbone front and rear suspension with adaptive dampers and adjustable suspension settings to allow the driver to tweak ride and handling.

Image Courtesy: Top Gear

The first thing that strikes you about the F-Type however, is surely the way it looks. The F-Type is almost identical to the C-X16 Concept and that’s a good thing because it looks stunning. Beautifully proportioned and quite compact, the F-Type has done away with the oval front grille. The shark gill openings on either flank of the new grille are very modern and give it an edge. The shape of the hood and the taillights resemble those of the iconic Jaguar E-Type. The rear diffuser and integrated tail pipes (dual on the V6, quad on the V8) add to the aggressive looks but with plenty of elegance. A hidden spoiler pops out at speeds over 90 kmph and goes into hiding when speed drops below 60 kmph. The F-Type is built with extreme care and quality, and the interior is very luxurious and tasteful, typical of Jaguar.

There’s no doubt that the F-Type looks the part, and goes like it too. However, it’s expected to lighten your wallet by Rs. 1.3-1.5 crore, and in a highly competitive sports car segment, it remains to be seen if the Jag can hold its own among traditional supercar giants such as the Porsche 911, the Audi R8 and the Aston Martin Vantage. We’ll surely find out in the months to come. Meanwhile, check out some pictures of the F-Type below, as seen by iGyaan at the 2013 New York Auto Show.