Autocar December 04, 2019

TO CREATE A new car that’s going to sell in great numbers requires the work of hundreds if not thousands of people and it costs millions if not billions of pounds. Those people will develop the car to meet increasingly strict safety and emissions laws that differ in the key markets where it will be sold around the world. All this while ensuring the car is better than any car it replaces – and better than rivals made by firms also employing huge numbers of people and spending vast sums of money. Develop the car and then suppliers have to be sourced and production sites geared up to make it. That huge logistical operation is a precursor to another: distributing it to dealers, who must sell it to customers, who have better…

TO CREATE A new car that’s going to sell in great numbers requires the work of hundreds if not thousands of people and it costs millions if not billions of pounds. Those people will develop the car to meet increasingly strict safety and emissions laws that differ in the key markets where it will be sold around the world. All this while ensuring the car is better than any car it replaces – and better than rivals made by firms also employing huge numbers of people and spending vast sums of money. Develop the car and then suppliers have to be sourced and production sites geared up to make it. That huge logistical operation is a precursor to another: distributing it to dealers, who must sell it to customers, who…

“The new flagship F-Type can cover 0-60mph in just 3.5sec and has a top speed of 186mph” Jaguar has overhauled the F-Type sports car with new styling and technology to take on the latest Porsche 911. The targets were to give it a “more assertive” look, to improve key elements like the infotainment system and to lift materials quality to the level of more recently launched models, such as the I-Pace. One major surprise is the disappearance of the F-Type V6. From 2020, the Jag sports car will come with a choice of either two 5.0-litre supercharged V8 power levels (retaining the 567bhp at 6500rpm version, and a new unit with 444bhp at 6000rpm) or the continuing entry-level 2.0-litre turbocharged Ingenium four-cylinder engine producing 296bhp at 5500rpm. In a reorganisation at the top of…

“The new flagship F-Type can cover 0-60mph in just 3.5sec and has a top speed of 186mph” Jaguar has overhauled the F-Type sports car with new styling and technology to take on the latest Porsche 911. The targets were to give it a “more assertive” look, to improve key elements like the infotainment system and to lift materials quality to the level of more recently launched models, such as the I-Pace. One major surprise is the disappearance of the F-Type V6. From 2020, the Jag sports car will come with a choice of either two 5.0-litre supercharged V8 power levels (retaining the 567bhp at 6500rpm version, and a new unit with 444bhp at 6000rpm) or the continuing entry-level 2.0-litre turbocharged Ingenium four-cylinder engine producing 296bhp at 5500rpm. In a reorganisation…

The 2020 F-Type looks increasingly likely to be a swansong – not just for the V8, but for the combustion-engined Jaguar sports car altogether. JLR is mulling a radical revision for the second-generation Porsche 911 rival, not due until 2022 at the earliest. It will include either an electrified or fully electric powertrain, with a possible engine layout change too. It is understood that two design approaches are being progressed – one with a short-nosed body and mid-mounted electric powertrain and another with a front-mounted and hybridised internal combustion engine. Details have yet to be finalised, but bosses are believed to be watching the market closely and will have to make a decision soon in order to progress with development.…

Why have you dropped the V6 F-Type? “The decision not to offer the V6 in the UK and Europe follows a sales review showing demand is by far the heaviest for the four-cylinder engine. Also, we believe the introduction of a new 444bhp V8 in both AWD and RWD forms still offers customers a strong range.” Why didn’t you use the new Ingenium straight six? “It’s a simple question of packaging. With demand for the four-cylinder so strong, we simply couldn’t justify the significant investment needed.” How are F-Type sales doing? “Last year, we sold around 7900 cars, mostly in the UK, US and Germany. Our record of 12,000 sales was set in 2015. The most popular F-Type derivative is the four-cylinder R-Dynamic, which is why we’re offering a First Edition based on this model…