What engines are available?

• F-Type is available with two petrol engines
• Four-pot or V8 – both powerful
• Fantastic to drive in all forms

Jaguar’s always known how to make a car drive well, and this starts with the engines. There are two available for the F-Type, with previously-available V6 units dropped from the range. Instead, you can now select from a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine with 300hp, or a bellowing 5.0-litre supercharged V8 with either 450hp or 575hp.

The 2.0-litre engine is badged P300 and is turbocharged. It’s the same unit found in a variety of Jaguar and Land Rover saloons, estates and SUVs. It’ll go from 0-62mph in 5.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 155mph.

While it performs admirably with potent acceleration from low revs, it lacks the aural drama you want with a car that looks this fabulous. If you want the F-Type more as a cruiser than a sports car, it should do you just fine, though.

However, we’d stretch our money to the V8 engine. The 450hp model is ballistically powerful, but the 575hp model turns this up to the next level and will shoot from 0-62mph in just 3.5 seconds. Both engines sound incredible, with a bark from the exhaust and at certain points in the rev range a whine from the supercharger. There’s a button on the dash to open a valve in the exhaust and make it even louder, too, with pops and bangs galore.

All three engine options are paired to the same slick-shifting eight-speed automatic gearbox. Rear-wheel drive is standard for the P300 and P450 engine options, while all-wheel drive is optional for the P450 and standard for the P575.

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What’s it like to drive?

• Superb handling – but be careful in the wet
• AWD models give additional security
• Impressive ride quality

Jaguar knows more than a thing or two about making a car handle beautifully. The F-Type is the brand’s sportiest model and as a result Jag’s lavished it with a fantastic chassis that balances ride and handling spectacularly well.

The F-Type is not as focused a sports car as something like a Porsche 911, but it’s a better cruiser and easier to live with every day, with suspension that copes well with rough roads and potholes.

Head out onto the open road and you’ll find the F-Type Convertible very adept at stringing together corners. It encourages a smooth rhythm on twisting roads, and it’s incredibly satisfying when you find the right set of bends.

Opt for a rear-wheel drive model and you’ll find the back end rather playful – put your foot down coming out of a corner and it’s very easy to enjoy some smokey oversteer. That’s fun, but not exactly ideal in slippery conditions, so drive carefully. All-wheel drive models are more secure, though they’ll still step out if you hoof it.

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