Jaguar's F-type concept was originally revealed at the Detroit motor show in early 2000. Inspired by the XK180 concept car revealed at the Paris Salon in 1998, Jaguar designers set out to create the ideal, compact Jaguar roadster, evoking the spirit of the legendary E-type. The design team with the responsibility for creating the F-TYPE CONCEPT was led by Keith Helfet, whose track record includes the XK180 concept car and XJ220. Work commenced under the direction of the late Geoff Lawson, Jaguar's Director of Styling, who died suddenly in June 1999. The X-180 was based on an XKR chassis. While XK180 was designed around existing mechanical components, which exercised constraints on the car's size and layout, there were no such limitations on the roadster concept. Helfet and his team were able to create a car that is more compact than XK180 and 25 inches shorter than the XKR, on which XK180 was based. It is also four inches narrower than both cars. Contemporary The design team set out to produce a shape that is contemporary, functional and distinctively Jaguar. To fulfill Jaguar's core engineering value of equal weight distribution for excellent dynamic performance, the concept dictated both a long bonnet and a cockpit which sits in the ideal position relative to the wheelbase. The resulting design achieves the balanced proportions of a traditional Jaguar sports car, evocative of the seminal E-type. Helfet was careful, however, that the new design should have its own personality and not become a pastiche of the '60s car. "Designing-in the Jaguar style is an instinctive process," he said, adding, "Heritage is an inspiration, but not more than that." Aerodynamic The car features aerodynamic aids including a 'splitter', a low-set aerofoil designed to move automatically with increasing speed in order to increase downforce. At the rear, a fixed diffuser tunnel also uses increasing speed to generate additional downforce. The distinctively styled headlamps employ an adaptation of the latest 'Baroptic' light guide technology in a unique multiple-element cluster. The ultra compact rear lamps, pioneered in the XK180, use LED (Light-emitting diodes) technology to deliver high performance and a unique 'jewel-like' appearance. Interior The interior of the concept, similar to that of the XK180, also draws its inspiration from the functional simplicity of the aluminium "Lightweight" E-type, specially built for racing in the early '60s. In keeping with the roadster theme, the minimalist interior conveys simplicity and practicality.  Drawing on the engineering craft skills within Jaguar, switches and cockpit fittings are fashioned from solid aluminium, to provide a unique, precision-engineered tactile quality. The new Jaguar is designed to accept a range of powertrain options, starting with the 240 horsepower AJ-V6 engine successfully introduced in the S-TYPE saloon, while a supercharged version with around 300 horsepower is also a possibility. Automatic or manual transmissions would drive the rear wheels, while all-wheel drive is a production-feasible option.   Desktop Wallpaper

The worldwide car market may be heading for a depression, but it hasn't stopped the powers that be at Ford from giving the go-ahead to one of the best looking cars ever to emerge from a designers sketchpad.

F Type is Go!

The Jaguar F Type has been given the go-ahead for full production. The all-new, compact Jaguar roadster becomes the fifth model in the company’s expanding product range and marks Jaguar’s return to the true sports car market, which it helped to create in the 1950s and 1960s culminating in the legendary E Type.

Announcing the decision at the Los Angeles International auto show, Jaguar’s Chairman, Dr. Wolfgang Reitzle, said, "Jaguar is one of the most evocative brands in the world and there is a renewed commitment at Jaguar to create cars that stir people’s emotions. The overwhelmingly positive reaction across the globe to last year’s concept has convinced Jaguar to build the F-TYPE roadster."

How Long?!

Curiously in these days of rapid product development, the finished product is still three years away as Jaguar juggles its many development projects.

The company is taking a new direction, with the S Type saloon bringing it into a world of mass production, the likes of which it hasn't had to contend with before. As part of this change in tack, it's taken a year long study to determine both the business implications and potential launch timing of the F Type. A crucial issue for the study team was to determine the relative priority of the F Type in company’s ambitious long term product plan.

16th in Queue

Jonathan Browning, Jaguar’s Managing Director, said ,"The atmosphere at Jaguar today is vibrant, exciting and challenging, as the rate of new product development continues at a dramatic pace. Over the next 36 months, Jaguar will launch 15 new or significantly revised products and power trains. F-TYPE will be the sixteenth. "

"From a manufacturer that a mere three years ago had only a two- model line up, this represents a massive investment in design, engineering and manufacturing resource. Today, Jaguar is the fastest growing of all car manufacturers, but this growth is being managed very carefully to ensure that we sustain our quality standards and do not over-extend the Jaguar brand."

E Type Anniversary

The decision to take F-TYPE from concept to production coincides with the fortieth anniversary of that seminal Jaguar sports car, the E-type, which was unveiled to universal acclaim at the Geneva show in March 1961.

It's going to be a long three years for us enthusiasts whilst we wait for the finished product. The engineers and stylists are faced with a tough challenge making the car road legal and practical whilst retaining the stunning looks of the concept. Not least of the challenges is how to provide a roof that fits the flowing lines of the car.

Design sketches released by Jaguar hint that the car may reveal the direction that the production model will take.

V6

Power options seem to be centred around the V6 unit, with the V8 reserved for the big brother XK series. With the XK8's currently retailing from £48,700 the F Type looks like providing a great mix of style and performance for sub £45K. If the F Type can be pitched into that price bracket, then there will be car manufacturers around Europe revising product plans for the next three years.