Jaguar's F-Type roadster. Image: Jaguar
In a press conference at the New York Auto Show, Jaguar announced that the C-X16 show car concept would be put into production as the Jaguar F-Type. While Jaguar didn’t actually show the car at the press conference, it did announce that the F-Type will appear in production form later this year.
The F-Type will be a two-seat roadster, aimed at delivering entertainment value over comfort. That seems to be a departure from much of the current Jaguar lineup, which focuses on passenger amenities as much as outright speed (XK-R models excepted).
It’s too early for Jaguar to release engine details, other than to say that the range of available gasoline engines will introduce a new powerplant family to the brand. Jaguar isn’t mentioning any specifics about performance, either, but it does promise that all F-Type models will deliver “stunning sports car performance.”
The F-Type will be produced at Jaguar’s Castle Bromwich plant, and prototypes have now entered the on-road testing stages (in other words, expect spy photos shortly). Full details should be released this fall, with sales of the F-Type beginning in mid-2013.
Kurt Ernst has been passionate about automobiles and driving nearly his entire life. His early years were shaped working in the family service station, though his real passion was auto racing. After graduating from the University of Colorado, Kurt spent a year club racing with the Sports Car Club of America, before focusing on a business career in marketing and project management. Later, his passion for writing and the automotive hobby found him freelancing for a variety of automotive news sites, including Automotive Addicts and Motor Authority, where his work was syndicated and appeared in several national publications. Recognized as an expert in the automotive field, Kurt joined Hemmings Motor News as an Associate Editor in 2013, and in the years since has progressed to Editor, Hemmings Daily; Managing Editor for Hemmings Motor News, Hemmings Classic Car, Hemmings Muscle Machines, and the Hemmings Daily; and now, Managing Editor, Hemmings Auctions. Kurt was instrumental in organizing the Hemmings Motor News Concours d’Elegance from 2013-2019, and has served as a judge at this event and The Vintage Racing Stable Concours d’Elegance. A Skip Barber Racing School graduate and prolific writer, Ernst is also skilled in copyediting, project management, brand development, and public relations.
