Jaguar springs surprise in LA

By Bill McLauchlan


Last night Jaguar unleashed its new Jaguar F-Type Coupe lineup at an exclusive preview prior to the opening of the Los Angeles Auto Show. The sow included the surprise debut of the high-performance F-Type R Coupe. The milestone event was the first-ever announcement and unveiling of the top dog
fast cat. The supercharged V8-powered model, marks a significant achievement for the storied British brand in revolutionizing high performance luxury travel.

Jaguar celebrated its innovation in design and technology with a highly theatrical, show stopping number in Playa Vista, California. The evening captured the hearts of British and international fans of the brand, including Simon Cowell, Miranda Kerr, Nicholas Hoult, Joe Manganiello, Kelly Osbourne, David Gandy, Yasmin Mills, Jodie Kidd, singer-songwriter Andra Day, and host of CarCast Adam Carolla, as they celebrated Jaguar’s remarkable British heritage. 

“Creating a sports Coupe is the purest of design tasks and also the most challenging; get it right and aesthetically the result will be as dynamic as the car should be rewarding to drive. In F-Type Coupe, I believe we’ve got it right,” said Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar.
“The dramatic debut of the 550 horsepower R Coupe this evening – possibly the most dynamic reveal of a car ever – underlines its performance credentials,” he noted.
The all-aluminum Coupe range delivers, in production form, the uncompromised design vision of the Jaguar C-X16 concept, and complements the existing  F-Type Convertible, winner of the 2013 ‘World Car Design of the Year’ award. The F-Type Coupe range adds to the existing three-car F-Type Convertible line-up; the 340 horsepower V6-engined base model), 380 horsepower F-Type S, and the 495 horsepower V8 S, which launched last year. The F-Type Coupe also features ample trunk space, with room for two sets of golf clubs, and is available with a power assisted tailgate.

The new Coupe line-up is headlined by the F-Type R, with a 550 horsepower, 5-litre supercharged V8 engine, enabling acceleration from 0-100 km/hr in 4.0 seconds, and a top speed of 299 km/hr (limited). The F-Type Coupe goes on sale in North America in spring of 2014.