Design Car Jaguar F

Design Jaguar F

The Jaguar F-Type will be the brand's first true sportscar in more than a generation when it goes on sale in 2013.

The two-seat convertible is slotted below the current XK coupe and convertible, though it shares its aluminum construction techniques. The shared heritage isn't as clear at first glance, since the F-Type ushers in some new design themes for Jaguar.

It sports a high front end in part to handle European crash regulations and LED front lighting, with some strong influences of Maserati and Corvettes from the past. The taillamps are also LEDs, and they're the thinnest possible shapes that could be made, Jaguar says.

The Jaguar F-Type will be offered with three engines at launch. Two are supercharged V-6s, both 3.0-liter units, one with 340 horsepower, the other with 380 hp. In its slowest form, the F-Type will accelerate to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds. But with the top-level 5.0-liter V-8 with supercharging and 495 horsepower, it's capable of 4.2-second 0-60 mph times and a top speed of 186 mph.

Engine Jaguar F

The convertible top is power-operated, but it's lined in Thinsulate, and folds in such a way that no tonneau cover is needed. (It also lowers or rises into place in 12 seconds, at speeds of up to 30 mph, Jaguar notes.) For now, the F-Type is only a convertible, but a coupe version is considered a certain addition.

Jaguar F-Type goes on sale in the U.S. in May 2013. The base 340-hp supercharged V-6 model will be priced from around $69,000; the 380-hp supercharged six, from around $81,000; and the V-8 sportscar, from about $92,000.