The closed-roof version of Jaguar’s sex-on-wheels F- type Jaguar first showed off the F-type’s design with the C-X16 concept in the fall of 2011, which was a coupe, before revealing the roadster a year later in Paris. Since then, the droptop has been the only available production model. It’s been clear from the outset, however, that an F-type coupe would come to market.
In fact, the only major difference between the production-spec F-type coupe and the C-X16 concept will be the liftback component. In the concept, the rear glass opened sideways in the fashion of the classic XKE, but the fixed-roof F-type will use a liftback that opens upward. Chief designer Ian Callum has told us that he would have liked to keep the heritage-inspired design, but the company was concerned that the loading threshold would be too high and feared customers would be dragging their luggage over the fender and scratching it in the process.
Top: 2015 Jaguar F-type coupe (spy photo). Bottom: Jaguar C-X16 concept.
For starters, the F-type serves as Jaguar’s technological showcase, demonstrating the brand’s lightweight-construction capabilities and most exciting engine portfolio. Pricing and performance have put the F-type into a competitive set in which Porsche’s 911 has long been the undisputed king, and the Jaguar has held its own quite admirably.
Platform: The platform is shared with the F-type roadster. The structure, body, and many chassis components will be made from aluminum, and the coupe should not only be lighter than the topless F-type—a V-8-powered S model weighed in at 3974 pounds on our scales—but more rigid, too.
Competition: Audi R8, Chevrolet Corvette, Nissan GT-R, Porsche 911, Porsche Cayman.
Estimated Arrival and Price: The 2015 Jaguar F-type coupe will be revealed in the coming months before going on sale in mid-2014. Pricing should start right around the same point as the roadster, so $70K.
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