Jaguar F-Type enters final year of production, with enhancements and new edition

Pretoria - With Jaguar planning to reinvent itself as a purely electric brand from 2025, we’ll soon be saying goodbye to the British brand’s internal combustion models, and the first to have a goodbye party is the Jaguar F-Type.

The final production year for the two-door sports car line-up will be 2023, and to give it an appropriate send-off, Jaguar has bolstered the specification for the MY23 models and introduced a new special edition model that also celebrates the company’s 75th anniversary.

Jaguar South Africa says the first deliveries of the subtly enhanced range will commence in January 2023, with pricing and to be confirmed nearer to the time.

Jaguar says the MY23 line-up has become “simpler and more focused”. Twenty-inch alloy wheels are standard on all models, and there are subtle changes to the badging.

As mentioned, Jaguar is also introducing a pair of special editions called the F-Type 75 and R 75, which will be available in coupé and convertible formats.

The new editions are distinguished on the outside by 10-spoke, gloss black diamond-turned alloy wheels as well as discreet badges on the front fenders, and clients can opt for a unique paint option in the form of Giola Green metallic.

On the inside, the “75” models feature Jaguar’s “Performance” design front seats, upholstered in Windsor leather, as well as Black Pack interior trim, stainless steel tread plates and a silhouette motif on the centre console finisher.

All the new-edition models feature all-wheel drive and Jaguar’s 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine in one of two states of tune.

In the regular F-Type 75 edition, it produces 331kW and 580Nm, for a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time of 4.5 seconds. But better yet is the ‘full-fat’ F-Type R 75, which ups the ante to 423kW, 700Nm and a 3.7s sprint time.

While the F-Type is available with four-cylinder power overseas, this option is no longer available locally (go big or go home, right?) and thus the base model for 2023 will be a rear-wheel drive R-Dynamic version of the 331kW V8, available in coupé and convertible guises.

But, ultimately, the 2023 line-up is about saying goodbye to the firm’s V8 engine.

“For 75 years, Jaguar has been renowned for producing extraordinary sports cars that deliver performance, agility and maximum driver reward,” said JLR exterior design chief Matthew Beaven.

“The F-Type special editions hold true to these principles, adding unique interior and exterior design details to celebrate this lineage before Jaguar becomes an all-electric brand from 2025."

2023 Jaguar F-Type – South African line-up