Incredibly, 2024 will mark the final model year of the head-turning Jaguar F-Type after launching to the world 11 years ago as the spiritual successor to the iconic E-Type – the most beautiful car ever made, according to Enzo Ferrari.
It also brings the curtain down on 75 years of Jaguar sports cars if you count from the very first XK120 that rolled out of the Brown’s Lane factory in 1948. At least those powered by internal combustion engines.
That’s not to say Jaguar’s immediate future looks grim in any way; far from it in fact, if whispers from a few key insiders are to be believed. We can’t wait.
You see the celebrated British luxury marque will transition into a cutting-edge all-electric luxury brand from 2025, with Jaguar Land Rover’s (JLR) chief creative officer Gerry McGovern charged with reinventing the brand and wowing a whole new set of discerning buyers.
It’s no small feat, but McGovern has rarely missed the mark with his creations and boasts a string of successes under Land Rover and Range Rover-badged models for more than a decade.
Nevertheless, as a last hurrah for what has always been a wildly-animated sports car of such beautifully classic proportions, Jaguar has launched its final 2024 model year with its F-Type 75 and R75 special editions, which we are driving here in Spain – coincidentally where the original F-Type Convertible was launched to the press.
Both these supercharged V8 special editions in Coupe and Convertible body styles have been carefully curated with specific colours and interiors designed to add to a fitting send off for such a halo model for the brand.
Day one of our 792km sprint, from Sitges on the Mediterranean to San Sebastian on the Atlantic, saw us jumping in the F-Type 75 Convertible in Giola Green; which is said to come from the colour of the water pool formed by new rock formations in and around the Greek Isles.
It’s exclusive to the 75 edition and beautifully complimented by an exquisite Tan leather interior. Lower the roof and it simply looks divine.
There’s thunder under that bonnet, too, in the form of Jaguar’s 450PS supercharged V8, tuned to deliver a solid 331kW and 580Nm to the rear axle exclusively through an eight-speed automatic transmission.
Day two was reserved for Jaguar’s very own Batmobile – the F-Type R75 Coupe in signature Ligurian Satin Black paint with an ebony suede interior. I’ve never seen a satin paint with such a superb finish to it, and I’m told it was created by Jaguar’s Special Vehicle’s division.
While it still uses a 5.0-litre supercharged V8, it’s demonstrably more powerful as its 575PS moniker suggests. Armed with 423kW and 700Nm through all four wheels, it’s hard to not get excited by the thought of endless fast-sweeping bends on roads as good as those in Germany, as well as mountain passes with plenty of switchbacks thrown in for photography.
The weather can also be a bit tricky in high-altitude sections of these parts, close to the ski resorts – so the coupe’s all-wheel drive system is more than welcome for the extra peace of mind it affords when the sheer temptation to have a bit of a crack and make some ear-splitting noise starts to take hold.
Not only will you recognise these Special Editions for their unique paint jobs and exclusive interiors, but other highlights include a Black Exterior Pack including distinctive black badging, along with black brake calipers and gloss-black 20-inch wheels, albeit slightly different on the F-Type R75.
How much does the Jaguar F-Type 75 cost?
It’s the end of an era and the last F-Type model year, so comparisons with these special editions are all a bit pointless, even with previous pricing.
The 75 Coupe, 75 Convertible and R75 Coupe effectively replace the current P450 R-Dynamic Coupe/Convertible and the P575 R Coupe in Australia.
Nevertheless, the previous Jaguar F-Type P450 R-Dynamic wore a sticker price of $164,900 before on-road costs, while the range-topping F-Type R P575 AWD Coupe was priced from $262,936 before on-roads. Moreover, the previous F-Type SVR commanded a whopping $35,000 premium on top, giving it a retail price of $297,936 excluding on-road costs.
There’s no shortage of optional extras either for either model, though of the two examples we drove, only the F-Type R75 Coupe had what I would call a significant option – the SVO Ultra Metallic Paint in Satin finish for $22,520.
Thankfully, the stunning Giola Green metallic paint on the F-Type 75 Convertible is one of six standard metallic paints available as standard.
2024 Jaguar F-Type 75 pricing:
- F-Type 75 Coupe: $183,200
- F-Type 75 Convertible: $188,450
- F-Type R 75 Coupe: $284,550
Prices exclude on-road costs
What is the Jaguar F-Type 75 like on the inside?
There’s no better statement of pure unadulterated luxury than the cabin of our F-Type 75 Gigolo Green Convertible – roof lowered of course.
F-Type 75 Convertible
It’s not just the swathes of beautifully trimmed Windsor leather in a rich Tan with contrast stitching, it’s as much the perfectly sculptured lightweight, slimline bucket seats with accentuated bolsters, quilted pattern and brightwork accents that look both impeccable and thoroughly inviting.
Our tester also had the ‘full extended leather upgrade’, which meant the entire cabin was wrapped in the same quilted hide, including door cards and much of the dash.
On the one hand it’s cosseting, but on the other, there’s loads of elbow and shoulder room, even for my 6’5” driving partner.
Not once during our 792km road trip did either of us feel in any way space encumbered, at least in the cockpit. Mind, most of the time the roof was lowered and only raised when the rain showers were too much to bare.
The updated tech in the F-Type means an all-digital affair, including a configurable driver’s display that’s nice and sharp, and a 10-inch infotainment screen which can be difficult to see when the roof is down and blue sky above. It’s then you can forget about using the central navigation screen and switch to the driver’s display for absolute clarity.
One particular moment we entered a tunnel under blue skies only to exit with a raincloud above. Good thing the F-Type’s roof is relatively quick to raise and noise free.
F-Type R75 Coupe
Inside our F-Type R 75 Coupe was a stealthy, all-black event with an Ebony upholstery that suited the car’s magnificent Ligurian Black Satin paintwork to the proverbial tee.
Nonetheless, at first I wondered where the Alcantara was given this car’s unmistakable bad-boy demeanour – but it’s all a bit passé these days up against the superbly-soft Windsor leather, in my view.
It might be getting on a bit in a period where buttons and dials are now becoming a thing of the past, but the sense of familiarity and tactility in the F-Type’s cabin is somehow refreshing when you’re focused on blasting from one side of Spain to the other without the distraction of figuring out how to switch drive modes, for example, which tends to be more complex than it needs to be at times.
And those rubberised/knurled dials and toggle switches feel so very right to the touch, too. Call me old school if you must, but this is a fine place to spend seven hours behind the wheel.
I noticed there was no boot shots of our F-Type 75 testers in the media kit. No point really, given I arrived in Sitges with a 30-inch suitcase and cabin bag in tow.
Soft bags are fine – you might actually squeeze two in there, and there’s a bit more space for jackets and maybe a small backpack behind the seats, but that’s about it. Luggage space has always been a disaster with the F-Type.
What’s under the bonnet?
More old-school delight with both F-Type 75 special editions powered by Jaguar’s wonderfully boisterous 5.0-litre supercharged V8 in two states of tune.
By the way, the bonnet is hinged from the front (instead of the rear), just like the E-Type. Somehow that looks and feels far more exotic to me.
In the F-Type 75 Convertible (and Coupe) it makes 331kW of power (6000rpm) and 580Nm (2500-5000rpm). It’s also no slouch as a drop-top, and able to go from standstill to 100km/h in a thoroughly brisk 4.6 seconds. Top speed is 285km/h and it has no problem getting there, either.
In the F-Type R75 Coupe, the wick has been turned up a good deal with the supercharged V8 punching out 423kW (6500rpm) and 700Nm (3500-5000rpm). Trust me, it simply refuses to stop pulling but more on that shortly.
It’s a quick car this R75, able to blast from 0-100km/h in just 3.7 seconds and onto 300km/h at full noise.
Both cars claim to average 10.5L/100km on the combined cycle (WLTP) but that’s not something we were too concerned with on this particular trip – though perhaps we should have been as we came dangerously close to expending the 70-litre fuel tank on one particular leg.
How does the Jaguar F-Type 75 drive?
Both cars look spectacular in different ways, but being assigned the F-Type 75 Convertible first up in the seaside town of Sitges looked like the perfect way to leave the warm breezes of the Mediterranean behind before hitting colder temperatures in the Pyrenees.
However, it would be a mistake to think the very last Jaguar F-Type Convertible was any kind of softly-sprung boulevard cruiser – at least not today.
That’s not to say we weren’t on the clock with a hankering to fast track it to the initial coffee stop, while enjoying some liberating speeds in the process.
There were no such thoughts of quiet mode on start-up, at least not with a properly responsive supercharged V8 lurking under the bonnet and a 360-degree surround sound rolling amphitheatre in which to enjoy such an onslaught of decibels.
Just a quick flick of the toggle switch, made conspicuous by the chequered flag on it, puts the F-Type 75 into Dynamic Mode complete with mandatory loud exhaust roar for the full Dolby Atmos experience. Nevertheless, I tap the loud button as well just to make sure the flaps are wide open from the get-go.
There’s also nothing like some perfectly curated Spanish autopistas to blow the cobwebs off and get some heat into the specially-developed Pirelli P Zero tyres all round.
Funnily enough when you’ve got the boot in, it doesn’t exactly feel de-tuned in anyway. It’s fast, furious and very, very loud, especially in the endless tunnels we come across.
Peak torque stretches out to 5000rpm, so you’ll be hard pressed to leave your foot into it for any sustainable length of time. It just keeps pulling and pulling with seemingly no end to torque thrust.
Slightly longer stretches of motorway brings up huge speeds, and yet the Jag is completely unflustered by any turbulence around the car. It tracks dead straight on centre and doesn’t move a beat.
It’s rock solid in the bends too, though I’d kill for some genuine, granular feedback through the steering wheel especially in this rear-wheel guise. There just isn’t much at all.
Nevertheless, the steering is quick and nicely weighted in Sport and throttle response immediate. Same applies to turn-in. It’s very pointy, but again, its lacking the kind of feedback that gives drivers supreme confidence in the high-speed sweepers.
The chassis feels comfortably stiff but not at the expense of ride comfort. There’s genuine compliance in the damper settings and little to disturb the tracking, except a few solid steel expansion joints that seemed to move the F-Type around a bit.
Even with rear-wheel drive though, there’s plenty of wet-weather grip to keep things safe at a properly good clip.
There are way too many tunnels in these mountainous parts – to the point where the F-Type may be causing irreparable hearing loss. I’m not complaining, but this so loud at times.
Hopping into the F-Type R75 Coupe on day two, I wasn’t expecting such a significant level of power underfoot. It’s not just the throttle response – as quick as that is – it’s more the torque shove that gets you thinking you’re driving a very quick car.
All the major mechanicals have been dialled up for sharpness as well as linearity in the way it’s all delivered, only in the R75 it’s times five. There’s more of everything at your disposal and the car feels demonstrably more sorted than the convertible. That’s to be expected.
Wet and dry weather grip is as good as any quattro system used by Audi. There’s no slip, no matter how much shove you give the Jag. It just holds on no matter what.
Even full-throttle starts fail to unseat the tyres, so you tend to muster even more courage behind the wheel. But that’s also down to the heightened levels of feedback at the front end and excellent chassis balance.
The brakes, as large as they are, the only weak point on the hero F-Type – if you haven’t chosen the Carbon Ceramic Brake Pack. A few times we had the rear brakes on fire after runs down a mountain pass. CCBs should probably be standard on the F-Type R75.
Again, ride comfort and bump compliance is vastly improved over earlier F-Type models. Even in Sport and over rougher roads in the mountains, the car is suitably cushioned and any broken roads are largely isolated from the cockpit
What do you get?
F Type 75 highlights:
- Black exterior pack with black brake calipers
- Deployable boot-kid spoiler
- Switchable active exhaust
- Configurable and adaptive dynamics
- Auto-dimming, power fold, heated door mirrors with memory
- Rain-sensing wipers and headlights
- Pixel LED headlights with signature DRL
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (Wired)
- 12-way electric heated seats with memory function
- Contrast carpet mats
- Limited edition aluminium instrument panel finisher
- Electrically adjustable steering column with memory
- Metal treadplates with limited-edition branding
- Suedecloth sun visors and vanity mirrors
- Interior black pack
- Bright metal pedals
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
- Single-zone climate control
- Digital (DAB) radio
- 10-speaker, 380W Meridian sound system
- Connected Navigation Pro
- Online Pack
- 10-inch Touch Pro infotainment screen
- Interactive driver’s display
- Front and rear parking sensors with rear-view camera
- 20-inch, five-spoke gloss black wheels (Style 5102) for F-Type 75 Coupe and Convertible
- Windsor leather upholstery with contrasting interiors (requiring Full extended leather upgrade)
F-Type R75 Coupe adds:
- 20-inch, 10-spoke gloss black with contrast diamond turned finish (Style 1066) – also available as a no-cost option are 20-inch, five split-spoke Satin Grey
- Red brake calipers
- Powered tailgate/boot lid
- Tyre-pressure monitoring system as a no-cost option
- R-branded leather steering wheel
Colours
- Fuji White (solid)
- Santorini Black (metallic)
- Firenze Red (metallic)
- British Racing Green (metallic)
- Eager Grey (metallic)
- Portofino Blue (metallic)
- Giola Green (metallic)
Optional colours
- Carpathian Grey (Premium Metallic): $5,910 ($NCO F-Type R75)
SVO paints
- SVO Special Effect paint in Gloss Finish: $22,520
- SVO Ultra Metallic paint in Satin Finish: $22,520
- SVO Special Effect paint in Satin Finish: $26,440
- SVO Ultra Metallic paint in Gloss Finish: $18,600
Options
F-Type 75 Convertible:
- Red brake calipers: $1010
- Red (or Beige) electric convertible roof: $1836
- Heated windscreen: $1530
- Wind deflector: $790
- Dual-zone climate control: $1040
- Air quality sensor: $110
- 12-speaker, 770W Meridian sound system: $7260
- Secure tracker: $930
- Tyre pressure monitoring system: $790
- Park Assist: $700
- 12-way heated, cooled electrically-adjustable seats with memory: $1150
- Nubuck-edged carpet mats: $143
- Heated steering wheel: $680
- Illuminated metal treadplates with brand-name script: $790
- Full-extended leather upgrade: $2110
- Assorted 20-inch wheel and tyre options: $1790
F-Type 75 Coupe:
- Red brake calipers: $1010
- Heated windscreen: $1530
- Dual-zone climate control: $1040
- Air quality sensor: $110
- Fixed panoramic roof (includes manual blind): $2110
- Privacy glass (tailgate only): $650
- Powered tailgate: $1160
- 12-speaker, 770W Meridian sound system: $7260
- Secure tracker: $930
- Tyre pressure monitoring system: $790
- Park Assist: $700
- 12-way heated, cooled electrically-adjustable seats with memory: $1150
- Nubuck-edged carpet mats: $143
- Heated steering wheel: $680
- Illuminated metal treadplates with brand-name script: $790
- Full-extended leather upgrade: $2110
- Assorted 20-inch wheel and tyre options: $1790
F-Type R75 Coupe:
- Black brake calipers: $1010
- Exterior Design Pack: $1140
- Boot lid spoiler: $650
- Privacy glass (tailgate only): $650
- Heated windscreen: $1530
- Two-zone climate control: $1040
- Air quality sensor: $110
- 12-speaker, 770W Meridian sound system: $7260
- Secure tracker: $930
- Park Assist: $700
- 12-way heated, cooled electrically-adjustable seats with memory: $1150
- Nubuck-edged carpet mats: $143
- Heated steering wheel: $680
- Illuminated metal treadplates with brand-name script: $790
- Full-extended leather upgrade: $2110
- 20-inch 10-spoke Satin Black wheels, contrast diamond-turned finish: $5389
- 20-inch 10-spoke, gloss black wheels: $1790
Option Packs
Climate Pack: $2760
- Heated windscreen
- Heated steering wheel
- Dual-zone climate control
Carbon Ceramic Brake Pack: $21,280 (R75)
- Yellow brake calipers
- 398mm front, 380mm rear brakes
- 20-inch 10-spoke Satin Black diamond-turned wheels
- Tyre repair system
Blind-spot Assist Pack: $1000 (75)
- Blind-spot assist
- Rear cross-traffic monitor
Is the Jaguar F-Type 75 safe?
Like almost all high-end sports cars, the Jaguar F-Type is unrated by ANCAP or Euro NCAP.
Jaguar has included items like AEB and lane-keep assist in line with the latest requirements from the crash-testing firms as part of its previous facelift, and there’s a suite of six airbags (front, side and curtain) as standard.
There’s also blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert included in the optional Blind Spot Assist Pack, while tyre pressure monitoring and a semi-autonomous park assist function are available as options.
How much does the Jaguar F-Type 75 cost to run?
Ignoring the fuel bill, the F-Type is relatively inexpensive to maintain.
Jaguar covers all its vehicles with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, as well as five-years free scheduled servicing (up to 130,000km) and five years roadside assist.
CarExpert’s Take on the Jaguar F-Type 75
From the very outset of the F-Type’s existence, I’ve never really gelled with it 100 per cent. It always felt a bit sketchy at the limit and not quite refined enough in keeping with Jaguar’s long-held luxury heritage.
Perhaps it’s the fact the brand had lost so much of its mojo over the last five years or so, in the wake of a massive four-pronged German Blitzkrieg that saw Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche relegate Jaguar to complete and utter irrelevance as referenced by its dwindling sales over the same period.
Of course, all that is history now as Jaguar begins its transition to a an all-electric luxury car company from 2025, but not before the last hurrah for a few of the most intoxicating F-Types ever built, in my view.
Jaguar’s curation of the Gigolo Green F-Type 75 Convertible with Tan leather upholstery is to die for. It’s right up there with the Aston Martin Vantage and every bit as loud when you want it and refined when you need it, but for far less money.
The same goes for the full-fat F-Type R75 Coupe – a must in the same Ligurian Black Satin paint with Ebony interior as tested. An absolute head-turner.
Dial up the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 to deliver proper supercar levels of poke and you’ve got a magnificent ode to Jaguar founder Sir William Lyon’s, ‘Grace, Space and Pace’ slogan.
In the end, and after much deliberation, I’ve settled on the F-Type R75 in launch spec because this is the most sorted F-Type I’ve ever driven – and it doesn’t look half bad either.
Click the images for the full gallery
MORE: Everything Jaguar F-Type
