Now Is The Best Time To Buy This V8-Powered British Sports Car

All good things must come to an end. The V8 as a whole is inching toward the automotive history books, taking with it a slew of iconic names such as the Dodge Challenger. But, it isn’t just sports and muscle cars losing their V8s. SUVs such as the Nissan Armada and the Lexus GX have lost their long-standing V8 powerhouses in the last year. Even full-size pickup trucks aren’t safe. Both the Toyota Tundra and the Ram 1500 have lost their V8s.

One such car to suffer the loss of its V8 is more than just a bummer, it’s the end of an era. The Jaguar F-Type will soon be no more. Since its introduction over a decade ago, the Jaguar F-Type has worked hard to embody both Jaguar’s past, and its vision for the present. Now that Jaguar has firmly planted the seeds of their future, the F-Type will soon be relegated to the history books.

The Jaguar F-Type: Modern Style Hiding Timeless Roots

A Few Jaguar F-Type Key Points

• The F-Type’s production began in 2013
• Positioned as the spiritual successor to the Jaguar E-Type
• Offers up to 567 horsepower from its supercharged V8
• 2024 marks its final model year

The F-Type was more than just a new two-seater sports car to Jaguar when it was first released back in 2013. One of its most important objectives was to show the world that Jaguar, a carmaker once heralded for its sports cars, could still cut it like the best of them. With the XK being more of a grand tourer you could argue that Jag hadn’t made a true sports car since the original XK was axed in 1961. If you were in Jaguar’s shoes and planning to release your first halo sports car in over 50 years, you’d have high hopes, too.

At first, the F-Type came with a choice between three iterations of Jaguar’s 5.0-liter AJ133 supercharged V8, an engine which, in different forms, had served Jaguar and Land Rover well since its initial introduction in 1996 as a 4.0-liter. With the 5.0-liter supercharged V8, the F-Type could produce well over 550 horsepower in its most powerful iteration. That much power in a small package like the F-Type could, as we’re sure you could imagine, be quite a handful. That is why some of us at CarBuzz prefer the supercharged V6 instead, but we’ll admit that the sound alone is enough to sell the V8 as the ultimate.

Throughout its 11-year tenure, the F-Type slowly lost all but two versions of the AJ133 supercharged engine, although one version came later. In 2015, Jaguar decided to drop the 488-horsepower version found in the F-Type V8 S Convertible. Then, in 2019, Jag dropped a 542-horsepower iteration found in the F-Type R Coupe and Convertible. 2020 saw the introduction of the least powerful AJ133 version for the F-Type P450 and P450 R-Dynamic, with only 444 horsepower. The sole engine option that lasted the entirety of the F-Type’s life was its most powerful, found in the F-Type R 75.

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The V8 Responsible For All That Power

For the 2024 model year, the F-Type R 75 is the most powerful version of the Jag sports car money can buy. Its AJ133 V8 features some cutting-edge tech such as spray-guided direct fuel injection, which ensures optimal fuel usage along with providing a more evenly-spread burst of gasoline into the combustion chamber. Something called a variable tract length intake manifold makes for better airflow, and variable camshaft timing is present on its valvetrain.

As is customary on most Jaguars made in the 21st century, a ZF-made eight-speed automatic transmission handles the AJ133’s power. While there was a manual option for the F-Type, Jaguar decided to ax the option beginning with the 2020 model year. An electronic limited-slip differential transfers the F-Type’s power from the drive axle to the road, while lesser models make do with either a fixed rear end, as seen in F-Types equipped with the base 2.0-liter turbo four, or a mechanical limited-slip differential in the supercharged V6.

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The F-Type’s Roots Are Steeped In Tradition

The Jaguar F-type’s history begins over 30 years prior to its official release in 2013. In 1980, Jaguar was hard at work developing the E-Type‘s hopeful indirect successor, then dubbed the XJ41/XJ42. The project was kicked around for 10 years, when it was officially pushed back into the mid-1990s by Jaguar’s top brass. Finally, in 2000, an official prototype was launched bearing the F-Type name we know and love.

However, there was still quite a long ways to go for the then-prototypical F-Type. While its prospects were promising at the turn of the millennium, budget cuts put into place by Ford, Jaguar’s parent company at the time, led to the project being sidelined in favor of funding Jaguar’s Formula One program. By 2002, the F-Type was again, officially canceled, with executives citing a failure to produce a feasible production timeframe and profit.

It seems the third time was, indeed, the charm for the F-Type. In 2011, an Ian Callum-led design team produced the C-X16 concept car, and unveiled it at the Frankfurt Auto Show that same year. The C-X16 bears a striking resemblance to the F-Type’s production styling, albeit with a few minor things which didn’t make the assembly line, such as a hinged rear window meant to pay homage to the original Jaguar E-Type.

Why You Should Consider Buying One Now

Currently, used F-Type prices have taken a dip. With Jaguar’s widely publicized re-branding scheme taking a firm hold on the automotive community, Jaguar F-Type prices have seemingly been affected by this phenomenon. However, this will likely not last, and F-Types may very well increase in value quite a bit over the next few years. You may even be able to convince your wife by calling it an “investment.” Joking aside, it may prove to be true, after all. Currently, according to Kelley Blue Book, you can pick up a 2019 F-Type R Coupe with the 542-horsepower version of the AJ133 with reasonable mileage for $48,331, or almost $70,000 less than a new R 75, and you’re only missing out on 25 horsepower.

Not to mention the historical significance of the V8 F-Type. As we alluded to previously, it’s likely the last Jaguar sports car ever to be made with a V8, and Jag’s history with the humble eight-pot runs quite deep. Just look at icons such as the XK or the XJ. Most of them have been powered by some form of Jag’s AJ V8 since the late 1990s. The F-Type’s use of the AJ lasted all the way up to this year, making it a potential diamond in the rough later on down the line.

Sources:
Jaguar, Kelley Blue Book