To celebrate the final Model Year of the iconic F-TYPE and 75 years of their sports cars, Jaguar has released the F-TYPE 75 special edition. Featuring unique interior and exterior design elements, and this special paint option of Giola Green metallic, this is the last hurrah for the iconic V8 engine before Jaguar becomes a pure electric modern luxury brand from 2025.
Assembled at the Castle Bromwich plant in the United Kingdom the F-TYPE 75 is distinguished by badges on the front fenders in the shape of the F-TYPE’s unmistakable silhouette. It also standard with 20-inch wheels, discreet detail changes such as the wheel centres and grille badge changing from red to black. This F-TYPE 75 Convertible P450 is the seventh example of the F-TYPE I have driven, the most of any one model among the 300 plus vehicles that I have reviewed to date. This is because I am smitten with the F-TYPE and its supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine.
The F-TYPE’s magnificent V8 engines are made at Jaguar Land Rover’s state-of-the-art Engine Manufacturing Centre in Wolverhampton, UK. You can admire the said engine by flipping the bonnet forward, but I still wish that the engine cover had a snarling Jaguar head like the badge on the front of the F-TYPE. In this P450 that V8 offers 331kW and maximum torque of 580Nm generated from 2,500rpm and will do 0-100 km/h in 4.6 seconds and a maximum speed of 285 km/h. The official combined fuel economy is 11.3L/100km and for my week of bliss driving the F-TYPE I used 13.3L/100km. These numbers are just the start of the story though.
My standard set up in F-TYPE is Dynamic mode on, rear wing down, and in the convertible, roof down. The ride is perfectly acceptable in Dynamic mode, so much so I think it should be the default setting when you start the F-TYPE. Press helmet on infotainment screen and you can customise Dynamic mode with the Engine, Steering, Gear Shift and Suspension able to be switched between Comfort or Dynamic settings. The other drive modes available are Comfort and Rain/Ice/Snow modes.
Cruising the city streets in the F-TYPE allows the symphony from the V8 engine to reverberate off the hard surfaces and with the roof down this is experienced in glorious surround sound. But if you really want to stretch the legs of the F-TYPE and appreciate the vocal range of the supercharged V8 engine at full noise while chasing the 7,500rpm red line you are going to need to head out into the country.
Drop the roof using the button located on the centre console and a message is displayed on the driver’s dash to tell you if the roof is latched and the operation has been completed correctly. With the roof down the gentle throb of the V8 can be heard over the bellbirds in the trees, but they were soon drowned out by the V8 Jag as it snorted and snarled when my right foot aggressively met the accelerator. The exhaust bellows like a trumpet just before you upshift to the next gear in the 8-speed automatic gearbox. As the engine reaches fever pitch it almost sounds like a whip crack as the next gear is selected. Downshift hard using the beautiful metal wheel-mounted gear selectors and there is a burble on the overrun for good measure.
Even though the F-TYPE 75 is rear-wheel drive it stays well planted under heard acceleration with only a slight wiggle from the rear end thanks to an electronic active rear differential and the 295/30 Pirelli P Zero tyres wrapped around the gloss black rims.
With the beautifully engineered cloth roof folded neatly behind the seats the cabin is breezy around your head, but you can still carry on a conversation with your passenger, if you happen to bring a friend along for that country drive. The only significant downside of having the roof down was at certain angles the sun glare on the infotainment screen meant I couldn’t see it properly.
The smell of high-quality natural leather greets you as you open the door of the F-TYPE and this is what an expensive car should smell like in my opinion. Even with the roof down I could still distinguish the scent the leather amongst the spring flowers I was driving through.
The rich leather aroma is thanks to the Windsor leather seats that come standard on the special editions and the Extended Leather Upgrade option ($2,110) fitted to this F-TYPE. The Tan performance seats and Tan interior are complemented by details such as the crafted monogram stitch pattern, repeated in the door trim, and Jaguar Leaper embossed in the headrests. An Ebony Suedecloth headliner, also standard on the F-TYPE 75, further enriches the interior.
The optional ($1,150) 12-way power adjusted heated and cooled front seats have three memory positions. I like that the seat adjustments are located on the door, but I do not like that they are surrounded with gloss black plastic, which gets fingermarks on it. The seat heating and cooling worked well, but I could hear the noise from the cooled seats when they were in operation.
As this is one of the last times, I will get to drive the F-TYPE I found myself admiring the small details, like the press button to release the glove box. Even the cup holders are good looking in the F-TYPE with a lovely Aluminium base with grippy rubber sides to keep your drink secure.
Very little has changed in the cabin, with the F-TYPE 75 model distinguished by the unique silhouette motif below the central air vents and on the stainless-steel tread plates, while the Interior Black Pack is another subtle enhancement. Dual zone climate control is still an optional extra as part of the Climate Pack ($2,760) and it also includes a heated windscreen and heated steering wheel.
Storage space is still somewhat limited with just enough room on the door cubby for sunglasses and the felt lined cubby under the armrest just big enough for a large smartphone with one 12V socket, two USB-A ports located here. The boot size is reduced also because of the folding roof and there is just a narrow shelf at the top of the boot for a slim bag and a deeper area for another soft bag. The F-TYPE has powered boot release with a button in the cabin, on the key fob and under the boot lid and manual close with a tyre repair kit located in boot.
The F-TYPE does not have an ANCAP or Euro NCAP safety rating and driver safety aids are limited to standard cruise control, lane keep assist, emergency braking and standard rear-view camera. It does have front and rear parking sensors, but you need to remember to turn the front sensors on as they default to off and if you are not aware of this you may bump into something. My F-TYPE also had the optional Blind Spot Assist pack ($1,000), which includes blind spot assist and rear traffic monitor.
All new Jaguar vehicles sold come with a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty with 5 years roadside assistance. A 5 years/ 130,000km (whichever occurs first) service plan that covers standard service costs during this period is complimentary with the purchase price.
For me the F-TYPE is all about the V8 engine and the classic lines that make this one of the greats of all time and I will miss it deeply when it is gone. The F-TYPE reminds me of the famous Sir Robert Menzies quote about the Queen “I did but see her passing by and yet I love her till I die.”
The 24MY Jaguar F-TYPE 75 Convertible P450 is priced from $188,450 excluding on-road costs and as tested this Jag was $195,470 excluding on-road costs. If you want to take home a F-TYPE as much as I do you can Build your Own online or visit your preferred Jaguar Retailer for more information.
| Pros | Cons |
| Classic looks | Noisy cooled seats |
| Glorious V8 engine | Sun glare on the infotainment screen |
| The smell of the interior | There still isn’t one in my garage |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.