Jaguar F-Type P450 Convertible: Thunder cat

A long-awaited, stylishly slinky and swift spiritual sports car successor to Jaguar’s iconic 1961-74 E-Type, the F-Type was much-feted upon its 2013 arrival, and intended to re-instill Jaguar’s model range with a sporting heritage.

Bringing a much missed feelgood factor and sprightly sensibility, it soldiers on — a decade and face-lift later — with no identified successor in the wings.

However, with Jaguar’s focus now turning to bulky crossovers and uninspiring electrification, the lithe F-Type is more viscerally appealing than ever, and at its purest in rear-wheel-drive V8-powered P450 Convertible specification.

Succeeding a car described as “the most beautiful car ever made” by no less than Enzo Ferrari, the F-Type’s seductive lines, jutting edges and Coke-bottle curves convincingly captured much of the E-Type’s appeal for a modern era among bluntly aggressive competitors.

Little changed mechanically since, the it has seen upgraded tech, features and variants, but its most radical revision was the 2019 adoption of a more contemporarily conformative horizontally-oriented fascia, with an almost obligatory slim, scowling and heavily browed shark-like headlights and grille combo, in place of its originally upbeat and fresh vertically swept back design.

Feel the power

Powered by slightly detuned version of the 2013 “V8 S” launch variant’s 488BHP direct injection 5-liter supercharged engine, the re-designated P450 now slots neatly between the 296BHP 4-cylinder entry-level F-Type and highly tuned range-topping 567BHP V8 variant.

Hardly less brutal with 444BHP at 6,000rpm and 428lb/ft at 2,500-5,000rpm delivering it through 0-100km/h in 4.6-seconds, the P450 tops out at 285km/h. Its enviable headline figures however don’t relate the muscularity of its V8 engine, which with a mechanically-driven Roots-type supercharger delivers instant off-the-line boost and immediacy, and indefatigable full spectrum vigor that turbochargers cannot match.

The P450’s relentlessly seamless power accumulation is underwritten by a generously ever-present torque torrent that plateaus through a broad mid-range for effortless on-the-move response and versatility at almost any speed or gear.

This is complemented with a slick and quick shifting 8-speed automatic gearbox, which operates like a torque converter auto for setting-off smoothly from first and second, but uses fully-locking clutches for crisp and sportily direct cog changes thereafter.

The F-Type’s massive ventilated disc brakes, meanwhile, rein in its immense performance and 1,793kg mass with reassuring power and fade resistance.

Feline finesse

Precise, agile, responsive and engaging with its direct and quick steering and near perfect weight distribution, the F-Type well-reconciles dynamic handling and ride qualities, and is reassuringly stable and refined at speed. Smooth and sure-footed through tight winding and imperfect B-roads, its double wishbone adaptive suspension irons out imperfections with fluency, despite firm low profile tyres. Designed as a convertible from scratch, the F-Type’s lightweight bonded and riveted aluminium frame’s rigidity aids handling and ride comfort, without the scuttle shake often plaguing less rigid convertibles.

Brisk, balanced, poised and engaging cross-country, the P450 channels its ample output through an electronic limited-slip rear-differential, which directs power to the wheel best able to put it down for agility and stability when powering through tight or low traction corners. In its element on such roads, it is eager and crisp turning-in, and taut, poised and flat through corners. Rewarding and effective, the P450, however, demands respect and focus in low traction switchbacks, where it is better controlled and progressive unleashing power in its more forgiving “winter” gearbox setting. 

Hear the roar

Carving through snaking lanes with buttoned down grace and brisk pace, the P450 lets out a guttural exhaust rort as it rapidly downshifts, before tidily darting into a corner.

Balanced and controlled out of the apex, the F-Type leaps onto the straight to a ferociously pounding, evocatively throaty, rumbling, crackling and bellowing soundtrack made all the more viscerally amplified with its active exhaust system engaged and roof stowed away.

Rewarding driving finesse with fluency, the F-type’s electronic stability and traction controls meanwhile operate effectively and intuitively with the driver when called into action.

The F-Type’s elegant interior is low-slung, driver-focused and distinctly sporty, and is decked with quality materials and textures, including stitched leathers.

With a distinctly sporty ambiance, the F-type features a supportive, body-hugging and comfortable driving position, and a thick, contoured steering wheel with gearbox paddle shifters.

The F-Type’s heating and airflow enable top-down winter driving, while the cabin is well-insulated with its quick electric folding fabric roof raised. A 233-litre boot is meanwhile acceptable, if not generous, but a slinky and flush rear deck design makes it somewhat shallow.

Jaguar F-Type P450 Convertible

• Engine: 5-liter, supercharged, V8-cylinders
• Bore x stroke: 92.5 x 93mm
• Compression ratio: 9.5:1
• Valve-train: 32-valve, DOHC, variable timing, direct injection
• Gearbox: 8-speed auto, rear-wheel-drive, electronic limited-slip rear-differential
• Power, BHP (PS) [kW]: 444 (450) [331] @6,000rpm
• Specific power: 88.7BHP/liter
• Power-to-weight ratio: 247.5BHP (297PS)/tonne (kerb)
• Torque, lb/ft (Nm): 428 (580) @2,500-5,000rpm
• Specific torque: 116Nm/liter
• Torque-to-weight ratio: 323.5Nm/tonne (kerb)
• 0-100 km/h: 4.6-seconds
• Top speed: 285km/h
• Fuel economy, combined: 10.8-liters/100km
• Combined CO2 emissions: 245g/km
• Length: 4,470mm
• Width: 1,923mm
• Height: 1,307mm
• Wheelbase: 2,622mm
• Track, F/R: 1,584 / 1,628mm
• Boot capacity: 233-litres
• Unladen / kerb weight: 1,718/1,793kg
• Suspension, F&R: Double wishbones, coil springs, adaptive dampers, stabilizer bars
• Steering: Electromechanical rack & pinion
• Lock-to-lock: 2.34-turns
• Turning circle: 10.63-meters
• Brakes, F/R: Ventilated discs, 380 / 376mm
• Tires, F/R: 255/35R20 / 295/30R20