Jaguar has handed its F-Type one final update before the sportscar rides off into the sunset. Meet the SA-bound F-Type 75 and F-Type R 75 special editions…

British automaker Jaguar plans to transform into a fully electric luxury brand by 2025. That means the writing is firmly on the wall for models powered by internal combustion engines. Yes, the F-Type is on the way out, though not before one final hurrah.

To mark the end of the line for the 2-seater F-Type – which has been in production since 2013, arriving in South Africa in the same year – Jaguar has revealed an updated version, complete with 75-badged (to celebrate 75 years of Jaguar sportscars) special-edition models.

The tweaked F-Type range – which the Coventry-based firm describes as “simpler and more focused” than before – will be available in South Africa from January 2023 and will again include coupé and convertible body styles.

Jaguar has made a few subtle changes, including upgrading all models to 20-inch alloy wheels and altering the wheel centres and grille badge from red to black (and the “R” and “R-Dynamic” badge accent colours to black and grey rather than red and green).

Special editions mark F-Type’s final year

So, what makes the special editions, well, special? Buyers will have the choice of F-Type 75 and F-Type R 75 models (each boasting Jaguar’s iconic V8 engine), which are distinguished by unique design elements inside and out, are well as what the automaker describes as “carefully curated specifications”.

The special-edition models furthermore gain “discreet badges” on the front fenders depicting the F-Type’s silhouette, along with model-specific 20-inch alloys (gloss-black, 5-spoke and gloss-black diamond-turned 10-spoke designs, respectively). The R 75 also gains wider Pirelli P Zero tyres measuring 265/35/ZR20 up front and 305/30/ZR20 at the rear.

Another feature specific to the F-Type 75 and R 75 models is a silhouette motif on the centre-console finisher, which is repeated on the stainless-steel tread plates. The interior Black Pack, meanwhile, is also included.

Lightweight performance seats are standard on the F-Type 75 and R 75, complete with heating and cooling functions, and finished in Windsor leather. An Ebony suedecloth headliner is likewise standard on the special models.

Interestingly, the F-Type 75 and R 75 also gain under-the-skin upgrades, including rear knuckles fashioned from light aluminium die castings. In addition, the R 75 boasts revised upper ball joints, which Jaguar says “significantly increase camber and toe stiffness”.

The F-Type R 75 can also be specified with Jaguar’s carbon-ceramic matrix braking system, which upgrades to 398 mm and 380 mm front and rear discs with 6- and 4-piston monobloc callipers with a yellow finish.

Saying goodbye to Jaguar’s supercharged V8 engine

From what we can tell, the final F-Type range will include only one engine option: the supercharged 5.0-litre V8 (though in two states of tune), paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission.

In the lower-output version, the 8-cylinder unit makes 331 kW and 580 Nm. In South Africa, the F-Type 75 will be available exclusively in all-wheel-drive guise, complete with an active electronic rear differential. Jaguar claims a 0-100 kph time of 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 285 kph.

Then there’s the F-Type R 75, which bears a version of the supercharged V8 worth 423 kW and 700 Nm. With this model, the sprint from standstill to 100 kph takes a claimed 3.7 seconds, while maximum speed is electronically limited to a heady 300 kph.

The range in South Africa will include coupé and convertible versions of the all-paw 75 and R 75 special-edition models, along with the 331 kW rear-driven R-Dynamic variants (again available in either of the two body styles).

“For 75 years, Jaguar has been renowned for producing extraordinary sportscars that deliver performance, agility and maximum driver reward. 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,” says Matthew Beaven, Jaguar Land Rover Chief Designer for Exteriors.

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