Currently reading: Jaguar reveals special Tour de France F-type coupe
Jaguar's new special operations division creates a one-off F-type to be used as a support vehicle for the penultimate stage of the Tour de France bike race

Jaguar has launched a special one-off version of the Jaguar F-Type coupé which will take part as a support vehicle in an upcoming stage of the Tour de France.

The car, which has been created by JLR's new Special Vehicle Operations division, will support Team Sky riders in the penultimate stage of the race, which is run as an individual time trial event.

The support car is a fettled version of the Jaguar F-type R coupé, with power coming from a stock 542bhp 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine. It gains a roof rack with space to carry two spare bikes, and is finished in the familiar blue-on-blue Team Sky livery.

Another major modification is a separate electric supply in the boot that provides power to the radios, amplifiers, microphones, horns and televisions, which allows team officials in the car to communicate with Tour officials and race directors.

Usually, support cars are spacious estates, such as Team Sky’s own usual Jaguar XF Sportbrake, with large roof racks carrying spare bikes for all riders – up to nine – for the team.

They follow behind the riders in a stage race, where team officials inside offer tactical advice, support, and can quickly hand over spare bikes in the event of a crash.

However, in an individual time trial such as the upcoming stage 20 – which takes place this weekend – riders go off one-by-one on their own, competing against the clock.

This means the support car only need carry a couple of spare bikes for each individual rider when undertaking the short 34-mile stage from Bergerac to Périgueux in south-west France, rather than spares for all riders as normal.

Consequently, Jaguar has ditched the XF Sportbrake for one stage only, creating this special F-type R coupé in its place. The firm says it has no plans to offer this special version for series production. 

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Mark Tisshaw

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Title: Editor

Mark is a journalist with more than a decade of top-level experience in the automotive industry. He first joined Autocar in 2009, having previously worked in local newspapers. He has held several roles at Autocar, including news editor, deputy editor, digital editor and his current position of editor, one he has held since 2017.

From this position he oversees all of Autocar’s content across the print magazine, autocar.co.uk website, social media, video, and podcast channels, as well as our recent launch, Autocar Business. Mark regularly interviews the very top global executives in the automotive industry, telling their stories and holding them to account, meeting them at shows and events around the world.

Mark is a Car of the Year juror, a prestigious annual award that Autocar is one of the main sponsors of. He has made media appearances on the likes of the BBC, and contributed to titles including What Car?Move Electric and Pistonheads, and has written a column for The Sun.

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Ludicrous speed 22 July 2014

Err What's the point of this

Come on Autocar.

Who really cares that a bike rack can be fitted to an F Type which is just a publicity stunt with Sky.

100 years of motoring journalism but this really is scraping the barrell.

Simplicity is key 22 July 2014

That's awkward

I like the jag ftype. It's a bit too predictable but it's an interesting alternative to a 911. However I think jag have highlighted their poor storage with this concept. Topgear have taken the mick already. Great you can get two bikes on the roof but when they cost £12k a pop you'd probably rather have them protected in the back of a Range Rover. In reality the sad fact is that you probably can't get a bike in a normal ftype coupe even if you take it apart. Think you can in a TT if you put the rear seats down. Jag should try harder to sell the xf wagon. - you don't see many on the roads. Can't think when I last saw one apart from watching the Tour de France. That is a good car.
scotty5 21 July 2014

2 bikes 2 many.

The way it's turned out for Team Sky this year, that's two spare bikes too many.