Jaguar is on the cusp of deciding whether the next F-Type will be a full-blooded petrol-engined car or a dramatic, futuristic first take on a battery-electric vehicle designed to act as a ‘halo’ for future mobility.
Speaking to Autocar, Jaguar design director Ian Callum said: “We’re asking ourselves if it should be a final hurrah for the old-school sports car that we know and love, or to switch now to make our first all-electric sports car,” said Callum. “It’s a very difficult decision. What I will say is that the electric decision is looking more interesting with time.”
Although the F-Type is expected to be on sale for at least three more years, Callum confirmed that the development cycle for its successor would have to begin soon, suggesting a new car is around three years away from making production.
Callum admitted that the performance of the I-Pace had forced him to rethink his views on electric cars, although he stressed that the final decision on which technology to use would not be down to him.
“The performance capabilities of an electric car are not an issue,” he said. “The kick from an electric car is quite beguiling, and if you adapt your mindset to enjoying that – driving slower into corners but getting the thump when you hit the throttle earlier – it’s every bit as enjoyable as a V8- engined car in many respects.
“The dynamics we know we are strong at – Mike Cross and his team don’t make anything other than first-rate cars in that regard – and despite the challenges of mass, the I-Pace is already proving that electric cars can be dynamically entertaining.
“Then there’s range, but that is becoming less of an issue, and there are advances coming that should help move that on again in the next few years. So the main challenge remaining is the inherent raising up of a car required by the packaging of the batteries. But I see that as an interesting challenge, not an insurmountable one.”
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Sometimes the Truth Hurts
Not quite an April fool joke madmac, its going to have to be electric or else it won't be a 'halo' car. The 'Joke' is usrely on the Autocar journalist writing that the F-Type is, was, will be, a 911 rival! Only in the dreams of its creator. Every manufacturer in the world tries to make its lastest sports car a '911 beater', and for 40 years the combined attempts of all the motoring manufacturers in the world have failed miserably to acheive their stated goals. I must go now, I hear a Lotus press release telling us they are going to build a successor to the Esprit.... it will be a '911 beater' so they say!
Both?
If the next XJ is going to be an all electric flagship then they could relatively easily develop an all electric £100k+ coupe version a la XK / old XJC. This would sell in relatively small numbers but would be a great halo model. At the same time they could also reskin (and hopefully lighten!) the IC engined F type as the (semi) volume model in the current £50-90k range.
HAHA, April fool! Well done
HAHA, April fool! Well done Autocar.