A farewell drive in the last petrol-engined Jaguar F-Type V8

The F-Type is one of the Jaguar model ranges that is imminently headed to the parking lot in the sky, with the British brand announcing that only its F-Pace midsize SUV would remain in production from the current line-up.

With bans to be instituted on internal combustion engined cars in regions including the US, Europe and China in the near future, Jaguar will become an all-electric brand with its first new-generation EV due to be unveiled next year.

The F-Type’s run comes to an end after it was launched in 2013 as the spiritual successor to the famous E-Type in coupé and convertible form. In 2019 it had a major revamp and more recently a final update for the F-Type has seen the local line-up reduced to two V8 versions: the 331kW F-Type 75 coupe and 423kW F-Type R75 coupe.

The badges commemorate 75 years of internal combustion engine sports car production at Jaguar, and the special edition cars are distinguished by unique interior and exterior design touches and the supercharged 5.0l Jaguar V8 engine synonymous with F-Type.

I will lament the engine becoming a casualty of the war against carbon emissions, 10% of which are said to be produced by cars and vans.

As much as I enjoy the seamless thrust of electric sports cars, their clinical silence leaves me cold compared to the operatic voice of the F-Pace’s petrol V8. The start button pulses like a heartbeat, and pressing it unleashes a memorable sonic experience.

Ye gods, what a sound. The enthralling rasp gives me goosebumps thinking about it, and its acoustic fury is heightened by a switchable active exhaust system that crackles loudly when you lift off the throttle. It’s a sound that would make a fitting soundtrack to a Viking invasion, but the Jaguar has a Quiet Start function that helps prevent the ire of your neighbours when you leave the house.

Jaguar has shared sound recordings of the F-Type V8 with the British Library so that future generations can listen to the unmistakable, supercharged V8 soundtrack once our roads are filled with battery-powered cars devoid of acoustic emotion.

The F-Type 75 has the bite to match its bark with a punchy performance that delivers a 0-100km/h sprint in 4.6 seconds and a maximum speed of 285km/h. That isn’t supercar fast but powerful enough to get the palms sweaty and the heart racing. An eight-speed Quickshift transmission swishes through gears swiftly, with steering-mounted paddles allowing manual control.

As angry as it sounds, this 331kW Jaguar doesn’t metaphorically want to tear you limb from limb. When you awaken from its high-performance zone the sleek coupe is composed and civilised, displaying excellent high-speed directional stability. Much of this has to do with its excellent steering which doesn’t buck in your hands or feel twitchy, even when the road gets bumpy.

With all-wheel drive and a rear electronic active differential to optimise traction, you can boot the throttle with confidence, even through tight corners, knowing the tail won’t hang out in a leery drift. Torque vectoring by braking additionally ensures good agility in the twisty parts, and the chassis has rear knuckles made from aluminium to help deliver a more connected steering feel.

Using electronically controlled, continuously variable dampers, Adaptive Dynamics optimises both low speed comfort and high speed control, while Configurable Dynamics enables the driver to tailor the settings for suspension stiffness, steering weight, throttle response and gearshifts.

In Dynamic mode the steering, suspension and gearshifts adopt a more intense vibe and the digital instrument panel turns red. At higher speeds the rear wing pops up to improve downforce.

The wide tyres whoosh loudly on tar that is anything but glass smooth, which is perhaps not as acoustically satisfying as the engine roar but is part of making the F-Type an intense experience.

For all its high jinks the supercharged 5.0l Jaguar is a relative fuel fairy. The test car’s fuel consumption in regular driving was around 11.4l / 100km and climbed to 12.4l with angrier driver antics.

The F-Type coupe has aged well in 11 years and is all dramatic purpose with its low-slung stance and long bonnet, amped up with black 20” wheels and red brake calipers.

The two-seater cockpit lays on soft Windsor leather and sporting charm. The comparatively small infotainment screen is complemented by an array of physical buttons as a foil to the overly digitised cabins becoming the norm. The digital instrument panel’s default mode has a large central rev-counter.

Centre air vents deploy when the ignition is switched on, a fitting piece of mechanical theatre to a car that is all about emotion and charisma. As the last of a petrol breed, the sonorous Jaguar F-Type V8 could become a collector’s item for those who want to hear its sound for real, not in a library.

This review was originally published in Business Day.