Jaguar F-Type confirmed for 2012 Paris Motor Show

Jaguar has confirmed its new F-Type sports car will debut in production from at the 2012 Paris Motor Show at the end of September.

The F-Type first appeared as the Jaguar C-X16 Concept at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, so it’s taken just a year to get it ready for the roads. Along the way it’s made a camouflaged appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and been subject to half a million virtual testing parameters.

New Jaguar F-Type

Goodwood Festival of Speed on MSN Cars

Yes, virtual testing parameters – which has apparently taken 10-million CPU hours of processing and generated 300TB of data. Geek-tastic. Still, it’s meant the lead-time to production could be shortened significantly, and has allowed the engineers to concentrate on honing the sports car’s performance.

It also means the finished F-Type should be a fantastic product, as to do the same amount of testing on the real thing would apparently have required enough prototypes to fill most of the UK’s motorway network…

Anyways, all that aside, Jaguar has confirmed the F-Type will be powered by a choice of three supercharged petrol engines – 340hp and 380hp versions of a new 3.0-litre V6, and a special version of the 500hp V8 that’s already seen in the firm’s most powerful R variants.

All three will drive the rear wheels via an eight-speed gearbox – we can only assume this will be a paddleshift-equipped automatic – and each will feature stop-start in an effort to reduce fuel consumption.

The F-Type will be available as both convertible and coupé, with the convertible likely to take the debut in Paris.

Jaguar Cars’ Global Brand Director, Adrian Hallmark:

“The unveiling of the F-Type in Paris will be a truly significant day in Jaguar’s history as it will mark the company’s return to the sports car market, a market it originally helped to create.”

Jaguar’s Vehicle Line Director, Ian Hoban:

“When you are working on a Jaguar sports car the expectations of the world are huge. We’re really pleased with how the attributes have translated from the virtual into the physical world.

“New we’re refining and adding those last few percentage points – that true element of honing which the Jaguar test team are delivering – which will turn a great sports car into an exceptional one.”

Video: Jaguar C-X16 unveiled at Frankfurt 2011

Unique Jaguar E-Type stars at V&A exhibition

Jaguar reveals high tech new engine range