Taking in the Jaguar E-Type for the first time, Enzo Ferrari called it "The most beautiful car ever made."
Jaguar built its history around "emotional" shapes, including the Jaguar XK 120 roadster, and the Jaguar D-Type Le Mans racer. In fact, one of the most iconic photos of legendary Hollywood actor Steve McQueen ever captured was of him looking back at the camera as he pulls away in his personal Jaguar XKSS roadster.
Nowadays, the British sports car of the moment is undoubtedly Aston Martin. Meanwhile, Jaguar meandered and lost its way; it's been decades since the big cat has unveiled an all-new two-seater sports car.
Under the stylistic direction of Jaguar's design director Ian Callum, Jaguar is now close to finalizing the all-new F-Type. Initially known as the C-X16 Concept at last year's Frankfurt Auto Show, Jaguar will not only celebrate the return to its sports car roots, but Jaguar's global brand manager also calls the new F-Type "the symbol of our future."
As it's been quite some time since Jaguar introduced a 2-seater sports car, the F-Type does not possess a direct bloodline. While this may prove challenging for some, Ian Callum saw the benefits of freedom. Addressing the F-Type's development, Callum said, "We can afford to be as fearless as we want with this car. This is our car, and our time."
Given the privilege, Callum and his team worked so hard on the F-Type that he asserts, "The end result is going to be one of the most significant sports cars of this decade and this century."
To understand the gravity of Callum's statement, know that when the F-Type debuts, it will compete squarely against the Porsche Boxster, BMW Z4, and Mercedes-Benz SLK.
We can't wait!
In the meantime, Jaguar has just released two teaser videos of its new project. While the F-Type is still under camouflage, we can already tell that it's a special car.