Despite the proliferation of SUVs on our roads these days, there are a number of us who are willing to sacrifice a bit of utility and practicality to satisfy our need for speed and the unmatched exhilaration of pulling a few G’s around a turn. Thankfully, there are still a few cars around that deliver motoring fun and excitement, such as the Jaguar F-Type.

Following in a grand Jaguar sports car tradition dating back to the exquisite XK120 of the late 1940s, the modern F-Type is a small, two-seater sports car that comes as a coupe or convertible. Either way, you get a beautifully sculpted, aggressively styled rocket that’s a pure joy to drive on the street or on the track. It starts with the quintessential sports car formula of a long hood, short rear deck and a massive engine, doling out gobs of horsepower with either rear or all-wheel-drive. Being British doesn’t hurt either.

Power, handling and strong brakes are the three key ingredients to having fun in a sports car, and the F-Type delivers on all three. It starts with a 444 horsepower supercharged V-8 that’s good for a zero-to-60 time of 4.4 seconds. If that’s not enough for you, there’s an R trim version with 575 horsepower. Combined with a sport tuned suspension designed to provide maximum cornering grip, very good brakes, an electronic active differential with torque vectoring and nicely weighted steering with a good feel, the F-Type is a fun little ride that engages the driver. Unfortunately, the F-Type is no longer available with a manual transmission, so an 8-speed automatic is your only option.

At a recent track event with the Midwest Automotive Media Association, I was lucky enough to be able to pilot an F-Type around a track and was thoroughly impressed by its performance. It was able to keep up with the best of them and was a pure joy to do a few laps. A quick run on a twisty, windy road during my test drive returned many smiles to the gallon. Thanks to the ability to select drive modes amongst regular, snow and dynamic, it can be a reasonably comfortable car for everyday use as well.

Unless you have a lot of stuff or people to haul often, the F-Type is actually comfortable and practical enough to drive every day. The cockpit is a welcoming escape swathed in comfortable leather with well bolstered heated and cooled seats, a relatively easy to use 10” touchscreen interface for the audio, compatible with Apple car play and Android auto, and other controls with a physical volume knob on the console between the seats. On the coupe, hatchback versatility makes loading and unloading the moderately sized rear cargo compartment easy. The air vents magically arise from the front of the center dash when needed, thus keeping the system clean and dust free. Of course all the modern safety nannies are available to make sure you and your car stay in one piece such as blind spot assist, lane keep assist, a reversing camera and more.

Bottom line: the Jaguar F-Type is a classic British sports car modernized for the 21st century. It has excellent styling, everyday practicality and the ability to remind you that driving can be fun. Joe White, sales consultant at Jaguar Land Rover Chesterfield, says of the F-Type, “It’s a sleek, sexy, sophisticated sports car that’s track ready at any time.”

technicals

  • Price: Base: $82,500, including delivery; as driven with options: $94,000
  • Gas mileage: 16 city, 24 highway
  • Drivetrain: Front engine; all-wheel drive; 5.0 litre supercharged V-8 engine, 444 horsepower; 8-speed automatic transmission

Robert Paster (robertpaster.com) is also an attorney in private practice, concentrating in estate planning and probate.