SPY PICS: Jaguar F-TYPE coupe testing

Jaguar’s worst kept secret – a coupe version of the F-TYPE roadster has been spied testing.

motoring.com.au confirmed the much-anticipated hardtop two-seater coupe was on its way to market when we drove the donor soft-top at its launch in Spain early last month. Now the car, complete with blacked-out roof top suggesting a soft-top, has been caught testing at the Nurburgring.

Jaguar displayed the F-TYPE in concept form as the C-X16 coupe and then launched its first production version as a roadster. Though local Jaguar sources are still denying the existence of a production coupe, it now seems certain the hardtop car will be on sale – at least in Europe – before the European winter hits in earnest.

Visual differences between roadster and fixed-head coupe are minor. The most striking, obviously, is the coupe’s roofline that sweeps neatly from the windscreen header rearwards to almost eliminate the rear deck-lid.

We expect the coupe to offer the same V6 and V8 engine choices as the roadster, as well as the same ZF eight-speed automatic transmission. There may be some handling benefits due to the car’s greater stiffness and potentially lighter weight.

It’s likely, however, that Jaguar will offer the coupe at a lower price than the roadster which Down Under is due to kick off at $139,000 for the 250kW supercharged V6 when it officially goes on sale mid-August.

Interestingly, there’s even talk of a cheaper coupe. That model would feature a naturally-aspirated engine – the 202kW V6 recently introduced into XF sedan range. Such an F-TYPE coupe could potentially go on sale in Australia under six figures.

Jaguar Australia was at pains not to confirm the coupe when motoring.com.au spoke to the company today. It stated, however, that were a coupe version to go on sale, it would like to see some “clear air” between the roadster’s introduction and the hardtop’s arrival.

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