I’ve been a Jaguar fanatic for over 10 years. I’ve been lucky enough to have the best of the beasts: 2010 XFR, 2015 F-Type R coupe, and a 2017 F-Type SVR coupe. I loved them all, and each one was technically superior and built better than the one before. I loved the performance and styling. I loved the exclusivity and knowing that I wouldn’t see many around if any.

The XFR was my favorite. It truly had Grace, space, and pace. It was quiet, fast, comfortable, and luxurious. F-Types looked awesome, but had no space and just too loud with unwanted noise (wind and road). Still, they had something special, but it wanted as real life requires more room and a more refined experience.

No matter what Jaguar was my brand....But, nothing lasts forever. I wish that Jaguar had something compelling to get now. But they don’t. They have nothing really new or exciting. In their foolish quest to be BMW, they are neither BMW and no longer Jaguar. It’s actually sad, and I can’t believe that a company that was doing exciting things and really “going for it” in trying to make a comeback....has stumbled into horrifying mediocrity.

I can’t believe how they squandered the R brand. I can’t believe that there was never a performance XE or XF. I hate the bland XF. I hate the bland XE AND F-Pace interiors. I tried to like them, but I don’t. I am puzzled that they couldn’t pull off an AWD XJ V8?? AWD V8 F-Types, but not on the XJ? Really?

So as much as I want to stay, there is nothing remotely interesting to get, and a recycled 2021 F-Type is hardly a choice.

If I wanted another 2 seater....2020 C8....but based on my sensibilities and desires .... hello M5 Competition.

 

Gotta agree.
IMHO diluting the R brand was the end of the beginning (sorry Winston!) and the current push to all-electric is the beginning of the end for Jaguar.

 

I am also wondering about a new Vette convertable, but need to actually see one. I priced it out on site at $80k exactly as I would get it. Probably 2 years before any discount or used.

 

Considered a F pace SVR? I pace? Been burned myself a few times on BMW - their engines are no longer reliable, you may wish to reconsider....

 

We've got the new XE and it is as close to my first XF (4.2 prem lux) as anything I have driven. It isnt an R of course, but it is pretty inside, steers and rides beautifully, and looks pretty horny. It is a huge improvement on the previous which was a good car as well. That said, no v8. It doesnt miss the v6, the 340HP version wasnt as nice to drive as the p300 IMO but it could really use a little v8, maybe a 4 litre NA would suit it, I'd pay a lot more for one with it in.

The XF isnt as stylish as the previous version though it handles better. But side by side, the previous model looks better and will age better. No wonder you loved your XFR's. I'm keen to see how the next gen XF pans out, if it follows the improvements in the XE it will be a monumentally better car, but it still needs a halo version.

Personally I like the new version of the F Type but I doubt I will get one. It wont drive any better than what I have and I dont see the point in spending over $100K extra to get the same car with a different front and a bigger interior screen, quite apart from the $20K or so in stamp duty on the transaction which would make me vomit. I think I am getting old, 5 years ago I wouldnt have hesitated.

I'm really looking forward to seeing the 2021 XJ. I am not a buyer as I dont need a big car, but I have high hopes for something really special, maybe it will be the brand halo car again. I'm not done with the marque yet. It is still delivering good value if you want something outside of the usual suspects but cant stretch to an Aston and wont risk a Maserati.

 

Why not just keep the SVR?

 

You are forgetting the Project 8. There are still a couple of new ones available for sale. I wasn’t a fan of the available colors, so no deal for me.

 

I have to agree with you. I've owned and enjoyed Jaguars for more than fifty years but there is nothing in the current range that excites. In their search for a new demographic, Jaguar have successfully alienated their loyal customer base and lost almost everything that differentiates them from other marques. The diversion into diesel engines was a costly mistake which must have absorbed a massive amount from the development budget that could have been better spent elsewhere and the current desire to be torch bearer for the all-electric revolution does not bode well for anyone who enjoys driving.

Nevertheless, the F-Type Coupe has always been an itch to me and I visited my dealer again before Christmas to see the latest. I could put up with the lack of space and noise as a third vehicle but the interior trim is cheap and shouldn't be anywhere near a vehicle in this market sector.

Graham

 

Do you know now Corvette C8 has central engine?
I dont know about new C8 baggage space, I hope is not like the Lamborghini !

 

It has two... One in the front and one in the rear:

 

I don't think Jaguar is alone in the trend towards sameness/E-vehicles (talking BMW, Mercedes, Audi). Many said the same thing about BMW 10 years ago. They abandoned what made them great/different in order to gain market share. That's when I left for Porsche. After a couple of Caymans (which were awesome), I discovered the F-Type. I absolutely love this car (it is my only car, DD, 4 seasons), and don't know of any AWD coupe that I would rather have for the same money. I think it is only going to become more difficult to find "special" cars that are not "Supercars".

 

So you decided to go with pinnacle of unreliability? Google M5 bearings failure. Hopefully it isn't used M5 out of warranty.

 

I am with you wholeheartedly, Jaguar has been part of my life since day one and good part of my father's life.
Sadly its our kind that is dying out, Jaguar is merely changing to survive.
You could not give away a proper Jaguar away these days. You can see it in all other parts of life, its all homogenized and mediocre. Everything is a owned by some large conglomerate, look at car stereos, there is hardly any variety left, Harman supplies virtually the entire market, and if that was not enough, they too were purchased by even larger Samsung. So even when our cars say B&W or Meridian, those companies actually supplied nothing more than the name.

Look no further than music, one could say the same of British music, its gone to dogs, why cant they give us anything like the Beatles, Queen, Roxy Music, AC/DC, Wham. Its a changing of the guards, with a very different guard.
But you cant run to the Germans who never gave us a thing since Beethoven and frankly are the root of the problem as they took control of the narrative with the relaunch of Audi.
Bottom line is what you are describing is the war between enterprise and individuality. Enterprise won. Its a miracle that Jaguar survived. I would not buy something from a culture not known for individuality if I was looking for it.

There is some supporting evidence to my claim, Range Rover and Land Rover have maintained their DNA in markets where Germans made slow inroads.
Here is some visual aid.

 

Great comments all.... but let me address a few...

The M5 Comp is a 2020, and the bearing issue plagued the E60 V10 M5.

My SVR is beautiful and unique, but it’s loud in not always a good way. The road and wind noise is really too much. You can’t really enjoy the stereo or have a phone convo because of the ambient noise. It sounds too crude for a brand like this even as a sports car. So that plus I’m dying for back seats of any type ... no to buying it out.

Jaguar is rudderless. That’s the problem. Just look at their nomenclature...3.5T...what was that??? Audi took over for a couple of years....lol. What about sharing P300 and P400...with Land Rover? Or SE and HSE borrowed from Land Rover for the I-Pace. What about R sport vs. S??? What’s the difference??? Which one is sportier? Do you even care at this point?

What about the free maintenance debacle? 2010 no FM. 2011 FM, but in 2012 no FM. In 2015, they had free first maintenance. 2017 FM is brought back at 15000 intervals. The lack of consistency is laughable.

R performance academy was awesome. That went away. Now you can go to the Ice Academy in Finland. Wait, what?!!

Their management threw everything against the wall...trying to see what stuck. Disaster. They should all be fired. I’m not kidding. Unforgivable.

The XJ has to be a blend of the Model S & the Mercedes S class. Execution has to be flawless. Anything short....it’s going to be an existential crisis for this brand.

 

Q & C, I have never seen anyone list WHAM as an example of groundbreaking British music, while omitting anything punk, mod, or (Big Beat) techno (although I recently saw that described as the person that you didnt want, but had to invite to a party and who never leaves). Or Pink Floyd - the true test of good surround sound in your car. And AC/DC are Oz (yay) by the way.

But I know what you mean re music. Most of my playlist is like the soundtrack to Go and Hackers, and getting pretty dated like me.

 

I love my F-Type and will probably continue to own a 2014-17 MY for as long as they last. I bought it because it was the ultimate FU to self righteous, politically correct industry control of government to create new mandates and an endless regulation-driven sales gravy train. It was a car designed for actual customers, lost in an ocean of awful cars designed for regulators.

Annoyingly, it seems there is a new crowd of car-agnostic bandwagon riders who didn't get memo thats it's all drummed-up BS to force new hardware for big profits. It's dissappointing and frustrating that the free market is just a bad dream.

 

I like your sense of adventure, and hope BMW gets it right this time. S65 had rod bearing issues and plastic throttle actuators both detonated without warning. Vanos failures on S54 before that. From what I've seen, my F type is more trustworthy than the BMW's I or my family members have owned. Not going to defend Jaguar, they have a long history of mistakes, but at least the F type is pretty solid. LOL, I like your point about the P300, "R dynamic" and other trim level confusion/dilution, they seem very confused.

 

I have worked at a BMW dealership since Aug 2019 in the service department. There has not been one day I have worked there that at least one of the Bavarian wonder machines has not been brought in on a hook or a truck. The only way I would have one of the things is if someone gave it to me and I could trade it or sell it. The interiors to me are absolute junk for a car that they think is worth that much. They burn oil, they use coolant and the TPMS system is junk. If I am going to have a so called upscale car I like having something that not everybody has and around here a BMW, Mercedes or Audi is about as exclusive as a rat or a cockroach.

 

Some bearing issues can be partially mitigated by a) changing oil more frequently b) warming up engine for 1-2 minutes before driving, to ensure bearings fully lubricated before you apply load.

Don't forget Nickasil before that, and lifetime transmission fill before that. BMWs track record since mid 90s was one of continuous failure. Not that BMW was reliable before that, but at least it was relatively simply to maintain. Not so today.

 

Fellas, I lease my cars... I need it to be good for 45k...that’s all...