Jaguar F-Type R 75 Plus: Last of a dying breed
The F-Type is no more, but its final edition is a worthy send-off to this British modern classic.

It would have been almost impossible to miss Jaguar’s recent news. It’s long been known the marque would go fully electric, and it was one of the first to announce its EV future back in 2021, committing to electric power long before many of its rivals. Since that time, the likes of Bentley and Aston Martin have actually retracted their own EV projects, instead focussing on hybrid powertrains due to customer demand. Years in the works, Jaguar stuck to its initial plans, and in late 2024 unveiled the design vision for its new era. Nobody could have imagined the reaction that followed and seemingly everyone, car enthusiast or not, had an opinion on the Type 00 concept car. This was not simply a relaunch, but a complete reimagining, with everything from the font and logo transformed. It was Jaguar’s intention to be ‘bold’ and ‘dramatic’, and brand representatives reiterated how the new Jaguar wasn’t designed to appeal to all. By these metrics, the relaunch was a resounding success.
We will have to wait some more until an actual road car is shown. The first new Jag, a four-door GT will come in 2026, and we can expect more to follow in the form of an E-Type successor sports car and an SUV. What it means for now is a break, and all previous generation models are now no longer available new in the UK. So the critically acclaimed I-Pace is gone, and more significantly, so too is the original E-Type successor, the F-Type.






The 2024 Jaguar F-Type then is the final combustion engine sports car from a legendary bloodline, which started with the XK120 back in 1948. Jaguar will make sports cars again, but with electric power and likely significantly heavier weights, they will be very different to everything that has come before. The F-Type is the last of a dying breed, and the F-Type R 75 Plus is the final variant of Jaguar’s definitive 21st century sports car.
It is the culmination of a decade of development. The F-Type first came out in 2013, following decades of potential releases beginning in the ‘80s. Designed by Ian Callum, it was an instant looker, with a sleek, aerodynamic body that referenced classic Jaguar designs while still looking thoroughly modern. That original car, which first released as a convertible before its coupé sibling followed the year later, still looks incredibly sharp today. The long bonnet, wide stance and pincered rear end is both purposeful and elegant, part aggressor and part charmer.
There have been a few engine variants since the F-Type’s initial release. It was first available with either a 3.0-litre supercharged V6 or the larger 5.0-litre supercharged V8. Both were noted for their sound; with the latter known for its particularly unruly lift-off cackle. The V6 may have been the choice, and a simple YouTube session proves it one of the best sounding British sports cars of all. Since then a smaller four cylinder engine was introduced, but sensibly, the final edition R 75 offers the full eight cylinder experience.






The revised 5.0-litre V8 is still supercharged and still powerful, with 567hp. But it’s also more sensible and softer sounding, with a deep bass and reassuring thunder yet without the pops and bangs of the first generation car. This stealthy feel extends to the car’s styling. The face-lifted 75 has thinner front lights which are horizontal rather than vertical, and a more minimal front end. My particular test car is finished in Carpathian Grey and with gloss black wheels, black grille and matching badging, giving it a Bond-like appeal. It is a cage fighter dressed in a Savile Row suit.
Being four-wheel-drive, the R 75 has plenty of grip, inducing confidence on wet winter roads. Push it hard and there is more body roll than you might expect, its 1,855kg mass becoming apparent. It is not, and has never been, a lightweight sports car. But it is quick, and will hit 60 mph from standstill in just 3.5 seconds. Where it excels is as a grand tourer. An incredibly comfortable and effortless machine, it will happily eat up motorway miles, and when you get to some more interesting B roads, will perform admirably too, with its characterful engine putting a smile on your face. Reach your destination, get out and you’ll look back at one of the most beautiful cars of its era. That era is now over. What comes next remains to be seen, but what is certain is that the F-Type, whether in early base model form or fully loaded R 75 spec, is one of Britain’s greatest sports cars of all.

