Jaguar's Last Gas-Powered F-Type: 2024 Jaguar F-Type Convertible P575 R75 Review

Well, Jaguar says they're going all electric in 2025, but before they do, they've given us one final treat, and it's this F-type convertible with a supercharged V8 under the hood. And we're here to discover whether this is going to go down in history as a keeper. What's it like? Buckle up and let's go for a drive. I'm your host, Brian Maxx, racer, lover of driving fast, fun things. And on this channel, you get reviews for drivers from drivers. It may seem like a broken record on this channel, but I can't recall how many episodes we've done for 2024 model year cars where they are coming to an end. And indeed, this is going to be the last of the F-types. We did drive the Coupe a couple of years ago in California on some fantastic roads, and it was a total blast. I've been patiently waiting to get behind the wheel of this convertible version. So we need to find out what it's like. And before we get into what it's like to drive, let's have a look at it in a little more depth. We drove the Coupe a couple of years ago in California, and not much has changed, except this, of course, is the convertible version. There's still the supercharged V8, five liters of displacement, 575 horsepower at 6,500 RPM, and 516 pounds of torque from 3,500 to 5,000 RPM. Transmission's still an eight-speed automatic. Thankfully, there is an electronically controlled limited slip diff in the back. Steering is electrically assisted, and we're going to talk about this in a little bit as well. The suspension design is double wishbones at all four corners, as well as adaptive dampers. There are still massive brakes on the F-Type. Thankfully, wheels and tires are 20s, as you can see, and we are actually rocking some winter tires now because we are in winter mode since it is winter here. Nonetheless, curb weight of this F-Type convertible is a little shy of 4,100 pounds, and weight distribution is 51 front, 49% rear. But on this channel, we know it's not static weight distribution that counts. It's how you use it. Did you know that about 80% of you are not subscribed? Yes, it's true. I checked the data, and 80% of you are not subscribed. So if you enjoy the content on this channel, do me a solid. Hit that subscribe button while you're at it. Be sure to like this video and share it. And if you don't mind, drop by our merch store. There's lots of great stuff for driving enthusiasts like us, including our very popular line of Save the Manuals merch. Now, back to your regularly scheduled episode. Inside the cabin, there's not much difference between this convertible and the coupe. Of course, there is no roof, but otherwise, the ergonomics, the layout is identical. What we do have on this one is the full leather interior, which aesthetically is very, very pleasing, and it gives you a sense of this interior being hand-finished rather than done in a factory and really machine-made. This has more of a bespoke feel, although it's obviously not, but it does have a fantastic level of finish that's going to impress anybody who sits inside your F-Type. After that, seating position is fantastic. Sure, I'd like to get a little lower to the floor, but I'm nice and low in the chassis, and I've got a great relationship to the steering wheel and the pedals. I didn't really remember what the seats were like in the F-Type coupe, but I'm very impressed with these. I'm assuming they're the same. They're a wonderful blend of support and comfort, lots of adjustment, and I'm very, very comfortable here behind the wheel. Oh, this thing's hilarious. The instrument cluster is very easy to read. The steering wheel controls are very Jaguar, Land Rover, and one thing I will have to say is now that's two years since we've driven the F-Type coupe, this infotainment system is definitely a little bit dated, certainly in context of the broader market, as well as some of the fantastic Land Rover stuff that we've driven as of late, but it's not as cutting edge as some of the other systems, especially in Land Rovers, but you do have Apple CarPlay. I suppose there's Android Auto. Does kind of everything you need, even for 2024. The quality's not quite the same relative to what the company does with the Land Rover Defender, for example. In terms of spaciousness, well, it's just a two-seater, so you and your passenger are going to be very, very happy. I'm very comfortable here, and there's still lots of adjustment in the seat, so very tall people can definitely fit in this F-Type. Certainly that it's a convertible, that'll help as well. In the trunk, though, space is definitely compromised. It is not like the coupe, which is more like a hatch, so space in the trunk is fairly limited, and on top of that, it's a little bit awkward. So, for example, my camera bag, which is shaped like a carry-on suitcase, doesn't really have a place to fit inside the trunk. It really doesn't work for me, so keep that in mind if you're looking at one of these. This is not something where you can fit a couple of carry-ons in the trunk. You're going to want to stuff a bunch of soft bags in the trunk, and then you can go on a road trip. What I love about standing on the loud pedal of this F-Type is that it gives you a sense of how raw this F-Type is, especially with the supercharged V8. There's so much power, so much torque here. Even with the e-diff, it's still a bit of a challenge to put down all of that power and all of that torque. So, for example, power on oversteer is always available. This just has a whole lot of dynamic attitude that you can take advantage of. If you're a skilled driver, you're going to have so much fun with this. It does allow a little bit of yaw at the rear. Actually, you can slide it basically on demand. That is due to the abundance of power and torque that this V8 makes. It's just fantastic, and I love it for that. To be fair about traction, we are on some winter tires, so these are not as grippy as the summer Pirellis, that's for sure. So, yeah, the tires may be a little overwhelmed simply due to the fact that we are rocking some winters right now. The eight-speed automatic does exactly what it's supposed to. When you're in drive, it shifts smoothly and predictably. There is a sport mode, and then, of course, when you do actuate the shifter or the paddles in the back of the steering wheel, you do have manual control, and it works just fine. Rev match, downshifts, it just shifts perfectly in any condition. Whether you're just cruising along and need a couple of gears, step on the gas, it'll downshift for you, or you have manual control and you're looking for a little bit more precision, well, you've got it with this gearbox, certainly in sport mode or in the dynamic mode, as they call it. When you think about the F-Type's handling, you have to think about it like this. This is much more of a GT than it is a sports car. It weighs over 4,000 pounds, and you do feel that from time to time, but otherwise, it's delightful almost everywhere. The ride is comfortable, exceptional handling, the adaptive dampers do a lovely job, excellent body and wheel control in almost all conditions. This isn't its happiest at its absolute limits all the time, and again, that's because this is more of a GT than a sharp-pointed sports car, but that is part of this car's character. Even though steering is electrically assisted, I find that it's got the right amount of heft. It's very appropriate. It's strong on center, not a great amount of feel or feedback comes through the steering wheel, but there's a decent amount of chassis feel, so that kind of makes up for it. Brakes are powerful, feel, modulation, also top-notch. So when I am playing with this in the corners, I've got incredible control of the attitude of the F-Type through the brake pedal as well. It does everything I want it to do as a braking system, as an overall dynamic package between the throttle, the braking, the steering. It is incredibly responsive, and as I mentioned earlier, it does have a whole lot of attitude. Certainly, you can hear that V8 all the time, especially when you press the exhaust button, but what I do find is that it does have a natural propensity to power on oversteer, which I absolutely love. And on top of that, it is very, very predictable. Surprised me the first time, because it's been a couple of years since I've driven the F-Type, and we went on that drive in California together, and yes, very much the same driving experience, except this is an open-air kind of experience. But in terms of attitude, this is like a British hot rod. There's a whole lot of attitude here, not just from the sounds that it makes, but from its dynamic attitude and because it loves power on oversteer. And while I find the overall handling package here to be just a delightful blend of ride comfort and handling, it's in those situations where you ask for some oversteer, the F-Type delivers, but then the rest of the car comes together. All of these systems are so cohesive that that power on oversteer is very predictable and very controllable. Whether it's through the throttle or the steering, you can really control the power on oversteer quite easily. Even if you're not so skilled, it's very easy to do. Now, don't do this at home. Don't do it on public roads. This is not me advocating for that. If you want to do this, you need to up your skills game, maybe do a little bit of racing or some racing schools or maybe even a drift school. But nonetheless, the attitude of this is entirely predictable. And I love the fact that this thing just goes to the extreme and it is so much fun to drive. How do you spec yours? Well, thankfully, Jaguar has kept it very simple for us. You are looking at this lovely metallic green and the full tan leather interior. There are a couple of simple options like the heated windscreen on this F-Type convertible. Base price in the US is $115,000 as tested, about $119,600. In Canada, base price is $130,200 and as tested, $134,450 before freight and local taxes. As well, here in Canada, there is the luxury tax, which applies in addition to all the other taxes they have to pay on this F-Type. Nonetheless, in terms of specing yours, it's fairly easy. There really aren't any performance-minded options, so it's a matter of choosing your colors inside and out and being happy with your F-Type. I don't mind this color combination at all, but I think given the attitude of this F-Type, I would get mine in black. My verdict? Well, let's start with fuel consumption and we often start this segment with fuel consumption. Not that it's really relevant to a car like this because this is the kind of car that you should be driving strictly to bring you some joy, but nonetheless, we'll talk about fuel consumption and mine's really bad. I think I'm getting about 12 miles per gallon and that is me. Regular viewers of the show know that I'm not afraid to use the throttle and I have been doing a lot of city driving and I'm getting 12 miles per gallon. Your mileage will be better. Nonetheless, as for this F-Type convertible, it's another case of us being in 2024 and they're not going to make them like this anymore. And whether this is a keeper or not is the question. And if you are looking for a stylish British roadster with a whole lot of attitude, a lot of performance that is just a lovely, delightful all-arounder, well then yes, it is absolutely a keeper and you might want to get one of these before they stop making them once and for all. Just love that sound. Worth every dollar I'm spending in fuel. This is just a blast. Anyway, hope you like this episode about the 2024 Jaguar F-Type convertible. If you did, you're not new to YouTube, you know what to do. Smash the subscribe button, turn on your notifications, like this video and as always, sharing is caring. So please share this with your friends, especially on Reddit because on Reddit, they really need to see reviews for drivers from drivers. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them in the comments below. I'll get back to you as soon as I can. And if you want to support the channel, please hit up our merch store. Links here, links below. Lots of great stuff for driving enthusiasts like us, including our very popular line of Save the Manuals merch. Thanks again for watching. We'll see you again next time. And remember, cars don't understeer by themselves, not even Jaguar F-Type convertibles.