Jaguar is literally full-speed ahead on development for its extensively reworked F-Type sports car. Fresh spy video shows a couple of prototypes on and around the Nürburgring in Germany, where test drivers aren't holding back in the slightest bit. That is, on the track anyway – off the track we're treated to some up-close footage of cars at slow speed, though camouflage still obscures details of the F-Type's new face.
Overall, the hot Jag will retain a familiar shape but thinner headlights with a larger grille are barely hidden with basic camouflage wrap. Of more interest are the changes to the fascia, where heavier coverings obscure what's happening at the corners. New fenders are likely part of the update as well, and some minor sculpting changes could be concealed by camo wrap along the sides. At the rear, a new fascia and redesigned taillights are easily seen, though details are still tough to make out.
As far as facelifts go, this one is rather significant. We stop short of calling it a new model because the existing aluminum bones underneath are still in place. Some minor platform changes could happen, especially with rumors that a fully electric version might arrive in a few years. Of more immediate interest is the raucous V8 exhaust note we hear occasionally in the video. Perhaps the biggest F-Type news is that BMW could be supplying the V8 engine – specifically, a 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 making 560 horsepower (418 kilowatts) that could ultimately be used in other Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles. In the F-Type R, it will supplant the 550-hp (410 kW) supercharged 5.0-liter V8. The familiar four-pot should be offered in lower-trim models.
As for when the upfitted F-Type will arrive, that's something we've heard very little about, even in the rumor mill. It's possible the car could debut in late 2019 as a 2020 model, though we suspect something a bit later for the 2021 model year is more likely.
