2021 Jaguar F-TYPE Review

The 2021 Jaguar F-Type coupe and convertible receive a restyle and a handful of other tweaks. Jaguar has been updating features and expanding the F-Type lineup since its introduction for the 2014 model year, but visually the shouty two-door hasn't changed until now.

The highlights of the F-Type's new suit are the more flowing front end, larger grille, and redesigned LED head- and taillights. The headlights have shifted from a vertical to a horizontal orientation and, combined with the slightly upsized mouth, give the front end a more aggressive look. The clamshell hood has been redesigned to match, with a more dramatic sculpting and integrated vents relocated closer to the front of the engine compartment. Around back, the taillights get a more modern shape with harder angles.

Updates including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto carry over, but Jaguar has finally given the 2021 F-Type a reconfigurable TFT-screen gauge cluster, with unique graphics and sport-focused elements including a shift light display.

For 2021, the F-Type R has been updated with more power, now matching the old SVR at 575 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque. The stability control and power-steering software have been recalibrated, wider tires fitted, and new springs and anti-roll bars installed along with other suspension tweaks. Jaguar says the changes should improve the feel of the car and drop the 0-60 mph sprint to 3.5 seconds.

Rounding out the R's changes is a quiet-start mode that promises not to wake up the neighborhood every morning when you leave the house.

SUVs may be the volume sellers, but Jaguar's coupe and convertible F-Type are the soul of the company's lineup, embodying the drama and emotion the brand hopes to impart to every vehicle. But it's hard to ignore the fact that an F-Type sitting shiny and new on the lot today looks a lot like a used F-Type from the better part of a decade ago. The 2021 updates might just be enough to remind everyone that Jag's sports car never lost its emotional appeal from behind the wheel and keep it fresh in consumers' minds as they shop the highly competitive luxury coupe and convertible segments. And if the F-Type's new looks signal what future refreshes and redesigns across Jaguar's lineup might bring, so much the better.

But there is one important question remaining to be answered: Now that the F-Type R matches the old SVR's specs, what can we expect from the next SVR?

The Jaguar F-Type faces diverse competition given its coupe and convertible styles and numerous engine configurations. The new Toyota GR Supra will challenge the F-Type coupe's V6 models, while the new mid-engine Corvette offers a more affordable option against the high-performance V8 trims. Luxury buyers might also look to the new BMW 8 Series, with its own six- and eight-cylinder models and high-performance M variant.

And of course, there's the elephant in the luxury sports car market, the Porsche 911. The newest version, the 992, does the best job yet of combining excellent daily livability with track-ready power and handling.

All of that just scratches the surface of the choices available to buyers with somewhere between $60,000 and $120,000 in their pockets and the desire for a piece of two-door performance metal. Once you start counting, you realize we're in a golden age for going fast, a real "Roaring '20s" if you will. (It's just too bad that golden age coincides with a traffic apocalypse.)