Tata Motors-owned Jaguar’s new F-TYPE two-seater sports car due for launch next spring could be the key to unlocking the brand’s return to motorsport.

Brand boss Adrian Hallmark said: “In terms of a return to racing we have made no commitment but we absolutely want to – but not in F1 or Le Mans. Those are too expensive. Motorsport is all about customer engagement and the F-type is clearly a sports car. There are all sorts of moves in terms of regulation changes going on at the moment in motorsport and this all starts to make things more attractive to us in terms of cost.”

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Related Company Profiles

View all

The F-TYPE, he said, is on track for launch in late April – just the right time of year to be launching a cabrio but the weather was obviously not the main consideration for developing a topless model first.

Hallmark said: “The sports car market is 50-50 cabrio/coupe so it really makes no difference as to which one you start with but the cabrio is more complicated to engineer so we are taking route one to the summit. The coupe should be easier to develop from there.”

Not to mention the fact that profit margins on the cabrio are potentially greater.

The F-TYPE and XK will also be at the forefront of the emergence of a high performance sub-brand, a ball which has already started rolling with Jaguar’s R and RS models. Hallmark said there is a good business case for a sub brand given the success of the XFRS – the brand’s first GBP100,000-plus model: “and we are selling all that we can build”.

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

He added: “R can stand for real performance and RS will be an extension of that. This will also allow us to expand in terms of merchandising and accessories much in the same way as M Sport does for BMW or AMG for Mercedes.”