The Jaguar F-Type

The Jaguar F-Type is based on a shortened platform of the XK and more importantly is the spiritual successor to the world-famous E-Type. The car was released as a convertible in 2012 with the coupe hitting the streets in 2013 but that wasn't the first time an F-Type was designed behind closed doors at Jaguar. In 1980 Jaguar started developing the F-Type due to the lack of enthusiasm within the car community for the XJ-S (the E-Types successor). The chassis (codenamed XJ41) would be based off the XJ40 sedan but the exterior would be designed to look like a modern reinterpretation of the E-Type and was signed off for production in July 1982, with a launch date set for March 1986.

The XJ41 was designed at its core to be a sports car, with Jaguar focusing on handling and maneuverability over straight-line speed. Tests during early development showed the car was able to reach 0-60mph in just 6.6 seconds on its way to a top speed of 159mph. Unfortunately issues with the XJ40 sedan development caused the XJ41/42 project to be delayed by two years meaning Jaguar would have to improve their performance if they were to compete with the likes of the Porsche 959, Aston Martin V8 Vantage Zagato, Ferrari F-40 and Testarossa.

To combat the threat of its rivals Jaguar installed a 4.0L Twin-Turbo version of its AJ6 straight six engine which developed 330bhp. The body was widened to host the new wider tracks and in 1988 an AWD system was fitted to improve the cars handling. All these additions to the car would ultimately lead to its doom as it became overly complicated and very heavy. Nevertheless, Jaguar commissioned 3 fully finished prototypes to be used for testing and reported a top speed of 170mph. Ultimately the XJ41/42 projects were scrapped when Ford took over ownership in 1989.