The F-Type has featured multiple engines over its lifetime, including a 2.0L turbo four-cylinder, a supercharged V6, and a V8 capable of 575 HP. While some may consider the V6 the top choice, overall, we can’t get enough of the V8, which makes the F-Type a thrill to drive.
Key Points
- The F-Type is available with three engine options that it shares with the rest of the Jaguar/Land Rover lineup.
- The 2018 model introduced a base turbocharged four-cylinder with 296 horsepower. And 2021 saw the F-Type reworked and given simplified engine options: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder, a supercharged V6 with 380 horsepower, or a supercharged V8 with up to 575.
- V6-equipped models can have either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic. And V6 and V8 models can have rear-or all-wheel drive. We think the latest 5.0-liter V8 is the best engine of the bunch, specifically the detuned 495-horsepower version found in the F-Type S, it gives most of what you’ll need for a much lower price tag than an R model with the maxed-out 575.
F-Type’s Three Engine Options Provide a Wide Range of Performance
Debuting in 2014, the Jaguar F-Type combines stunning good looks with performance to match. Considered the spiritual successor to the famed Jaguar E-Type, the F-Type can be had in a hardtop or convertible body style, in both mild and wild trim levels. While the car is a slow seller (as is expected of any halo sports car), the Jaguar F-Type was recently refreshed in 2021 with some new styling elements and simplified powertrain options.
However, while the 2021 lineup features three engine options, Autoweek has said that for 2022, only the V8 will remain: “We aren’t saying the four or six-cylinder Jaguar F-Types were bad. They weren’t. Both engines made for a fun experience and let you enjoy one of the best-looking modern Jaguars without having to drop the big bucks on the V8-equipped models. This repositioning focuses on what makes the F-Type special, which is only amplified by the hilarious Jaguar V8’s snarl.”
F-Type Ingenium Four-cylinder Named One of Ward’s ’10 Best Engines’
Introduced in 2018, the Jaguar F-Type’s base engine is a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder, mated to an eight-speed automatic. It’s a highly-rated powerplant, winning a spot on “Ward’s 10 Best Engines” list for 2018.
Known as the Ingenium engine, this modular engine design is shared with multiple Jaguar/Land Rover products, and the F-Type specifically uses the AJ200 version. Pumping out 296 horsepower and 295 lb.-ft. of torque, this base car doesn’t provide much excitement according to Car and Driver. “Frankly, this F-Type 2.0T didn’t deliver impressive performance numbers,” says Car and Driver. “Taking 6.4 seconds to get to 60 mph puts it two full seconds behind the last V6 F-type we tested, an all-wheel-drive 400 Sport coupe, and 0.7 second behind the manual-transmission, 181-hp 2019 Miata we recently tested.”
V6 Preferred Over V8 by Critics who Call it ‘Motoring Heaven’
Available from the launch of the F-Type is the 3.0 liter supercharged V6, code-named AJ126. It’s essentially an AJ133 V8 engine with two cylinders taken away. While V6s usually feature a 60-degree bank, this engine has a 90-degree design to allow space between the cylinder heads for the supercharger and intercooler.
One of the reasons that Jaguar will no longer be offering this engine in the F-Type from 2022 is that it’s being replaced with a new inline-six turbocharged motor based off the Ingenium design (though the F-Type won’t get this engine).
From 2014-2017, the base engine in the F-Type was this V6, which produced 335 horses and 332 lb.-ft. of torque. Opt for the S (or later R-Dynamic) trim level, and power is upped to 380 horsepower and 339 lb.-ft. of torque. You can choose a six-speed manual, or the same eight-speed automatic shared throughout the lineup, and you can have it with rear- or all-wheel drive.
Starting in 2018, Jaguar offered the 400 Sport trim with the same V6, now pushing 400 horses and 339 lb.-ft. of torque. This trim is offered with the automatic only.
Business Insider actually preferred the V6 over the V8, stating: “Take away two cylinders and it becomes a magnificent thing. It’s easily among the best-sounding V6s ever heard.” They conclude “grabbing gears and putting the hammer down in the V6 is a sexy little slice of motoring heaven.”
F-Type’s Latest Range-topping Engine is Potent 575-HP V8
Topping out the lineup is the AJ133 Gen III supercharged V8 engine. This 5.0-liter engine is available with multiple output options, starting with the 495-horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. of torque version found in the F-Type S, which can hit 60 miles per hour in 4.2 seconds.
Next up is the F-Type R, produced from 2014-2019. The V8 has 550 horsepower and 502 lb.-ft. of torque. Opt for the special SVR trim and output climbs to 575 horsepower and 516 lb.-ft. of torque. But this model was discontinued in 2020, when the F-Type was given a major overhaul.
However, the latest range-topping engine is the same 575-hp V8, now installed in the R trim (P450 models get a 444-hp version of the V8 to replace the V6 in 2022).
V8 Gets Quieter but Maintains Powerful ‘Snarl’
Regardless of power output, this V8 has been given high praise for the exhaust note, and it’s an added reason to spring for the most expensive models. Jalopnik states you’ll, “unleash a machine gun-wielding dragon with a mouth full of fireworks. Best believe you’re gonna feel plenty fast.”
Is it too loud? Jaguar’s solution was to install a quiet mode in the updated 2020 models, which reduces the sound on startup. Car & Driver tells us the updated exhaust sound drew a bit less attention. “On overrun, the outgoing V8 cars always sounded like someone tossed a string of firecrackers into a drainage culvert,” says Car and Driver. “There’s still a snarl when you back off the throttle, but you no longer expect the exhaust to leave a trail of lightly smoldering shrubs in your wake.”
Is the Jaguar F-Type Reliable?
As the F-Type sells in small numbers and usually isn’t a car relied upon for everyday use, reliability ratings are hard to come by. Car Indigo rates the car as reliable, given no major concerns over the latest three model years.
Jaguar’s new car powertrain warranty covers five years or 60,000 miles. Every Certified Pre‑owned Jaguar is subjected to a 165‑point inspection and given a two-year, 100,000-mile warranty.
Vehicle History‘s owner reports indicate a positive experience, with 56% of reviews for the 2020 Jaguar F-Type being five-star reviews and an additional 24% being four-star reviews.
Which F-Type Engine is the Best?
You won’t be disappointed any time you slip behind the wheel of any F-Type, but we recommend going with one of the V8 options. The F-Type is all about theater and the emotion of driving, so it seems fitting to put not just the most powerful engine in it, but the one that’s guaranteed to generate the most looks and best driving experience.
Photos: Jaguar
