Jaguar F-type P450 RWD

A fuel test yields a clear winner

CLEAN OR DIRTY? ORDINARILY I’D COUNT myself in the former camp, but during a UK winter it’s almost impossible to stop your car getting filthy. Thankfully whether its pristine or caked in salt and grime the F-type looks so, so good.

It really is a timeless shape. Admittedly one that echoes the long nose and muscular haunches of the E-type, but it’s much more than a lazy pastiche. When the facelift first came out I questioned whether the narrow headlights were an improvement, but having spent time with it and seen a few earlier Fs on my travels I think the frown sharpens it up nicely.

I’ve covered some decent mileage in the Jag this month – hence the struggle to keep it clean. Roughly three quarters of the 1000 miles have been on motorways, but the rest have been on some decent A and B-roads. It’s a mix that’s further highlighted how good the F-type is at munching miles when you need it to, then upping its game when you want it to.

Chilly weather and damp roads haven’t wrongfooted the rear-drive chassis. The dynamic systems show their age with a lack of configurable settings, but the F finds enough mechanical grip via those fat rear Pirellis and the R-dynamic mechanical limitedslip diff not to stumble heavily into the electronics.

For my own amusement I’ve also been experimenting with E5 and E10 fuel. Covering a broadly similar mix of driving the results are interesting – running on the cheaper, ‘greener’ 95-octane E10 the Jag consistently fails to return more than a high-23mpg, whereas on 97/99-octane E5 superunleaded not only does the V8 feel sharper (not unexpectedly) but it regularly returns mid-27s with occasional 28s on a long run. I’d be curious to know if any of you are experiencing similar.

Date acquired October 2021 Total mileage 3970 Mileage this month 1020 Costs this month £0 mpg this month 27.3