Some things stand the test of time. Famous architectural landmarks, stunning works of art, great musical compositions – the Jaguar F-Type 575. I reviewed its 2-litre brother a couple of years ago and the longing for its looks never left me. The Jaguar F-Type 575 as tested here, as a convertible, in Bluefire blue (really, that’s what the colour is called) again had me drooling. Should I drive it or just stand here and look at it? It felt like an installation that was adding value to my house just by it being there. Of modern cars reviewed on this site, only the Aston Martin DBS can pip the Jaguar F-Type 575 into top spot. Feel free to disagree, for I understand the subjectivity of such things.
Of course, the Jaguar F-Type 575 is more than just a pretty package. It has an engine and feelings. What an engine it’s fitted with; the 5-litre supercharged V8 that was present in our last review of the Jaguar F-Type SVR. It can propel a tank to 60 in 3.8secs and it can propel this pretty little sports car along at supercar speeds; 0-60mph in 3.5secs and a top speed of 186. In case you were wondering, yes, it produces 575hp. It also kicks out 700Nm of torque.
Yet perhaps the most spectacular element of the Jaguar F-Type 575 – the reason you’d consider a convertible – is the noise. It makes a wonderful, unnecessary, old school rasping growl. It’s positively anti-social once the revs reach 3,500, accompanied by a pleasing array of pops and bangs on the way back down. Whilst the aesthetics of the Jaguar F-Type 575 will certainly stand the test of time, such engines seemingly will not. Enjoy them while you can. Even better with the roof down.
The exhaust note is a feature that will have you reaching for the flappy paddles every time you see a bridge, or even better, a tunnel. It consumes the experience and having the roof down makes it all the better for revelling in its acoustics. This is with the exhaust valves fully open. Select Dynamic mode or press the exhaust button in the centre console, and the full rasping accompaniment to your drive is available.
The major side dish served alongside the noise is the outright speed the Jaguar F-Type 575 gathers. It’s wildly fast, at times struggling to find sufficient traction to put it all down. When everything clicks, however, it takes off with an almighty roar – the 700Nm of torque are available from 3,500 rpm and the 575hp from 6,500rpm. It just keeps on pulling.
This makes it an exceptionally potent car in any circumstances. From standstill or at motorway speeds, there’s always a great glug of power to call upon.
It being a sportscar, it must be judged along a decent B-road. Darting through the Surrey Hills was an absolute joy, top down, basking in the evening sun and the sound of that V8. Cars like this need to make you feel great, and the Jaguar F-Type 575 certainly delivers on this side of the equation.
It’s crisp through the corners, staying well planted and true to its line. No doubt the all-wheel drive setup helps here. When dialled up to Dynamic mode and with the 8-speed gearbox in its Sport setting, the accelerator barely needs compressing to unleash hell. It’s something to be wary of at times, because there’s a lot of power that’s suddenly on tap. The whole experience is rather moreish.
Despite having an overtly aggressive side, the Jaguar F-Type 575 isn’t a demon to live with. Everything is easy to use, with the roof going up and down at up to 30mph, parking sensors and most modcons. I say most, because one downside is certainly the infotainment system. It’s really starting to show its age, being laggy and lacking clarity. Going from the F-Type SVR with it’s curved 11.4” touchscreen to this only served to underline that point.
Who buys such a car on the strength of the infotainment, though? You can still hook your music up via Bluetooth quickly and enjoy the Meridian sound system. It features speakers behind the seats, so even with the roof down at motorway speeds you can clearly enjoy your music.
It’s all very comfortable full stop with the roof down. I got lucky with the weather, so most of my journeys were top down. Cabin noise is well contained and you can still hold a conversation at 70mph. There is a penalty to be paid in terms of boot space for having the convertible. 207-litres Vs 310-litres in the coupe. That said, I got all my cricket gear in the back no problem.
The Jaguar F-Type 575 handles potholes and the other array of nonsense littering our roads pretty well. It rides very comfortably, so no great shockwaves are sent through the cabin when you inevitably hit one. It does firm up in Dynamic, but even then you won’t be rushing to adjust the settings upon seeing a speed bump.
The Jaguar F-Type 575 is an all-time appealing package with an engine which sadly won’t stand the test of emissions regulations and a move to electrification. Since it was launched in 2013, Jaguar has barely had to tinker with the looks and you can see why. It still looks superb today. There has been the odd facelift, but if it ain’t broke…
Crucially, it still drives well, too. It has top level sportscar performance with GT accessibility. That’s the intersection which the Jaguar F-Type 575 finds itself at. It’s almost a junior super-GT. The power and performance are present, so to is the comfort and serenity when you need it. Big engine up top, comfortable cabin, just about enough practicality to store your gear for a continent-crossing expedition. At 21.1mph across 404-miles of driving, you’ll be stopping a fair bit, but I guess you already knew that. You’ll look good when you reach the French Riviera.
Overall the Jaguar F-Type 575 is an impossible car to dislike. The model tested comes in at £122,025, which is an awful lot. It makes the Jaguar F-Type 575 the sort of car that you’d really have to want in order to justify buying. If you do really want one though, it certainly won’t disappoint.
It needs to deliver an intoxicating experience and it does. There is near supercar performance to be tapped into and GT comfort. Treat it as a junior super-GT and it really starts to make sense and justify its position. If nothing else, I’ll simply miss looking at it. My house looks much poorer now it’s gone. The automotive landscape will be too, once the Jaguar F-Type 575 is put out to pasture.
