F comes right after E, of course, and with the Jaguar F-Type being seen as the true successor to the legendary (you always have to say 'legendary') E-Type sport car (we can talk about the much-maligned XJ-S another time) it's an appropriate time to pay tribute to that sixties icon.
E-Type 60th anniversary
Why so? Because 2021 will mark the 60th anniversary of the E-Type's creation, and so 60 limited edition F-Types - both coupe and convertible models - will be built in celebration.
All the Heritage 60 edition F-Types will be finished in a dark Windsor Green paint, which Jaguar has not offered on its cars since the 1960s. Inside, they will get Caraway and Ebony Windsor leather interior trim, an option not normally seen on the F-Type.
On the dash, there's a distinctive aluminium console trim, which has been inspired by the E-Type's distinctive, delicate, dash-mounted rear-view mirror, while there's also E-Type 60th logos stitched into the headrests, and badges which replicate those used by the small number of 'reborn' E-Types which have been rebuilt from the ground up, effectively as new cars, by Jaguar's classic operation.
The Heritage 60 F-Types also get diamond-turned 20-inch forged alloy wheels, Gloss Black and Chrome exterior accents and black brake calipers.
Bespoke limited edition
Mark Turner, Commercial Director, Jaguar SV Bespoke, said: "Celebrating 60 years of the iconic Jaguar E-type is the perfect moment to create our first-ever SV Bespoke limited edition - and the rarest F-Type, with just 60 cars available globally. We've worked closely with Jaguar Design to develop a theme for the F-Type Heritage 60 Edition that pays homage to the E-type in a contemporary way. It's testament to Jaguar's sports car design lineage that the 1960s Sherwood Green colour looks as though it was designed for today's F-Type."
Now, back in the sixties, the E-Type was one of the first road cars that could hit a claimed 150mph, or 241km/h (well, sort of - there was a bit of smoke and mirrors, and a tweaked racing D-Type engine for the original press demo car involved) and the F-Type Heritage 60 keeps that high-performance tradition going. All 60 cars will be in SVR trim, which means a 575hp supercharged V8 engine (with 700Nm of torque), 0-100km/h in just over 3.5 seconds, and a top speed of 300km/h. The Heritage 60 cars also get revised dampers, anti-roll bars and rear suspension knuckles 'for heightened driver engagement'.
In tech terms, there's a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel and a 'smartphone pack' with Apple CarPlay. A far cry from the E-Type's lineup of simple toggle switches...
Classic sixties recreation
Clare Hansen, Director of Vehicle Personalisation, Jaguar Special Vehicle Operations, said: "The F-Type Heritage 60 Edition is a fantastic example of what the SV Bespoke team is capable of. Marrying E-type inspired detailing with new F-TYPE gave us an opportunity to immerse ourselves in the heritage of Jaguar's legendary sports cars. With unrivalled access to original drawings, paint codes and reference materials, working hand-in-hand with our colleagues at Jaguar Classic, we've created a distinctive and highly collectible interpretation of the definitive Jaguar sports car."
How much? STG£122,000 in the UK, and you'll have to scramble to get hold of one. Oh, and if that's not quite expensive nor exclusive enough for you, how about a matching pair of recreated sixties E-Types? Jaguar is remaking what you might call 'tribute' models, referencing the first E-Type Coupe shown at the 1961 Geneva motor show, and the convertible, famously driven to the show through the night by test drive Norman Dewis, to cash-in on the astounded public reaction. With the classic number plates '9600 HP' and '77 RW' six matching pairs will be built by Jaguar Classic.