Jaguar Commemorates 70th Anniversary With Rally-Spec F-Type Tributes
These two custom F-Type convertibles pay homage to Jag’s original rally car, the XK 120
Jaguar has chosen to celebrate 70 years of production in an unusual and exciting way, by turning two examples of its open-top F-Type sports car into purpose-built rally machines. Typically meant to tackle the curves of a countryside road, these two Jags have now been outfitted with everything they need to scream up and down a bumpy gravel surface. The cars were made as a tribute to the XK 120, which began a successful rally career for Jaguar back in 1948.
At a glance, some changes to the F-Type are obvious. It now has a hood-mounted light pod up front, a few inches of suspension lift, and knobby off-road tires at all corners. Jaguar has gone far beyond cosmetic changes, however, modifying the car to be in line with current FIA rally specifications. The Jag is propelled by a specially tuned version of its base turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, putting out 295 horsepower to the rear wheels. Other modifications include a half roll cage setup, six-point harness seats, adjustable shock absorbers, and a hydraulic handbrake to flick the F-Type sideways on loose surfaces.
In Jaguar's release, design director Ian Callum had this to say about the car: "The opportunity to design a rally car doesn’t come along very often so I was fascinated to see how we could take our modern day sports car to a similar character. These models are a fitting tribute to the XK 120 and all the great Jaguar sports cars since its reveal 70 years ago."
For those skeptical of the rally F-Types' capabilities, Jaguar has also released a video to its YouTube channel showcasing the car, complete with some footage of it sliding through gravel and catching a respectable amount of air.
