Jaguar Wants Buyers to Pay an Extra $10,000 for Checkered Flag Badges On an F-Type
The F-Type ‘Checkered Flag Limited Edition’ celebrates Jaguar’s rich sports car pedigree.
Jaguar announced Wednesday that it will sell a limited-edition version of its F-Type sports car called the "Checkered Flag Limited Edition," which aims to celebrate the brand’s rich sports car heritage dating back to the XK 120 released in 1948. However, it comes at a premium that could be difficult for buyers to swallow.
The base model 2020 Jaguar F-Types start at $61,600, and the least-expensive Checkered Flag car demands $71,900, or $10,300 more. Powertrain options for Checkered Flag cars are restricted to two configurations: the turbocharged 2.0-liter, rear-wheel-drive model, and the supercharged 3.0-liter, all-wheel-drive version. Each can only make use of Jaguar's eight-speed automatic transmission, as manual F-Types are no longer available.
Some of the Checkered Flag model's surcharge comes from a set of options available outside the limited package. Six-spoke alloy wheels, the Black Exterior Package, Fixed Panoramic Roof, and Windsor Leather interior can be had independently of the Checkered Flag package, and only come to $5,460. The remainder of the $10,300 presumably comes from the handful of furnishings available exclusively through the Checkered Flag package. These include a steering wheel with a red top-dead-center mark, embroidered headrests, special floor mats, branded door sills, a brushed aluminum center console, and badges denoting the edition outside the car.
Jaguar's reason for putting a vehicle as costly as this on the market could be to boost its profit margin on the F-Type amidst a sales slowdown, caused by a declining China market, and poor sales of many of its models. In an effort to stay afloat, JLR is cutting more than 10 percent of its workforce during what it calls a "transformation" period, meant to prepare the automaker for a return to profitability. This could allegedly involve a wholesale switch to electric vehicles next decade, but Jaguar's lips are sealed on that matter.
