Jaguar will celebrate 70 years of sports car production with the addition of the Chequered Flag Limited Edition to the F-Type range.
The British company says sports cars have been integral to the brand since the the XK 120 launched in 1948, with the XK's lineage culminating in the award-winning F-Type that arrived in 2013.
Now in 2018, the F-Type Chequered Flag Limited Editions will honour that heritage with a range of visual enhancements, as well as debuting a raft of MY20 chassis updates for four- and six-cylinder F-Type models.
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Based on the F-Type R-Dynamic Coupe and Convertible, Chequered Flag model upgrades being with a few subtle visual enhancements in the cabin like a Black Contrast roof for the Coupe, new Windsor Leather-wrapped performnace seats with embossed headrests and contrast stitching, dark brushed aluminium centre console trim and a new steering wheel with Chequred Flag logo and red 12 o'clock band in recognition of Jaguar's motorsport successes.
New for 2018 with the Meridian audio and infotainment system is Apple CarPlay and Android auto compatibility using a 10-inch touchscreen display.
For the exterior, all Chequered Flag models are fitted with an Exterior Black Design Pack with extended side sills to subtly increase the width of the two-door sports car.
New 20-inch Gloss Black wheels with are exclusive to the Chequered Flag models and mathced with red brake callipers.
Power comes from Jaguar's new 221kW/400Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine or the 250kW/450Nm and 280kW/ 460Nm supercharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol engines.
All engines are matched to eight-speed Quickshift transmissions and send drive to the rear wheels, or – in the 280kW models – the choice of Jaguar’s all-wheel drive system.
Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar, said: “Perfect proportions, design purity and visual drama – every Jaguar must express these qualities, and none more so than F-TYPE.
"In creating the Chequered Flag we’ve focused on details which enhance F-TYPE’s presence and promise of performance – and in doing so, made a fitting celebration of 70 years of beautiful, fast, Jaguar sports cars.”
Taking learning from the top-tier SVR, Chequred Flag models will be the first F-Types to come equipped with new MY20 updates. A new damper tune on the F-Type R Coupe and Convertible will give improved ride comfort at low speed by reducing spring rates by 24 per cent, whilst increasing overall capacity by up to 30 per cent.
Additionally, the rear upper ball joint from the SVR has been incorporated into the F-Type R.
Finally, the rear camera and front park aid are now provided as standard across all F-Type derivatives.
Read more: Jaguar F-Type SVR road test: Hear me roar
