The Jaguar F-Type was never supposed to be a practical, sensible purchase, never mind a rational one. Jaguar made it to tap into something deep inside the driver, to get them feeling a very specific way the moment the engine comes to life and the car hits the mark with disturbing consistency, even all these years since it first came out back in 2012. Barbagallo, Perth’s sole Jaguar dealership in the Osborne Park area, which has been representing the brand locally for over 35 years, has built its sales pitch around that exact same idea from the off.
Perth is a bit of an oddball city for a car like this. You’ve got long stretches of coastline with wide open roads, as well as broad boulevards through the western suburbs that just melt away once you get out of the city. The FType was made for driving on roads that let you really get involved in the driving process. And Western Australia’s got no shortage of those roads. Jaguar F Type Perth buyers often point to these driving conditions as one of the biggest reasons the car feels so at home in WA.
What the Current Lineup Actually Looks Like?
The F-Type comes to Australia in the standard coupe and convertible forms, with a price tag that starts at around $192,756 for the 75 model and goes all the way up to $394,227 for the ZP Edition. And then there’s the V8, a 5.0-litre supercharged number that puts out 423kW and 700Nm in the R 75 and ZP Edition, getting you from 0100km/h in a blisteringly quick 3.7 seconds thanks to an eight-speed auto. Rear-wheel drive is the default for most models, with all-wheel drive reserved for the serious performance grades. But what’s noteworthy is that every single one of the F-Type variants comes with a reassuring five-year unlimited kilometre warranty and for buyers who are worried about the long-term picture, that’s a big deal.
Jaguar’s always seen the F-Type as a car for the driver and that’s reflected in pretty much every design decision. So if you’re planning on ferrying a bunch of passengers around, this ain’t the right car for you. But if, like the F-Type was designed for, you’re the kind of person who gets a thrill from driving a powerful car, then this is spot on.
The Perth Market and What Buyers Are Actually Choosing
Perth’s customers have been going for the coupe body style and it’s no surprise why. The lines are neater-looking, and the structural integrity of the coupe means it handles a bit better when the road gets a bit rough.
Living with It in Western Australia
The F-Type is a sports car that rewards a certain style of driving. Not the frustrating crawl of inner city traffic, where it’s essentially no better or worse than any other rear wheel drive sports car. But out on the open road down on the coast past Cottesloe, through the hills east of the city, or on the long stretches of freeway that are just a normal part of WA weekend getaways. Fuel consumption is definitely something you’ll need to keep an eye on with the V8. The supercharged engine at highway speeds drinks if you’re not careful and even worse when you’re making use of its capabilities. If you plan on keeping the car for a while, you’ll probably want to get your servicing done at a proper Jag dealer and that’s an option at Barbagallo in Perth. That being said, you can also take it to an independent specialist there, but you’ll need to be aware that they might affect your warranty.
In practical terms, the F-Type is a pretty compact car, which means if you’re planning on packing a lot of gear for a road trip with two people, you might be in for a bit of a challenge. But hey, anyone who is really chasing a sports car like this is probably already pretty aware of its limitations and has made their peace with that.
The Final Chapter
Jaguar is making a big push to reposition itself as a luxury brand that’s all about electric power. And that means the F-Type, as a proper old-school petrol sports car, is basically gone for good. Its lineage stretches all the way back to the E-Type and the XK120 but in terms of actual sales, it’s pretty clear that the F-Type was never really going to make it in Australia. Even by 2025, when they were only selling 25 units here, it was clear that the model just wasn’t going to cut it.
