Tata Motors owned Jaguar Land Rover introduces new sports car F-Type

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PARIS: Its predecessor is widely agreed to be among the most beautiful sports cars ever made - and on Wednesday Jaguar showed it was trying to go one better than the glory days of the 1960s with the new F-Type.

Tata Motors bought Jaguar Land Rover for $2.3 billion in 2008, betting big that it could revive two venerable British brands that had lost a bit of luster over the decades. The new F-Type, the first Jaguar two-seater in a half-century, is the first major Jaguar design shepherded through by the new owners.

According to zighwheels.com, The Jaguar F-Type will be on offer with a choice of two petrol engines and three power output options. The 3.0-litre supercharged Jaguar V6 engine will be offered in two states of tune, 340PS of power and 380PS of power.

All three engines will be mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox that will send power to the rear wheels of the car.

Tata has been a hands-off owner for Jaguar, largely letting its British team to make the major decisions on the car. At Wednesday's unveiling, Tata executives were in the crowd, but it was the Jaguar design director, Ian Callum, who took center stage.

And the designers looked to the past - and the famed E-Type, beloved by aficionados everywhere - to inspire what they clearly hope will be the automaker's future.

``It's just a tremendous challenge today to produce a beautiful car that meets all the world regulations,'' said Philip Porter, a Jaguar historian who has written a book about the E-Type. He hasn't driven the F-Type yet, but likes what he's seen so far. ``It's a combination like the great Jaguars of the past of sculptural styling, great engineering and superb performance.''

And, he added, ``it sounds like a sports car, which is essential.''

Jaguar Land Rover has been a huge part of Tata's recent success. Sales for the second quarter of 2012 rose 30 percent, largely based on growth in the Chinese market. The car goes on sale in spring 2013.