We live in an era where automakers go to great lengths to make the most out of the least. Namely, this comes in the form of decreasing engine displacement and either bolting on a turbo, a hybrid system, or both to make a similar amount of power as a much larger naturally-aspirated six- or eight-cylinder powerplant. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, as most of us will never turn down a rowdy turbocharged four-cylinder, like those found in the Mercedes-AMG A35 and GLA 45.
Jaguar is, er, was one of those brands. The British brand used to offer a hopped-up turbo-four as its entry-level powertrain in its F-Type. However, for 2022 it appears priorities have changed, the Coventry brand’s said “screw it,” and both the four and the mid-level supercharged six are gone from the lineup. Now, all F-Type trims of this 2022 sports car come equipped with Jag’s supercharged 5.0-liter V8. Perhaps this is a last hurrah for rowdy V8s before EV appliances completely take over? Whatever the brand’s reasoning is, what it’s come up with is something very fun, even at the lowest price. And for those who possess a little chronophobia, or fear of future, when it comes to what the new car market will look like in the next decade, this beast might put you more at ease.
To climb into the 2022 Jaguar F-Type P450 RWD Coupe, like this British Racing Green example, and experience the most hilarious burnouts one can muster in a brand-new car, it’ll cost $69,900 to start. Then, after adding on $15,150 in options and a $1,150 delivery price, it’ll cost you $86,200 all-day.
- 0-60 MPH in 4.4 Seconds
- Adaptive Dampers
- Well-Appointed, Luxurious Interior
- Quad Exhaust Pipes Pointed Upwards
- Model: F-Type P450
- Engine/Motor: Supercharged 5.0-liter V8
- Horsepower: 444
- Torque: 428 lb-ft
- Drivetrain: Rear-Wheel Drive
- Transmission: 8-Speed Automatic
- Excellent Power
- Excellent, Thunderous Noise
- Long, Smokey Burnouts
- Good Overall Sports Car
- Vague Steering
- Vague Brake Pedal
- Suspension Too Soft in Sport Mode
Some Of The Best RWD Shenanigans In A 2022 Model
A few years back, Jag decided to make all of its V8 F-Type trims all-wheel drive because they were formerly just a bit too rowdy with the rear wheels solely doing all the work. Rest assured, with traction control off, AWD examples were still plenty rowdy, albeit indeed less knife-edge in the way that rear traction evaporated like 100 octane with the wrong amount of throttle mixed with the wrong amount of steering angle. I got to experience this first-hand at another publication, and my God was it hilarious fun.
I’ll go out on a limb and hedge that Jaguar decided to bring back RWD to V8-equipped models because of advancements they’ve made in traction control. I say hedge, because the rowdiness is still kind of there with traction control on. If you happen to stab the gas pedal at a fresh green light while sitting on painted lines or another slippery bit of tarmac, the P450 will spin those rears for a brief moment before getting wrangled in by traction control. It’s so fun and mildly terrifying to witness firsthand.
The big Jag sports car-slash-grand tourer weighs nearly 3,800 pounds, but 444 horsepower and 428 pound-feet of torque is still enough to click off a 0-60 mph run in 4.4 seconds, per Jaguar themselves. I swear it feels faster, but its longish first and second gears might prevent it from the high-threes. I never timed it myself, but I did launch it on more than one occasion and had a massive grin across my face every single time. Its ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox was always a pleasure to up- and downshift as well.
The mighty 5.0’s roaring symphony of intake and exhaust notes absolutely never got old. It was so fun to rev up and down at all RPMs, and the nice extra kick that happens somewhere around 4,000 RPMs was thrilling to feel at corner-exit ripping along my favorite mountain-top roads.
In an effort to not disturb the peace too much, the F-Type P450 features an exhaust baffle that opens up past a certain RPM with the right amount of throttle input. Like with its big sibling the F-Pace SVR, this was a tad annoying, as I like to rely on aural cues to determine what gear to be in on twisty, fun roads. Like anyone piloting a V8 sports car ought to be able to. The baffle made this a bit tricky, as it was just too quiet down low. There was no clear low-end rumble to cue me in like what I experienced in the 2022 Lexus IS 500, unfortunately. So, wringing it out at every possible moment was very necessary for this review, for better or for worse (for better).
Good Steering, Handling, And Braking – But Not Great
Thankfully, I was able to wring out the 2022 Jaguar F-Type P450 quite a lot during my week with it. It was fun to muscle through my favorite roads all over Southern California, as well as cruise along gently on the highway and in-town.
While ripping along twisty stretches of tarmac high atop Southern California’s Angeles National Forest, the chassis felt generally confident, albeit exhibited a bit more pitch, roll, and dive than I would’ve preferred. Underneath the F-Type’s arches lives fully-independent multi-link suspension at all four corners tied together by adaptive dampers. Its 255/35/20 front and 295/30/20 rear Pirelli P Zero PZ4s had a lot of grip, which was quite reassuring, but I became underwhelmed with the F-Type’s agility well before I approached their limits.
The same goes for how the F-Type P450 steered and braked. The steering was a bit too light and vague, as was the brake pedal. Though, after repeatedly braking quite hard into multiple slow corners, the brakes never became overwhelmed. The steering developed a decent amount of mid-corner weight, too, and accompanying the big Jag’s body roll was a well-damped ride, regardless of drive mode or road surface.
I suppose I should take a step back and acknowledge that this wasn’t the hopped-up, top-of-the-line SVR trim, or the F-Type R, which are more meant for sharp, controlled high-speed action. But I still expected this base P450 to handle and steer just a tad better than it did.
Putting the power down at corner-exit took a bit more patience, and cornering speeds were a tad lower than I would’ve preferred. The car generally felt like it preferred getting chucked into a corner and carefully pulled out, rather than entering and exiting with poise and precision. Using the smoothest and most careful inputs or not.
Nonetheless, this did at least allow for some hilarious tail-happy moments with traction and stability control defeated. Its electronic active differential was quite good for an e-diff and did a great job putting on smoke shows. The P450 will light up its tires with reckless abandon if you’ve got enough right-footed courage, but you’ve got to take it seriously and very carefully power out, or it’ll loop you in the blink of an eye. Like I mentioned earlier, it’s still a very rowdy sports car, even though it’s only producing 444 horsepower (only) compared to the top-of-the-line F-Type SVR’s 575!
Handsome Looks Inside And Out
Jaguar refreshed the look of the F-Type for the 2021 model year, and I’d say it still looks rather good. The sharper headlights aren’t for everyone, but as far as the overall package goes, it’s a net positive in boosting its handsome looks. Plus, its various polishings bode well for overall brand design language, and in no way look stale or dated.
Its quintessential sports car styling is so nice to see on the road compared to the ever-expanding CUV, SUV, and EV markets and the sterile design language that’s come along with them. Behind the wheel, you’re sitting essentially on the front of the rear tires, with a long curving hood in front that opens up like a clamshell to reveal the P450’s glorious V8 heart. Out back are four exhaust pipes to help it sing the song of its people, which match its muscular fenders and grille so well.
On the inside, the F-Type P450 features all Jaguar Land Rover’s best accouterments this side of $90,000, with supremely comfortable tan Windsor leather performance seats with heating and cooling, snug-yet-cozy overall dimensions, a nice big forward view, and a low-slung driving position.
Its optional fixed panoramic roof lets in the right amount of light, and doesn’t steal too much headroom, as my six-foot-three self was able to fit quite comfortably in the F-Type’s cockpit. Visibility over your shoulders and out the back aren’t great, but at least you can take comfort in the fact that there’s barely any car behind your seat, thus making lane changes and parking maneuvers a tad easier. Interior materials are also very nice with a good amount of leather-adorned surfaces and dense, quality-feeling plastic and brushed metal. The dash has a fake stitched-leather look to it, but it’s easy to forgive as the overall interior is quite aesthetically pleasing. Inside, you feel very well insulated from the outside world, too.
For 2022, all Jaguar F-Types feature a 10-inch touchscreen that comes equipped with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth. It’s an easy system to navigate, and even features a red phone booth for phone settings (how cheeky). A lot of infotainment systems are a pain to connect a phone to, but this one is far from it. Perhaps because this one is a little dated compared to other platforms’ in the Jaguar/Land Rover lineup, but it’s just a very painless experience. Finally, the optional Meridian sound system is among the best I’ve experienced recently.
Old School Experience With Advanced Tech
Despite some negative marks when it comes to handling, the 2022 Jaguar F-Type P450 is a very fun and good-looking new luxury sports car. Its exhaust tone matches its angry facial expression, as well as its muscular body work and low-slung seating position. It’s nothing short of thrilling to feel and hear the supercharged 5.0 shove all 428 lb-ft of torque to the rear tires, which then struggle to put it all to the ground, sometimes even with traction control on.
It’s a rowdy, more old school form of sports car fun that has a truly unique look and presence. It’s also a symbol for the opposite of where automotive progress seems to be heading: smaller and more efficient means to make power, including those of the electric motor variety. For anyone who’s afraid of a future that’s devoid of V8-powered, ground-pounding monsters, but isn’t afraid of 17 MPG city and 24 MPG highway, the 2022 Jaguar F-Type could be your last chance at this kind of smile-inducing motoring. In light of its overall comfortable and handsome packaging, it’s a solid choice indeed.
