Jaguar F-Type AWD heading for LA debut

A four-wheel-drive version of the Jaguar F-Type is heading for a debut at the L.A. Auto Show in November as Jaguar looks to extend the F-Type’s appeal.

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The Jaguar F-Type Roadster has been with us for a couple of years now, and last year saw the arrival of the more focused F-Type Coupe – and the more powerful F-Type R too – and both models are providing Jaguar with a great performance halo to hang brand identity on.

But the 21st Jaguar has aspirations of greatness and wants to take the fight to the Germans once more – just as it is with the new Jaguar XE – so mopping up all the performance niches they can with the F-Type will make it a more appealing alternative to the Porsche 911. Enter the Jaguar F-Type AWD.

CAR reports that Jaguar is now ready to launch four-wheel-drive versions of the F-Type to take on the Carrera 4 and 911 Turbo, and that they’ll launch at the L.A. Motor Show in November.

The F-Type AWD is expected to be available with both the V6 and V8 Supercharged engines, with just minor cosmetic changes marking it out from its RWD siblings – like a bonnet bulge needed to accommodate the extra driveshafts and diff at the front and ‘AWD’ badges – when it arrives in production guise.

It seems likely it will be spring 2015 before the AWD F-Types arrive in Jaguar showrooms, when you can expect a premium of around £3k over RWD models.