Jaguar Debuts Future F-type Engine
Having lived off the dregs of Ford's Premium Auto Group line for years, Jaguar's recent jump to a five litre V8 of their own design has proven to be a serious life saver for the beleaguered brand, immediately getting recognition from critics as a responsive and powerful engine that not only did a good job of powering Jag's various sedans and coupes, but sounded and felt good doing it. However, there's simply no evading the point of fact that a 5.0L V8, supercharged or not, simply cannot be a brand's only powerplant in today's emissions- and economy-sensitive marketplace.
Of course, this isn't news to Jaguar; they've been showing off some pretty unique drivetrains over the past couple years ranging from supercharged six cylinders to jet-powered hybrids. But all that variety hasn't made it easy to pin down precisely how Jaguar plans to proceed with their production drivetrains, oftentimes posing more questions than answers. But those questions have now been answered, with the arrival of its new engine: a supercharged 3.0L V6. Producing either 340 or 380 horsepower, the V6 is derived from the same aluminum block as the 5.0L V8, and boasts many of the same features: dual overhead cams, a Roots blower with water-to-air intercooling, and direct injection being the most noteworthy ones. But it's not exactly a 5.0L V8 with two cylinder's lopped off. Recognizing the performance and attitude this engine will be expected to exude, Jaguar has increased the compression ratio from the V8's 9.5:1 to a much more impressive 10.5:1.
The engine's first usage will be within the upcoming F-type sports car, which will debut with the high performance, 380-horsepower variant before being joined on the option list by the turbocharged, 240-horsepower 2.0L four cylinder from the Range Rover Evoque.
