Spanish Holiday

This New F-Type Is The First Mass-Produced Offering From Svr, And It’S Anything But Ordinary

- Michael Febbo

I’m standing bleary-eyed and jet-lagged in the lobby of a luxury hotel in Spain. Through pinhole sized pupils, I try to focus on the scorching blue manifestation of a fantasy sitting between the bell desk and a candy buffet. The Jaguar F-Type SVR beams performance under the harsh studio lights. I think back a couple of years to mingling on the grass at Pebble Beach at the unveiling of Jaguar’s ambitious Project 7. Besides unveiling the low-volume unicorn of a car, Jaguar and Land Rover presented a short manifesto for the future plans of SVR vehicles. The idea of the still re-emerging English brand going head to head with the likes of AMG, M, and Audi-Sport seemed a bit optimistic at the time.

The F-Type Project 7 was an enormous, sellout success. Although how could a $165,000 car from a storied manufacturer, limited to just 250 units, not be? The F-Type SVR is the first mass-production model from Jaguar’s new performance arm; this car will be the litmus test that really matters. In the opening press briefing, we hear about how successful the current lineup of F-Types has been, although saying it outsold Boxsters in one region and Audi R8s in another seems as though someone might be selecting data as bespoke as the interior trim. Jaguar selected a hotel in the Spanish country side for the launch. The hills are covered in alternating splotches of golden and green grass torn and upturned by jagged dark rock. Ruins of ancient castles are interspersed with ruins of abandoned factories. In many cases, the castles look to be better preserved after centuries of wear and tear compared to the modern buildings only a few years of being vacated. From a naturalistic standpoint, I can’t help but think how similar this area is to California, except Spain has far more abandoned infrastructure, but ironically, it looks to have more brand-new windmills producing electricity.