2013 Jaguar F-Type sales soar

Jaguar has a hit already with the F-Type convertible, the brand's first two-seat sports car in almost four decades.

"Half of the first year's production of the F-Type is already sold," said global brand director Adrian Hallmark. Customers who order the car now will be lucky to get one by the end of this year, he said.

The F-Type will give Jaguar more of an image lift than a volume boost, Hallmark said. "Sports cars have a global annual volume of about 75,000 units and a market share of 0.1 percent but the F-Type's boost to our brand's image will be phenomenal," he said.

The F-Type will account for 15 percent to 20 percent of the brand's total annual of about production 60,000 units.

The roadster's entry price of $69,895 positions the car between the Porsche Boxster and 911 Carrera convertible.

Steven de Ploey, Jaguar product manager, expects 90 percent of F-Type buyers to be new to the brand because the car has no direct predecessor. He said it will help attract younger customers.

The F-Type's main markets will be United States, the UK and Germany.

Jaguar also targets the Chinese market with the roadster where "the average millionaire is 38 years old and likes to show wealth," said Phil Popham, Jaguar Land Rover global operations manager.

The F-Type has a choice of three gasoline engines: a 3.0-liter V-6 with 340 hp or 380 hp and a 5.0-lter V-8 with 495 hp. The engines are all supercharged and equipped with start-stop system, and come with ZF Friedrichshafen's eight-speed automatic transmission.

Jaguar has not said whether it will build a coupe version of the F-Type, but industry insiders expect a coupe to come in the middle of next year.

Launch date: May (Europe); July (U.S.)

Base price: $69,895

Where built: Castle Bromwich, England

Annual sales: 8,000 to 12,000

Lowest CO2 emissions: 209g/km

Main rivals: Porsche 911 Carrera, Audi R8 Spyder, Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Chevrolet Corvette

Target buyers: High earners age 35 to 55.

New technology: Jaguar's first Dynamic Mode, which allows the driver to tweak the steering feel, throttle response, gear change speeds and exhaust noise.

What's good: Excellent maneuverability, powerful engines, fast-shifting automatic transmission.

What's bad? Limited trunk space.

(Jaguar F-Type speeds to early success originally appeared on Automotive News, sub. req.)

By Automotive News