It's not all about performance, either. Stop-start tech is standard and contributes to a surprisingly modest CO2 rating of 209g/km for this 340hp open-top rocket.
A touch of tech
As for the rest of the in-car kit, the touchscreen system will be familiar to anyone who's driven a recent Jaguar or Land Rover vehicle (the two are sister brands of the same company).
That's both good and bad. The touchscreen is a welcome alternative to the wheel-input systems that dominate the competition from Audi, BMW and Mercedes. And in terms of basic functionality, it works well.
Bluetooth syncing is slick and flawless for both voice and audio streaming. There's a USB socket for playback from mass storage devies and iPods.
The navigation, meanwhile, supports full UK postcodes and offers clear mapping and excellence visual and audio guidance cues, even if some of the routing it chooses is sometimes rather suspect.
However, what Jag's touchscreen platform doesn't deliver is anything by way of true smartphone integration or internet connectivity. So, there are no apps, no Google searching, no high-definition traffic services for the navigation system.
In a market where some brands allow you to unlock your car remotely with a smartphone app (BMW), drive on-screen apps with an iPhone (Mercedes) or have an entire platform built on Google's Android and centred around apps (Renault), the F-Type's infotainment feels pretty old hat.
This cat has confidence
But like we said, what the system does, it largely does pretty well. As an overall proposition, then, the F-Type is a pleasure to live with. The configurable dynamics give the car a split personality.
It's gentle and relaxing when you want it to be. Rowdy and responsive when you're in the mood.
And make no mistake, Jaguar has nailed the dynamics. By modern standards, the steering is gorgeous. It's super quick, but full of feel, especially loaded up through the apex of a corner. Even the basic V6 engine sounds glorious and goes like stink.
And the chassis is simply super. The first time you pitch the F-Type into a corner, you just know you are going to be good friends. It's so adjustable and telegraphs grip levels so clearly, it fills you with confidence from the get go.
Boot's a bit of a bummer
If there is a draw back to the day-to-day experience served up by the F-Type, it involves the boot. It really is pitifully small. There are plenty of roadsters out there with much larger boots. Even Porsche's mid-engine Boxster manages to provide miles more luggage space.
Put it altogether and the F-Type is just a bigger boot and an infotainment upgrade away from near perfection. Even as it is, the overall feel-good factor served up by Jag's new sports car is pretty much off the map. In most regards, the F-Type absolutely nails it.
The Jaguar F-Type is available now. Prices start at £58,520.
