A convertible sports car is always a special thing, and the Jaguar F-Type Convertible is a fitting successor to the likes of the XK and the XJ-S, with a lineage that goes right back to the gorgeous E-Type. With classical good looks, a traditional soft-top folding roof and the option of Jaguar’s gorgeous 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine up front, this is a proper old-school British grand tourer – and all the better for it.

The F-Type’s facelift in 2020 (which also applied to the hard-top Jaguar F-Type Coupe model) didn’t alter the car’s fabulous proportions but did give the car a new front end inspired by the I-Pace electric car – long, slim, horizontally oriented LED lights replace the old car’s more vertical units, and serve with the new grille to make the front of the car feel much lower and more purposeful than before.

The F-Type straddles two different classes of car. The four-cylinder P300 models are priced close enough to cars like the Alpine A110 or Porsche Boxster to be considered rivals – opt for the powerful V8 models and you’ll find a natural rival to the Porsche 911 or even true supercars like the Audi R8. Rear-wheel drive is standard, while optional all-wheel drive offers a welcome dose of all-weather capability.

Trims inside range from sporty to luxurious but all models are beginning to feel their age – not too surprising, considering the F-Type was originally launched in 2013. It does at least have most of the kit you’d expect from a luxury sports car, with a 12.3-inch digital driver display and a 10-inch infotainment system.

Like most sports cars, the F-Type Convertible isn’t exactly a rational purchase – but as emotional ones go, the gorgeous looks, wonderful soundtrack from that V8 engine and the heritage of the Jag badge mean that this has to be in consideration for your cash.

Over the next few pages we’ll cover the F-Type Convertible’s practicality, what it’s like inside, how much it’ll cost to run and what it’s like to drive.