As Jaguar moves towards the near-silent running of its all-electric modern luxury future from 2025, it has shared sound recordings of its iconic Jaguar F-Type V8 sports car with the British Library.
The recordings – made from inside the cabin and from outside the car – capture F-Type’s unmistakeable, supercharged V8 soundtrack. By sharing these with the British Library, Jaguar has enabled people worldwide – and for all time – to enjoy the sounds of the last combustion-engine Jaguar sports car.
Recorded inside the semi-anechoic chamber at the Gaydon Engineering Centre – a soundproof room used to develop and test the refinement and sound quality of Jaguar’s vehicles – where F-Type’s exhaust note was originally tuned, the Ligurian satin black R 75 Coupé performed a number of gear shifts and acceleration sprints, composing the 30 and 47 second tracks.
Charles Richardson, Senior Sound Engineer, Jaguar, said: “The F-Type’s supercharged V8 makes a unique sound because of the meticulous optimisation work we applied to the entire powertrain, most of all to the intake and exhaust systems – more than 85 iterations before we first launched the car, and developed continuously ever since. The culmination of that work – the sounds you experience driving the F-Type R 75 – is something we want to be available for generations to come. Archiving it with the British Library allows us to do that, and that’s something we’re very proud of.”
The V8 engine’s sound will also be archived in institutions around the world, capturing a global love for the famous growl.
Selected for the recording was a 2024 Model Year F-Type R 75 Coupé, a special edition created to mark the final model year of F-Type and 75 years of Jaguar sports cars. Its 5.0-litre supercharged V8 develops 423kW and 700Nm of torque and can accelerate the car from 0 to 100km/h in just 3.7 seconds and on to an electronically-limited maximum speed of 300km/h.
Cheryl Tipp, the British Library’s Curator of Wildlife & Environmental Sounds, said: “We’re delighted to be able to preserve recordings of the F-Type V8 engine for Jaguar enthusiasts and listeners around the world. As production of this engine comes to a close, this unique noise takes its place in the archives alongside other sounds that can no longer be heard today.”
The 30 and 47 second recordings begin with engine start-up, signified by the instantly recognisable ‘flare’ as the revs rise before settling down to a steady 600rpm idle, the characteristic eight cylinder note subtly hinting to the car’s performance potential. From there the run in the chamber simulates a variety of the F-Type’s vocal abilities.
Each time the F-Type accelerates, the valves in the exhaust system open to alter the exhaust gas routing and this releases the signature roar that is particular to the F-Type driving experience.
Listeners will hear the crisp upshifts and downshifts through the 8-speed Quickshift transmission, and the distinctive, hallmark crackles and pops on the overrun from its quad tailpipes, which are a key element of F-Type’s visceral, driver-focused character.
Configure your own F-Type here.