[Wimbledon]

http://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/jaguar-f-type-coupe-begins-testing

These are the first images of the Jaguar F-type coupé caught testing, ahead of its expected on-sale date next year.

The F-type coupé is expected to be powered by the same range of V6, V6 S and V8 engines offered on the drop-top, as well as be the initial basis for more extreme versions of the car, ranging from S and RS models through to an extreme 600bhp Jaguar F-type RS-GT road racer.

The spy shots, taken just outside the firm's Gaydon base, show the F-type coupé to be almost identical to the original C-X16 concept, which launched the idea of a new Jaguar sports car, and the recently launched F-type roadster. The shift to on-road testing indicates that the car's launch would typically be 12-18 months away.

Jaguar insiders have subsequently admitted that the CX1-6 concept car was designed after the production versions of the F-type were completed, as they were conscious of not producing a concept car that was more flamboyant than the production version. The unusual decision to launch the roadster first was taken because it was perceived to have a large market and deliver a better image for the firm's halo model.

The spy images follow a week of intense speculation regarding the F-type coupé, after pictures purporting to be trademark images of the car surfaced. Jaguar subsequently denied they were of the production car, insisting they showed the original Jaguar C-X16 concept.