What’s hot?

> The F-Type’s stunning looks, which strike just the right balance between retro and modern. It couldn’t be anything other than a Jaguar, but the design shows the right amount of respect to iconic Jaguar roadsters of the past, such as the E-Type.

> 338bhp coming from the 3.0-litre V6 engine don’t sound that impressive against the opposition, but on the road the F-Type feels plenty fast enough.

> More impressive, is that despite the 161mph top speed and 0-62mph acceleration in 5.1secs, this F-Type has standard stop/start and is still capable of 31.4mpg on the combined cycle.

> Like the exterior, the interior of the F-Type feels pleasingly modern. Gone are the previous polished wood finishes, to be replaced by more contemporary polished metal and piano black trim.

> Jaguar likes to add a sense of drama to the interiors of its cars, you only have to look at the revolving air vents on XF models to see this. For the F-Type, this is achieved by a central bank of air vents that rise out of the centre console. They look great, but we’re not sure if they add anything to the ventilation system.

> The noise of Jaguar’s optional Switchable Active Sports Exhaust should really come with its own ASBO – it really is that indecently loud. Still, we found ourselves turning it on more than off during our time with this car, as it changes the whole character of the F-Type. The sound of the acoustically perfect cackle and bangs from those distinctive chrome-trimmed centre-exit pipes, is addictive.

> The entry-level F-Type V6 might lack the adaptive suspension set up of more expensive versions, but it still corners with impressive accuracy and satisfying control. Much of this is down to the precise feel to the steering.

> The ride on the 18-inch wheels is best described as sportily-hard, but we never found it uncomfortable.

What’s not?

> This F-Type might have start/stop but with 209g/km CO2 and a 34% tax charge, running an F-Type on the business is not going to be cheap.

> Tall people will find it hard to get comfortable in the F-Type’s snug cabin. Even though there’s plenty of seating and steering column adjustments, we found taller drivers knees were nudging the bottom of the dashboard, making for uncomfortable long trips.

> Shared column stalks work well enough, but take away from the special feel of the F-Type cabin.

> The standard sat-nav is shared with other Jaguar and Land Rover models, it looks and feels dated, plus it is slow to operate.

> Some of the interior finishes aren’t up to the £60,000 list price.

> You don’t buy a roadster for its practicality, but there’s no doubt the F-Type’s boot is particularly tiny and poorly shaped. It is so shallow you’ll struggle to a couple of squashy overnight bags, don’t even think about a case!

> Even on the modest 18-inch alloys, we found it all too easy to ground the F-Type’s nose over speed humps.

> The Switchable Active Sports Exhaust is a key part of the F-Type’s character and really should be standard rather than a costly £350 option. It would make us consider spending the extra coin and going for the V6 S version where it’s standard.

> Although a keen drive, the F-Type lacks the ultimate driving polish of the Boxster – evident even in basic 265bhp form.

> The Jaguar brand has been re-energised by models such as the F-Type, but we don’t believe the leaping cat brand has quite the kudos of other premium sporting brands.