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Celebration: As Jaguar prepares for an all-electric car future, the distinctive notes of the Jaguar F-TYPE V8 have been recorded for future generations to appreciate
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Future proofing: Preserving F-TYPE’s unmistakable noise will be submitted to the archives alongside other culturally significant entries such as the first street recordings of cars, ensuring it will be available for people to enjoy for generations to come
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Supercharged sound: Jaguar engineers chose the most immersive possible playback experience of the F-TYPE R 75’s 575PS 5.0-litre V8 as a fitting example
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Source material: The recordings were created in Jaguar’s purpose-built sound chamber at the Gaydon Engineering Centre – the same place that F-TYPE’s exhaust note was originally developed
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On the record: The recordings will be catalogued in the British Library archives from Autumn 2023 listen to it now below (headphones recommended). Configure your F-TYPE at jaguar.com
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
F-TYPE Bonnet Wide
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.
Charles Richardson
Senior Sound Engineer, Jaguar
The V8 engine’s sound will 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. Offered exclusively with all-wheel drive, its 5.0-litre supercharged V8 develops 575PS and 700Nm of torque and can accelerate the car from 0-60mph in just 3.5 seconds and on to an electronically-limited maximum speed of 186mph.
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 nation’s archive alongside other sounds that can no longer be heard today
Cheryl Tipp
the British Library’s Curator of Wildlife & Environmental Sounds
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.
To deliver the optimal playback quality the exterior recordings can be accessed on the Jaguar media site before going live on the British Library’s website.
