Monday, December 2nd marks the debut of the 2021 Jaguar F-Type, but this isn’t for the next-gen model. This is a mild face lift that will keep the F-Type fresh for a couple more years, and now we can see it early thanks Instagram channel All Car News that has posted what appear to be legitimate-looking official images.

2021 Jaguar F-Type Leaked

If these images really are the real deal, then we can say with confidence that the 2021 Jaguar F-Type won’t change very much - just where it matters. The latter, by the way, are now larger and have a rounder shape to them. It certainly gives the front end of the F-Type a more modernized look, but it’s also nothing special to write home about.

Likewise, the rear end changes just a little bit, while the side profile remains the same – it’s a facelift, after all. The good news is that the muscular rear haunches carry over, albeit with a more angular appearance. The rear taillights have been updated as well, but their shape remains largely the same. Finally, a new diffuser like element allows for a pair of dual exhaust outlets compared to the central outlet available on the current model.

As of now, we don’t know of any interior changes, but don’t expect much. Jaguar could provide some mild updates to the infotainment system, but for the most part, the interior will be the same. If you’re hoping to see the F-Type with BMW’s V-8 (now that they have reached an agreement on powertrains,) you’ll probably have to wait until the next-gen model launches in the early part of next decade (probably sometime around 2023.)

Why Is Jaguar Face Lifting the F-Type Again?

I know the current Jaguar F-Type has been on the market since 2013 in convertible form and 2014 in coupe form. There will be a successor, though, and it may end up being called the J-Type. The big takeaway from this isn’t the change of name, but the fact that the F-Type’s successor will, in fact, be a mid-engined car that could compete with cars like the McLaren 720S, Acura NSX, and Audi R8, among others.

As you can imagine, shifting from a front-engine to mid-engine layout is much easier said than done, and the current F-Type needs to soldier on for a couple more years before Jaguar can even bring a prototype into the public’s eye. This is why we’re not expecting to see anything new until at least 2023, but the wait will undoubtedly be worth it. We’ve even speculated that the next-gen F-Type or “J-Type,” as it may be called, could be derived from the Aston Martin Vantage or even serve as a spiritual successor to the 1992-1994 Jaguar XJ220. Now that would be something to see.

The 2021 Jaguar F-Type Won’t Feature a BMW Engine, But the Next-Gen J-Type Will

In case you haven’t paid too much attention, Jaguar and BMW have come to an agreement on powertrains, and there’s a good chance that some of BMW’s German engineering could end up in future models from Jaguar. The most important bit of this would be BMW’s 4.4-liter V-8. It’s known as the N63 and S63, depending on the application, and is good for anywhere between 444 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque and up to 591 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque.

BMW S63 and N63 Comparison

Today, you can find variations of this engine in a number of models. For instance, the N63B4402 is found in the 2016-2019 G12 7 Series and the G30-gen M550i. A similar configuration (the N63B44M3) is found in G05 and G07 generations of the X5 and X7, respectively. S63 versions of this engine are found scattered through BMW’s M lineup, including the X5M, X6M, M5 Competition, and the brand-new M8 and M8 Competition. We expect the most potent version, with 591 horsepower (or maybe even more) to find its way into Jaguar's new mid-engined successor to the F-Type.