Ian Callum Open to Mid-Engined F-Type

When Jaguar’s design director Ian Callum talks, folks around these parts tend to listen. So his hinting at a mid-engine F-Type is kind of a big deal.

Last week, Callum spoke with Road & Track while in town for the L.A. Auto Show. Though they were there to discuss the new I-Pace concept and the production car to follow, Callum began to compare the electric SUV’s design cues to the F-Type’s, and that’s where the conversation took a more sporty twist.

Callum veered off track a bit, when asked about the similarities between Jaguar and Porsche, from a design perspective. As he told R&T:

“I think the 911 is more confining than it is for us. I think we’ve got more permission to break the mold. Our F-Type, before the one that became the production car, the previous design concept was mid-engine. It never happened. It would have been very different. But I think we’ve got permission to do that, because we’re a sports car company.”

Then Callum goes onto say:

“I don’t feel tied by it… We’ve had a discussion—will the next F-Type be mid-engine or front-engine? We’ve had that discussion. We haven’t decided yet. And even within the design studio we disagree with each other.”

Hold your 575 horses, F-Type fans. I hope you didn’t get used to that long bonnet and short trunk design, because apparently nothing is sacred. If you need proof that Callum’s open to a short bonnet, then he invites you to check out the new I-Pace concept above.

And why shouldn’t he be open to it? Though I’m a sucker for the past, the only way to own the future is through change. The fact that Callum and his team are open to anything could very well mean that the best idea is the one that floats to the top.

What about you, do you like the idea of a mid-engine F-Type?

Chime in with your thoughts on the forum. >>

Via [Road & Track]