Jaguar F-Type R to be Sold in US Only as AWD

You can kiss burnouts in the V8-powered F-Type R goodbye if you live in the US, because Jaguar will cease imports of rear-wheel drive models, solely offering it as AWD.

That’s due to the UK-based manufacturer’s shakeup of its US range with the newly introduced all-wheel drive and manual gearbox option.

So, if you want the full 550 hp R model, you will not be able to order it with rear wheel drive. In fact, now that the 495 hp V8 S has been killed off too, you can’t really get a V8 F-Type without AWD.

Even so, it’s no biggie if you were after purity, because you can now get it with a manual gearbox and rear-wheel drive, though you have to make do with the supercharged V6 (in either state of tune). In making the R exclusively AWD, Jaguar has limited its appeal, while at the same time making it a kind of Nissan GT-R/Porsche 911 Turbo rival.

The R will still be offered without AWD elsewhere outside the US, though manuals will continue to be V6-only options no matter where you order it.

Via Car&Driver, Photos: Zac Estrada / Carscoops