The new F-TYPE driven by Britain’s heptathlon golden girl, Jessica Ennis, made its dynamic premiere this weekend in front of a half-million spectators at this year’s Lord Mayor’s Show in London.

The F-TYPE was accompanied by two very famous E-Types; Chassis No. 4 (1600RW) which was the fourth E-Type to leave the production line and the first one to be sold to a customer, and Chassis No. 24 also known as the “Daily Mail” E-Type, which was one of two cars that the newspaper gave away in a competition it ran in 1961 to win “the most wanted car in the world”.

Both E-Types were provided by Classic Motor Cars of Bridgnorth, one of the world’s leading Jaguar restoration companies.

Jessica Ennis, Olympic Heptathlon Gold Medalist, gets her first taste behind the wheel of the new Jaguar F-TYPE.

Ennis, who is the Jaguar Academy of Sports Ambassador, received a rapturous reception from the crowds and was overwhelmed by how many people turned out to watch the procession.

The F-TYPE was unveiled at the 2012 Paris Motor Show in September, and is due to go on sale in early-Summer, 2013.

There will be three variants available at launch – F-TYPE, F-TYPE S and F-TYPE V8 S. Each is distinguished by the power output of its supercharged petrol engine with all engines featuring stop/start technology to maximise efficiency.

Two of the most iconic Jaguar E-Types flank the F-TYPE S at last weekend’s Lord Mayor’s Show.

The F-TYPE and F-TYPE S will be powered by a completely new 3.0-litre V6 engine, derived from Jaguar’s 5.0-litre V8. It’s available in either 335bhp or 375bhp variants. Top of the range is the F-TYPE V8 S, powered by a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 producing 488bhp and 625Nm of torque.

The 335bhp V6 starts at £58,500 in the UK, rising to £67,500 for the F-TYPE S, with the 488bhp V8 S coming in at £79,950.

Image credits: Jaguar Academy of Sport, Alister Thorpe.