THE lush rolling lawn of Villa Rio Chico in Ocho Rios, St Ann, was the scene, last Saturday night, of a one-of-a-kind display from ATL Automotive. The dynamic company unveiled the 2014 Jaguar F-Type not just to Jamaica, but the entire Caribbean.

“This car represents evolution. An evolution not only in look and feel of the Jaguar brand but the relationship between Land Rover/Jaguar and ATL Automotive itself,” Adam Stewart, CEO of Sandals/ATL Group, told Auto.

With a recent month-long worldwide launch, the F-Type present was the first and only one in the Caribbean.

“The new owners of Jaguar understand that they cannot underserve any market that their vehicles are being sold in,” said Stewart.

Given its starting price of $19,500,000, the new Jaguar may just continue to be as exclusive as its local launch party.

On the outside the F-Type is a bridge between Jaguar’s extensive past and a fresh bold direction for the automaker, under the guidance of its current owners Tata Motors. Jaguar can lay claim to what many have termed the most beautiful car in the world, the original E-Type. The soft swooping lines of that iconic machine are woven perfectly into a modern blend of style, whether the convertible roof is up or down.

Still, the F-Type is more than a pretty face, possessing plenty of luxury and performance to justify the heavy price tag. Sitting in the nose of the Jag is a supercharged 3-litre V6 ready to go at a mash of the throttle. Guests were treated to a bit of the F-Type guttural bark upon start-up. Paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission that offers manual shifting using steering wheel-mounted paddle shifts and multiple modes to suit any driving mood. On the luxury side, it more than delivers. The interior materials are exquisite and the car is packed with all the major conveniences to make it a pleasure getting from point A to B.