For most of Jaguar’s history, the company has built cars that look—well, historical. But Jaguar has been dipping into the catnip lately, building cars that are low-slung, lightweight and not a little bit irreverent.

The all-new, two-seat F-Type sports car is the smallest, speediest and brashest of them all. Whether you choose the 340-hp V-6 or the rip-snortin’ 495-hp V-8, the F-Type can reduce its fat rear tires into pools of molten rubber without much provocation, though only the V-8 can be equipped with a popping, crackling exhaust system so loud and raucous you’ll have Harley Davidson riders yelling, “That’s too damn loud!”

Steering and brakes give the F-Type reflexes that are—you guessed it—cat-like. And the interior is less ‘sugar daddy-in a silk robe and more ‘James Bond-meets-Tom of Finland.’ All this British beauty and brawn is priced somewhere between the Porsche Boxster S and Carrera Cabriolet, neither of which can hold a candle to this pretty kitty in terms of sex appeal.

2014 Jaguar F-Type

Base Price (including destination): $69,895 (V-6); $81,895 (V-6 S); $92,895 (V-8)

Power: 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 (340 hp, 339 lb-ft of torque); 3.0-liter supercharged V-6, S (380 hp, 339 lb-ft of torque); 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 (495 hp, 460 lb-ft of torque)

Tranny: 8-speed automatic with manual shift control

Fuel Economy, city/hwy: 20/28 mpg (V-6); 19/27 mpg (V-6 S); 16/23 mpg (V-8)

2015 Jaguar F-Type Coupe
 

To give the frisky F-Type roadster a playmate, Jaguar introduced the gorgeous F-Type coupe at the 2013 L.A. Auto Show last November. More or less identical to the convertible but with a slinky, fixed metal roof in place of the roadster’s folding ragtop, the coupe promises an even more intense driving experience. And it’s seriously beautiful, proving that you don’t have to be a bottom to appreciate a hard top.