The Jaguar F Type is one of my favourite cars, particularly with a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 stuffed under the bonnet. You can, if your budget won’t quite stretch to £85,000, pick up an S Coupe with a 3.0-litre V6, also supercharged, and all-wheel-drive for a fraction under £67,000.

Best of all, giving up two litres and two cylinders isn’t quite the compromise it might seem.

The short tail and slim rear lights give a subtle nod in the direction of the much-admired E Type but this is more than just a modern interpretation of a classic model. The F Type is a stunning car in its own right. It sits squat, it’s muscular rear haunches poised, ready to pounce.

It’s a beautifully proportioned car, whichever angle it’s viewed from. Its curves flow seamlessly into one another creating a liquid form full of momentum.

The cabin is small, but not cramped. All the controls are within easy reach and the low-slung, snug and supportive seats provide a glorious view down the long bonnet as it points invitingly towards the horizon.

Everything is beautifully put together and anything that can be covered in leather, is. The controls are chunky and have a satisfyingly positive operation. The thick-rimmed, flat-bottomed steering wheel, flanked either side by the copper-coloured gear-change paddles, hints at the racing-car potential.

The familiar Jaguar-family touchscreen, eight inches on this occasion, sits centrally, above the air-con dials. There’s no trick rotary dial in the F Type – although there’s no absence of drama as the air vents rise from the top of the dash when you start the engine – Jaguar wisely opting for a gear lever. Here you’ll also find the drive mode selector switch, sports exhaust button and the copper coloured Ignition button.

Start the engine and, while not as fearsome as the V8, the V6 still cracks and pops with an eagerness to get going. Foot on the brake, slip the gearbox into drive and… you can just pootle away. The fact is, this is a car that, despite its obvious intent, is very easy to live with every day.

However, like Dr Jekyll, there’s a darker side to its character that’s just itching to get out. You can release the beast with the simple flick of a switch. Select Dynamic Mode and you’ll get sharper throttle response, weightier steering and a more performance-orientated gear-shift pattern. The S, and R, models also get adaptive damping to sharpen up the handling and improve grip even more while torque vectoring improves turn-in.

Then, of course, there’s the all-wheel-drive.

It’s an active system that under normal conditions sends about 30 per cent of the power to the front wheels, so the car feels like a traditional rear-wheel-drive coupe. However, if the rears start to lose traction, more torque is fed to the front. It all takes place seamlessly and the levels of grip are simply mindblowing.

Four-wheel-drive cars are easily identified: They wear a badge on the back that says ‘AWD’. They also have a larger power-bulge in their bonnets and unique air vents. S models are also fitted with the Sport Design Pack as standard.

The boot is tiny, offering just 315 litres of luggage space so anything other than a weekend away might be a tad optimistic. Storage space in the cabin is reasonable, though, with a deep centre cubby hole and decent-sized glove box and door pockets.

The V6 might not have quite the glorious soundtrack of the V8, or its brutal power delivery but it still manages to deliver thrills by the bucketload, especially with drive to all four wheels. It’s also substantially cheaper to buy and notably more efficient.

There are German rivals that, from an engineering point of view, make a more compelling argument but few cars will look as good parked on your drive.

Jaguar F Type V6S

Price: £66,905

As tested: £77,424

Engine: 3.0-litre V6 supercharged petrol

Transmission: 8-speed automatic driving all four wheels

Max power: 375 bhp

Max torque: 339lbft

Max speed: 171mph

Acceleration (0-62mph): 4.9sec

Urban: 22.8mpg

Extra urban: 40.9mpg

Combined: 31.7mpg

Emissions (CO2): 211g/km

For more information visit www.jaguar.co.uk