JAGUAR'S F-Type two-seater was a long time coming.

It's probably more than a decade since a team of engineers and designers first sat around a table to float the idea and agree it was a good one in principle but maybe hard to deliver in practice.

But the fact the Midland car maker took its time is probably a good thing - the end result being one of the most consummate, capable and stylish two-seaters one could wish for.

Billed by some as the spiritual successor to the iconic E-Type (probably an unfair comparison) it delivers in many respects.

First off it looks great, an eye-catching piece of automotive design at its very best, with its curves in all the right places and exuding an air that is essentially Jaguar.

Yes, in some ways it harks back to the E-Type, its rear haunches and bulges in particular are a nod to the past and capture a definitive Big Cat look and feel.

Overall it is pretty much perfectly-proportioned and difficult to fault from an aesthetic point of view.

On the interior the car is also stylish and sublime, combining luxury and sophistication with the compact cockpit feel one expects in a good sports car.

Ideally I'd have liked the driver's seat to have gone back just a little bit further to accommodate my 6ft 1in frame, but a bit of judicious steering wheel adjustment and lowering the seat slightly enabled me to find a position that was comfortable.

Instrumentation and switchgear are distinctly Jaguar but there's also some new and unique flourishes that give the F-Type a feel all of its own.

It comes in a number of guises, as an entry-level V6, a V6 S and a V8 S.

This was the middle model and it's a car that offers plenty for even the most enthusiastic driver, with around 35bhp more than the entry-level version. It also completes the 0-62mph sprint around a third of a second quicker.

The F-Type is up against some tough competition, most notably the Porsche Boxster. Price-wise it actually sits above the Boxster, occupying a kind of hinterland between it and the 911.

It's is certainly a match for the Boxster as a driver's car and the same applies for the entry-level model, though in performance terms the V6 S actually offers just that little bit more.

There's also no doubt the F-Type trumps the Boxster in the sought-after and stylish stakes.

The V6's engine note is sweet, satisfying and will put a smile on your face every time you push the start button.

In sports mode that engine note is sweeter still and just that little bit throatier - it certainly makes an spectacular sound driving under a bridge with an added squeeze on the throttle.

I've not driven the 495bhp V8 S, which I'd expect is a serious step up again, but he V6 S has pace-a-plenty for most motoring needs - certainly on the road as opposed to the track.

Dynamically the Jaguar engineers have done a great job. Rear-wheel drive, razor-sharp handling, pinpoint steering and a well-judged and supple suspension set-up combine to make for a driving experience that it's difficult to fault.

Its steering, chassis, suspension and brakes have been tuned to deliver sharper responses than the entry-level car. There's also a mechanical limited-slip differential fitted to the V6 S which helps set it apart.

Extensive use of aluminium ensures the F-Type feels light, agile and nimble too.

There's a standard Quickshift eight-speed automatic transmission which operates with super-slick efficiency and adds much to the driving experience.

And although you'd imagine it to be something of a gas guzzler, overall with the usual mix of driving situations I managed to get almost 24mpg overall, which for a car like this isn't half bad.

With the roof down on a balmy summer's day and an empty B Road in front of you it's difficult to imagine a driving experience that's more pleasurable and satisfying.