Jaguar Nudges Fearless, Future F-Type Convertible Out Of Its Lair [VIDEO]

Jaguar has been letting its cars out to play, so to speak, in its latest marketing campaign, dubbed "Alive." The extensive brand makeover features, among other things, significant changes to Jaguar's iconic "leaper" and "growler" logos.

But so far, no number of feline stunts have moved American consumers. They haven't been all that responsive to "Alive" or to Jaguar's global aims to rise again under ownership of India's Tata Motors group: Sales in June were down 26 percent for Jaguar in the American market, and for the year to date they're only flat.

Now, Jaguar is going further to try to stir up interest among luxury buyers in the U.S. and beyond with new teaser videos of its new F-Type roadster.

A production version of the car is supposed to be ready to see later this year with actual output commencing by mid-2013.

Dubbed "Future" and "Fearless," the former video features Jaguar Brand Manager Adrian Hallmark describing the car as light, agile and "utterly instinctive" in the way it drives. (Echoes of the ferocious movements of current-model Jaguar cars in the brand's US commercials.) One of its powertrains reportedly is to be a 5.0-liter V8.

"The passion for the brand is unquestioned," Ian Callum, Jaguar's design chief, says in the "Fearless" video. "But what we have to do is capture that sense of emotion and speed." He adds that the F-Type will be "one of the most significant sports cars of this century, of this decade."

Jaguar unveiled the F-Type, based on its C-X16 concept car, at the New York International Auto Show in April. The brand's fans are hoping that, by the next NYIAS, they'll have a lot more F-Type to look at than just teaser videos.