The release of the new Jaguar F-Type has caused a huge stir across motoring media due to its exquisite looks and fierce performance. The chance to drive the vehicle may not be as much of a distant dream as you imagined thanks to Hertz.

Hertz has managed to secure the Jaguar F-Type as part of its fleet and it's now available to hire across Europe. If you're a motoring devotee, you could probably imagine nothing better than escaping to the continent and driving a thunderous sports car around the scenic roads of Southern France or the German Autobahns. What better way to enhance a European break than to spend a little on hiring a truly beautiful car as the ultimate accessory?

The F-Type has gained acclaim across the board and it's easy to see why. Aesthetically the car is perfect: robust, sleek and purposeful all in one swoop. The 3.0-litre supercharged V6 engine produces an astounding 340hp, a top speed of 161mph and gets to 60mph in a shade over five seconds. These are the blunt figures, but the driving experience is where we get the real insight. The chassis is taut, the gear shift is lightning quick and the engine sound is musically brutal; in short, a perfect sports car.

The interior is ambient and comfortable on slower drives, but reassuringly enveloping for faster jaunts. Following the theme of the outer shell, the inside of the car is strikingly sleek, but also solid in finish. There's an array of features such as dynamic launch and a choice of lighting for the dash. The feel of precision engineering and hugely conscientious design is inescapable throughout the vehicle. It's undeniably a gentlemanly Jag, but with performance and engineering levels that make it truly alluring.

The Hertz Dream Collection and Supercar fleets offer us the chance to drive cars we may have only once admired from afar. The McLaren Spider MP4-12C is one such vehicle, and it also has a thoroughly British heritage, being assembled in Surrey.

The Hertz site is brim-full of McLarens, Porsches, Audis and rare models such as the Mercedes-Benz CLS 63 AMG. If you admire engineering greatness, and want to witness some of the best feats of modern motoring technology at first hand, consider hiring from Hertz.

Paul McShane - 24 Sep 2013