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MOTORING Jaguar F-Type Coupe
That debate is yours for the call. It looked
tremendous in the flesh, sitting just beside
our chartered airplane at Lleida Airport in a
selection of bold yet tasteful colours, and
just itching to be driven. Most importantly the
Coupe is anything but ‘a hard top version of
the Convertible’ – there’s a whole lot more to
the Coupe than that. If you lust after one like
we do, the good news is the pricing – it’s 7k
cheaper than the Convertible in entry level 6
and V6 S form, whilst the big V8 rockets up
to £85k. (to be verified)That of course means
it is also going to be the best seller – Jaguar
are anticipating 60% of total sales to be in
Coupe form.
If there is one thing most people are agreed upon, it is that the new Jaguar F-Type is
one of the best looking Jags ever made. We came to the same conclusion a few issues
back when we tested the Convertible. Yet the consensus at the international launch we
attended in Barcelona recently was that the new Coupe version looks even better.
The model line-up is headlined by the
F-Type R Coupe – the big powerful V8 – 550
PS of power and 680 NM of torque, sprinting
to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds and ‘limited to’ 186
mph. Next in line and likely to be the top seller
is the F-Type S Coupe – 380 PS, 60 mph in
4.8 secs and 171 mph. The standard entry
level F-Type Coupe is powered by the same
V6 at 340PS, 60 mph in 5.1 secs and 161
mph at the top end. Whilst the stats might
not matter that much in terms of what the law
allows for penalty free driving, the on road
character differs markedly between the three.
‘S’ for starters
The keen driver, as we did, will start with
the S – an ideal all-purpose combination
of keen driver performance and day to
day usability. In essence the best set up of
the three for regular use to a keen driver.
It proved a bonus that only a few weeks
ago we’d tested the Convertible, for what
strikes you the most behind the wheel of the
Coupe are the handling benefits of the 30%
improvement in body stiffness, easily making
the Coupe the purist driver’s choice. Much
as we love the design and open air benefits
of the Convertible, the added stiffness of the
all-aluminium Coupe (the stiffest car ever
produced by Jaguar) makes the high speed
ride and handling such a composed joy that
the added stiffness alone would be enough
to alter our choice in favour of the Coupe.
If driving is your thing, the Coupes resultant
competence and composure is irresistible.
Of course another added benefit so easily
overlooked in the excitement is the practical
advantage of relatively generous bootspace.
407 litres of it are accessed via a power
assisted opening. Two sets of Golf Clubs,
your weekend’s shopping, or nicely packaged
luggage for a good driving holiday are all
possible now, with a neat cover to keep them
away from prying eyes.
Yet it’s the on-road performance we
must keep taking you back to, for the V6
S road drive we are currently on taking us
to Motorland Aragon circuit where we’ll
be driving the stonking V8 is proving so
rewarding. Powering cross country and up
and through the Spanish mountains, the car
was in its element, -the amazing exhaust note
adding to the handling delight. The eight speed
Quickshift transmission paddle flicking up
and down instantly through the middle range
gears allowing you to balance instant surging
acceleration with self-induced engine braking
as you notch down a few gears to let the
balance and flow of a well sorted chassis do
the work through the bends. This is God’s gift
to the keen driver, and as the roads get more
challenging you focus more on exploiting the
We road test the very latest Jaguar F-Type Coupe! And find out why Jaguar’s finest
JUST GOT BETTER...
V6: £51,235
V6 Sport: £60,230
V8R: £85,000