Three driving programs are available: a
normal one, one for slippery conditions and a Dynamic mode. We were surprised
to find the ride in normal mode to be as firm as it is, particularly for a mid-range
model. Higher spring rates give the coupé a slightly reactive, jostling gait
over a testing surface, rather than the more compliant low-frequency
‘breathing’ you might expect. But you’ll only notice it over the worst back
roads and, if you’re like us, consider it a price worth paying, given how
immediate and effortless the F’s body control is, how dexterously it keeps its
wheels on the ground over lumps and bumps, how planted it feels through fast
corners and how much feel comes through the steering wheel. But make no
mistake: this is a sports car first and a GT second.
As
with the soft-top, the lofty scuttle and low seats help to make the coupé feel
appropriately purposeful. Grab handle emphasises driver-orientated cockpit
It exhibits a tangible improvement on grip,
directional response and handling precision relative to the F-type roadster and
has the advantage over all but a handful of the best driver’s cars on the
planet on all three. One thing it doesn’t do quite as consummately as its bigger
brother, the V8 R coupé, is mix grip with rear axle slip on demand. It needs a
bit more than 375bhp for that.
Buying And Owning
Undercutting the equivalent 911 by $27,120
isn’t a bad place for this F-type to find itself. It’s a position that our
sources suggest buyers will respond to in numbers, keeping residual values even
higher than those of the Porsche – at least for the time being. For private
buyers, this car looks like excellent value for money.
The
‘weapons armed’ slider for Dynamic mode isn’t to all tastes, but we like being
able to find it without looking. Pushing it forward accesses the low-grip modes
we’ve never used
The $15,255 premium that Gaydon charges
over the lesser V6 sounds reasonable considering the extra power and
performance of the S. Throw in the active sports exhaust, adaptive dampers,
launch control, high-performance brakes, limitedslip differential and full
leather seats that the car gets as standard over and above the V6’s equipment
level and it’s even harder to argue.
Fuel economy is competitive. Our touring
test suggests the car will better 30mpg on a long, reasonably disciplined run.
Combined with a 72-litre tank (10 per cent bigger than you’ll get in a 911), a
500-mile range for the car should be possible. That’s pretty exceptional.
Retractable
spoiler is an insult to the F-type’s sleek roof profile — like a ballerina
finishing a pirouette with a booty shake. Thankfully, it retracts at high
street reflection-gazing speeds
Verdict
Jaguar has succeeded spectacularly with the
F-type, and emphatically so with the coupé. It shows that Gaydon can produce a
car of true sporting specialism as well as any German manufacturer. It’s a
machine of incredible allure – and, like the E-type was, it’s great value. But,
in V6 S form, the F-type coupé falls short of exceptional. Just as we did with
the roadster, we had hoped to find the definitive F-type coupé in the
middle-sitting V6 S. Imperfections noted on ride quality and limit handling,
combined with slight reservations about the engine, suggest you should look to
the range-topping V8 R for that.
Leaving ‘definitive’ and ‘exceptional’ to
one side, though, there is no question that the F-type coupé is another
landmark in the 21st century recasting of the Jaguar brand. It’s an inspired
car, but it’s not encumbered by its maker’s sporting legend. It may not be
perfect, but it is wonderful.
