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The Jaguar F-Type Coupe is without question the most gorgeous car I've ever driven.
2014-10-23
The F-Type needed to be beautiful. Jaguar has spent over two decades trying to remind people of the company's legacy of stylish, high-performance sports cars, like the E-Type from the 1960s, XKSS from the mid-1950s, and the XJ-220 from the late 1980s.
With the F-Type Coupe, the carmaker has at long last erased 20 years of misses and near-misses on the design front. With this car, all is forgiven — you just can't stop looking at it. I certainly couldn't during the weekend I spent with the F-Type Coupe on a visit to Atlanta.
The F-Type has everything you would ever want in a Jaguar — or any sports car for that matter. I've already mentioned how great the car looks. But how about tons of horsepower? Check. Confident handling? Check.
And there's a bonus: the rumble of the F-Type's massive 5.0-liter V8 and the machine-gun backfire of the exhaust that goes with it.
It's an intoxicating combination.
My $100,000 test car — in fact, the top-of-the-range F-Type R — came equipped with just about every available option, including an excellent infotainment system, GPS navigation, and luscious, body-hugging leather sport seats. If a hundred grand is too steep for you, Jaguar will gladly sell you an "entry-level" supercharged V6 version, with 340 horsepower and a $65,000 asking price.
I was able to put the stunning Jag and its rampaging 550-horsepower V8 through its paces on city streets, suburban highways, and even the twisty mountain roads of North Georgia's Piedmont.
Landing at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport proved to be a breeze. As an Atlanta native, 85-degree Georgia weather in October reminded me what I gave up when I moved to New York.
Everywhere I took the F-Type, an adoring crowd quickly assembled. People wanted to know where I got it and how much it cost — and how they could get one.
Why does the F-Type look so good? Well, much of it has to do with Jaguar's ability to successfully blend new with old. Its styling is modern overall, but it also incorporates many of its design cues from iconic Jags of the past.
The F-Type's front end is highlighted by a classy yet aggressive front grille-and-headlight combo. The prominent front grille is an homage to the E-Type ...
... but the V6 edition gets twin central exhausts.
Jaguar Land Rover/Newspress
All in all, Jaguar design boss Sir Ian Callum did a spectacular job. In case you were wondering, he hasn't been knighted yet. But trust me, he will be.
Jaguar Land Rover
Power for the F-Type R comes from a 5-liter, 550-horsepower supercharged V8. A less-powerful version of this engine can also be found in the Range Rover Sport, a totally different car but one I also loved.
Jaguar Land Rover
These optional carbon ceramic brakes are designed to bring the Jag to a stop in a hurry.
Jaguar Land Rover
The F-Type's bi-xenon headlights can adjust to the driver's surroundings: brighter on dark roads, when going through tunnels, and so on. The "Jaguar" name is even engraved on the headlight.
The Coupe's interior is classy and surprisingly comfortable for a sports car. The infotainment system is very easy to use, with intuitive controls.
Jaguar Land Rover
The interiors of sports cars can feel cramped, but a large glass roof panel gives this compact coupe a fantastic sense of airiness.
Jaguar Land Rover
From above, the roof and hatch together give an impression of a seamless piece of glass.
Jaguar Land rover
The F-Type Coupe looks great — and drives great. The well-tuned chassis and smooth-shifting, 8-speed transmission handle the manic horsepower of the V8 with the poise and precision of John Elway in fourth quarter of a playoff game.
Jaguar Land Rover
Even with the weight of the hulking V8 hanging over the front wheels, the Coupe powered into corners like Herschel Walker across a goal line. However, the less-powerful 380-horsepower V6 version may be even better around the twisty bits.
Jaguar Land Rover
Even with a sport suspension and high-performance tires, the F-Type's ride remained supple and comfortable.
Jaguar Land Rover
The best part about driving the Jag was the sound. With the "active exhaust" feature turned on — using a button on the center console — the F-Type sounds like a raging, drunken Viking tearing through a seaside village. With the active exhaust off, the F-Type is a proper English gentleman out for a walk in the countryside.
Jaguar Land Rover
In the marketplace, the $100,000 F-Type R Coupe occupies a unique position.
Competitors, like the Porsche 911 Turbo, accelerate quicker and have higher top speeds — but also have less power, cost $50,000 more, and don't offer the same soulful experience as the F-Type.
Porsche
The Maserati GranTurismo looks fantastic and sounds like a beast. However, it has less power and slower acceleration than the Jag, and it costs $25,000 more.
Maserati
The Aston Martin V8 Vantage is equally pretty, with a great soundtrack from the engine. It even retains some of the design DNA from Callum's DB7. But it, too, falls short of the Jag on substance. A $15,000 price premium also doesn't help its cause.
Aston Martin
When I drive a car, I look for its strengths as well as its faults. But with the F-Type Coupe R, I really couldn't find any faults. Has Jaguar built the perfect car? For me, it's as close to perfect as it gets.
