Jaguar’s F-Type convertible was launched last year in a blaze of awestruck headlines.
Designed by Scotsman Ian Callum, it is the spiritual successor to the iconic E-Type.
It’s a wonderful car gorgeous, elegant and simply superb to drive. There are just two niggly little issues with it.
One is the titchy boot. Jaguar drivers love their golf. Love it. Although Jaguar insists you can squeeze a single set of clubs in the boot as indeed does a Courier reader who emailed in last time I wrote on this topic it doesn’t look like an easy fit at all.
The other is that convertibles lose a good amount of body-rigidity due to not having a steel roof structure although the F-Type Convertible is so good you’d have to be a professional-standard driver to be concerned.
In any case, the F-Type Coupe fixes both these issues.
The Convertible already handles beautifully but the Coupe has a bodyshell that’s 80% stiffer, making the already fine handling even more tight and precise.
The boot leaps from 196 litres to a much more usable 315 or two golf sets, to put it into Jaguar owners’ parlance.
Jaguar brought no less than nine F-Type Coupes up to Scotland for us northerly car hacks to spend a day driving.
The range starts at £51,250, making it more than £6,000 cheaper than the entry level Convertible.
While that’s still a lot of money to an Average Joe like me it’s extremely competitive in this market. That buys you the V6 model which has 340bhp and gets from 0-62mph in 5.3 seconds.
The halo model in the range and the one in the facts box here – is the 5.0 litre V8 R Coupe. The more rigid bodyshell means the power can be uprated from the 488bhp in the Convertible to an even more outrageous 542bhp.
0-62 races by in just 4.2 seconds and top speed is 186mph.
The suspension is firm but as long as you avoid potholes it’s perfectly reasonable.
One of my concerns before driving the Coupe is that some of the wonderful engine noise would be lost by the addition of a steel roof.
The V6 has a lovely raspy snarl that never fails to put a smile on your face and the V8 reminds you of its terrific power with a deep throated growl.
The former engine is fast but the V8 nudges towards supercar territory, pinning you back in your seat with a savage acceleration you need to be respectful of.
The F-Type acquits itself well against rivals such as the Porsche 911 and Audi R8. All three are outstandingly good driver’s cars and which one you prefer will be a matter of personal choice.
I’ve always found the 911’s looks a little brash and in your face. The Jaguar’s refined elegance is much more to my taste.
As to which version you should go for, the V8 is an outstanding car, but the V6 provides all of the good looks and much of the performance for more than £30,000 less.
Price: £85,000
0-62mph: 4.2 seconds
Top speed: 186mph
Fuel economy: 25.5mpg
CO2 emissions: 259g/km