Snarl. Snort. Grumble. Growl!
Explaining what it’s like to drive the 2015 Jaguar F-Type Coupe requires sounds that more closely resemble describing a trip to the zoo, rather than a day spent behind the wheel of a British sports car.
This Jaguar is rough, tough, and extremely vocal (that’s a fancy way of saying it’s super LOUD!) when you step on the gas and unleash the 550-horsepower supercharged V-8 engine. This motor not only propels the F-Type Coupe to a top speed of 186 mph, it sounds like a WWII fighter plane in full dive.
You can sacrifice the exhaust note, and a heap of power, by choosing the two V-6-powered versions of the F-Type Coupe, of course. The entry-level model comes with a supercharged 340-horsepower V-6, 18-inch alloy wheels, sport exhaust with twin centrally-mounted pipes, and a thumping Meridian sound system. At $65,000 to start, the F-Type Coupe is only a few grand more than a typical Corvette Stingray, and thousands less than what you’d pay for a 350-horsepower Porsche 911 Carrera (minus any options).
It’s good, but I want more – and so should you. Next up is the F-Type S Coupe, which comes with a 380-horsepower supercharged V-6, 19-inch “propeller” wheels, a limited slip differential, active sport exhaust, gloss black and chrome exterior trim, performance brakes with black calipers, and a sport suspension fitted with Jaguar’s Adaptive Dynamics system. This works to monitor the vehicle’s body motion and steering input (up to 500 times per second), and adjusts the dampers to instantly suit each driving scenario.
Starting at $81,000, the F-Type S Coupe is positioned between sports cars and near-exotics, such as the Audi R8 and Maserati GranTurismo. You could stop here and be extremely happy with your Jaguar, the British automaker’s re-entry into the sports car market after decades of catering to a more luxury-focused clientele.
Part of me wants to pump the brakes and suggest the F-Type Coupe is a superb drive with either of the two V-6 engines. They’re both plenty fast – the S Coupe accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds – and, in my opinion, any trim level of the F-Type Coupe is even sexier than the already come-hither F-Type Roadster. The arch of the Coupe’s roofline as it tapers to the truncated tail is lovely, I actually ran my fingers along it while stopped for photos. (This was before they were covered with an In-N-Out burger, so don’t worry about the car getting grease smudges.)
Jaguar’s design team did an excellent job adding a sense of length onto what is, in reality, a very compact shape. Stretching 176-inches in length and 51.5-inches high, the long hood of the F-Type Coupe gives it a hint of the iconic E-Type sports car’s perfect dimensions.
The Coupe also offers more usable space than the Roadster, especially when it comes to cargo capacity. The F-Type Roadster’s trunk could swallow a small overnight bag, or maybe a couple pizzas, if you’re feeling fancy and hungry. The Coupe’s 11 cu. ft. trunk isn’t cavernous, but the 4 cu. ft. edge on the Roadster makes a huge difference.
So does the supercharged and direct-injected V-8, which comes in the $99,000 F-Type R Coupe. Like the two V-6 engines, the engine is coupled to an 8-speed “QuickShift” ZF automatic transmission, and sends its power to the rear wheels. Unlike the other two, however, the R Coupe enters the realm of ‘crazy fast’ – not a technical term, but I think it works nicely in this instance.
With 550-horsepower and 502 lb.-ft. of torque available at 3,500 rpm, the R Coupe rips its way from 0 to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds flat, according to Jaguar. As the range-topping model, the R Coupe is also loaded with every performance feature and luxury item Jag can throw at it.
One of the most notable performance additions is an electronic active differential with torque vectoring by braking. Working in tandem with the hydraulic steering (which comes in a nimble 14.6:1 ratio), the R Coupe scorched its way through tight canyon roads and, later in the drive, along the extremely fast sweeping corners of Willow Springs racetrack. The brakes are upgraded to Jaguar’s “super performance” specification, and carbon ceramics stoppers are optional.
The supercharged 6-cylinders were fun, but the V-8 is in a different league – and it should be, considering the price increase. The F-Type R Coupe is a remarkably firm sports car, with a ride that is worlds away from what traditional luxury buyers expect from the British automaker. In a word, the ride is firm. No, let’s make that two words, because the ride is very firm.
If you want to be cosseted, this Jaguar is not the car for you. Granted, the cabin is full of quality leather and nice details, like the orange-colored metallic paddle shifters and starter button. But it’s much harder-edged in look and spirit than you’d expect. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, since Jaguar is serious about reinvigorating its image, and appealing to a new type of buyer.
The base F-Type makes the most sense, but it also feels like having a wafer-thin slice of cake. What’s the point, really?
The F-Type R Coupe is the most emotional, the most extreme and, naturally, the most expensive of the range. It’s great to have Jaguar back in the sports car arena, even if rivals like the Porsche 911 and, yes, the hugely improved Corvette Stingray are ultimately more sensible purchases.
But should “sensible” factor into a 550-hp sports coupe? Nobody is going to use this Jaguar as his or her only car, after all. It’s gorgeous, goes like hell, and has a level of bravado not often seen in Jags since the 1960s. That alone is reason to celebrate, and snag the biggest slice of supercharged cake you can.
