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The Jaguar F-Type Coupe – Staggeringly Pretty (Part 1)

8/5/2014 4:13:08 AM

Can Jaguar’s most desirable model in years live up to its billing?

Exactly a year ago, we tested the V8 S version of the F-type roadster. We called that car a bona fide automotive landmark, and we liked it very much. But there was no mistaking the compromises.

Despite being blessed with the soundtrack and soul of a sports car, Jaguar had its rag-top ride and handle more like a scaled-down GT. At the time, it was felt that the dynamic identity had been specifically chosen to broaden the new model’s appeal across the pond – which was true. But 12 months on, it’s equally apparent that the manufacturer was keeping its powder dry for the permanently covered coupé, a car it confidently describes as the most capable production Jaguar ever.

The coupé swaps a compliant ride for great body control

The coupé swaps a compliant ride for great body control

Big words. But the initial response has backed them up. In R form, the new F-type stands as one of the best pound-for-pound performance cars of 2014. The V6 S tested here has the potential to be even more significant, given that it undercuts the entry-level Porsche 911 Carrera by nearly $25,425 and is noticeably more powerful. Has Gaydon done the unthinkable and upstaged Zuffenhausen? In eight pages, you’ll know.

Design And Engineering

The key to understanding this new coupé is its roof. It is the reason why Jaguar can claim unparalleled torsional rigidity for the F-type and, perhaps just as importantly, also why the car’s appearance has shifted from divertingly pretty to utterly arresting. The swept-back ceiling forms the third of what Jaguar terms ‘heartlines’ – the defining elements of its design, in other words. The first two – essentially the curvaceous shoulder line and the gently swollen rear arches – are shared with the convertible, but the unbroken silhouette of that tapered cabin is exclusive to the coupé – and quite sublime in the metal.

Headlights are auto-levelling bi-xenons as standard. They sport LED running light strips around their outer edges

Headlights are auto-levelling bi-xenons as standard. They sport LED running light strips around their outer edges

By bridging the span between the front and rear pillars with aluminium alloy beams, Jaguar has reconciled the formerly open-top platform as a genuine monocoque and apparently improved stiffness to the tune of 80 per cent in the process. The entire structure is bonded and riveted rather than welded, and the side panels are single-piece aluminium pressings. Jaguar’s expertise in such matters is unquestionable, but – as with the convertible – the implication of low mass is relative. Our test car tipped MIRA’s scales at 1,755kg, predictably lighter than the V8 S roadster examined last year, yet some 375kg heavier than the last 911 Carrera we weighed.

Forward-hinged bonnet is awkward, but buyers won’t find themselves opening it much. Screen wash bottle is in the back for better weight distribution

Forward-hinged bonnet is awkward, but buyers won’t find themselves opening it much. Screen wash bottle is in the back for better weight distribution

The roadster we tested made up for this with 488bhp drawn from its 5.0-litre V8. The V6-engined coupés are a good way back from that, with 375bhp from the V6 S as tested and 335bhp from the entry-level V6 (the same outputs as the convertible V6). A supercharger ensures both develop decent torque – 339 and 332lb ft respectively – delivered via the same eight-speed ZF Quickshift automatic transmission. As before, the starter model gets an open differential, while the V6 S uses a mechanical LSD to manage slip between the rear wheels. It was partly this feature – distinct from the e-diff used on the V8 – which made the mid-spec car our choice from the open-top range.

Interior

The distinguishing feature of the F-type coupé’s cabin is, of course, its fixed roof. Traditionally, that would mean casting the interior in shadow, but because the F-type’s structure needs no assistance from overhead panelling, the optional sunroof fitted to our test car is as panoramic as it gets. The natural light is particularly welcome given Jaguar’s preference for greyscale trim materials and the cocooning effect of the tapered rear screen, and it makes the car fantastically well lit compared to the roof-up murk of the rag-top. The glass comes at a $2,120 premium, but we’d recommend it among your first ticks.

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