The fact that the shifter button on the R
Coupe’s gearlever is referred to as a trigger is somewhat telling. It’s a nod
to this cat’s potency. And any doubts you might have had about this car’s
potential are quickly put to rest as soon as you prod the starter button – it
unleashes an emphatic blast from the quartet of pipes that poke out of the
Coupe’s rump. It also has the charm to win over most people. There’s the
550-horse supercharged V8 for the petrol head, the array of electronic driver
aids for those modernists, the beautiful form for the posers and the value
proposition for the scrooges. For the enthusiast it has something lacking in a
lot of its Germanic competitors, and that’s genuine character.
The
Jaguar F-Type R Coupe is a visual standout from every angle, inside and out
The R Coupe comes with Jaguar’s
supercharged 5,000cc all-alloy V8 and gains a new control unit to help deliver
the smooth but forceful 404kw and 680Nm of torque. With direct injection, dual
vvt and a Roots-type supercharger with twin water-to-air intercoolers, the
torque just pours out. It really doesn’t matter where the tacho needle is
pointing as it’s ready to party from just a tick above idle. Only the cut out
at 6,800rpm calls a halt to the revelry. Its torque flow is managed by ZF’s
eight-speed auto that cracks through the ratios in such an efficient manner
that passengers can be fooled into thinking it’s a genuine twin-clutch gearbox.
Once
you’re inside, the F-Type R Coupe starts to shine as it has one of the nicest,
user-friendly cabins in its class
While the looks help define the Coupe’s
appeal for some, the noise will get others. There’s not that much in the way of
an induction howl; this is all about the exhaust bark. Though it’s
supercharged, you won’t hear any whining from under the hood. Malcolm Sandford,
who led the design on this engine which debuted back in 2009, has been quoted
as saying ‘I do not like supercharger whine. It is an inelegant result of poor
machinery not doing what it should—so we have taken it out.’ There is a pair of
bypass valves in the mufflers that route the spent gases past the matrix of
baffles to create a more direct escape path while the crackles and pops on
overrun come courtesy of the engine programming delaying the cut in fuel and
spark when you lift off, creating a ‘controlled misfire’, as it’s described. It
contributes to poor fuel consumption however, as you tend to drive around in
second gear, jumping on and off the throttle just to enjoy the aural drama. The
fuel use is fairly heavy anyway, but then it’s a supercharged V8. What does one
expect?
As
with the soft-top, the lofty scuttle and low seats help to make the Coupe feel
appropriately purposeful
Trying to keep a reign on the power is a
trio of active aids. There’s Adaptive Dynamics, the active damper system which
monitors your progress and adjusts the damper rates up to 500 times a second to
minimise roll, pitch and dive. In the Dynamic setting, these are set firmer,
while set to Normal they try to provide a degree of ride comfort. However,
you’re always aware that it’s a sports car you’re riding in, rather than a GT.
The
convertible's multimedia system remains; it functions well enough but feels
outdated
The R Coupe also enjoys the benefits of
Jag’s Active Differential. This uses an electronically controlled clutch pack
to enact the locking forces on the diff and it means the Jaguar engineers can
programme it to perform exactly how they want it to. With a new control unit,
the diff can go from fully open to 100 per cent locked in under 200
milliseconds. When you have some steering angle wound on and introduce a bit
too much throttle it likes to react by kicking the tail out. Best to leave the
stability control on, which still allows for a bit of play time, as it slides
quickly, particularly if it’s damp. There’s also torque vectoring using the
front and rear brakes to help keep you pointed straight ahead.
