We liked the drive in the F-Type
Convertible, but the Coupe is 80 per cent stiffer and chassis rigidity is
everything. The front and rear springs are a few percentage points stiffer to
help deliver a more honed athlete and get the best from the steering. This
coupe has a definite appetite for the bends. It’s wide and low, and its
grounded centre of gravity helps disguise its substantial 1,790kg mass while
the dampers keep it flat. It’s got a fine balance, despite the big lump up
front and, with generous rubber patches, it’s not often you’ll need the helping
hand of the torque vectoring on road. Come across a well sighted and open
corner, give it a nudge and you’ll feel the front end load up through the communicative
steering and you can just hold it there, the Coupe digging in, holding a line
while the dampers deal with any bumps to make sure it doesn’t get knocked off
course. You just need to be wary of the ground clearance on bumpy roads, but
that has more to do with the speed you’ve suddenly attained than any actual
clearance issues.
No
'leaper' on the bonnet – mercifully – but there is a 'growler' on the grille
This is a car that can really pile on
speed. Let the engine loose, and it’ll wind out each gear inhaling the horizon
in socially unacceptable fashion while blasting the countryside with its V8
soundtrack. Jaguar promises a 0-100 time of 4.2sec, and that’s probably
achievable on a hot, smooth surface but not on cold coarse chip, the fat rears
scrambling on road. So 4.38sec isn’t bad considering, while 2.2sec for the
80-120km/h run isn’t slow either. But the R is only getting into its stride at
this point. It would be great to unleash this down the back straight at Taupo.
Brakes
have a big task of arresting the speed that the Coupe so easily attains
In Dynamic mode throttle response is sharp
and instantaneous, just perfect really, while the gearbox steps up a notch
again. It does require a smooth approach, otherwise you’ll run into ESP
intervention. There’s 680Nm of twist going through the rears and if you were
too brazen with your throttle inputs it feels like it would spit you off the
road backward as soon as you touched the ESP button. It’s a bit like a British
football fan who’s all laughs until one too many lagers at the local, and
someone tells him Man U is better than City. Suddenly it’s all on.
The
F-Type R Coupe is powered by a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine that offers
542bhp and 502lb ft of torque
But driven with some focus, the Coupe is
mighty rewarding, even with an automatic gearbox and electronic driver aids. It
has a great helm, with a communicative chassis and an addictive powertrain.
Providing the balance to the power are the brakes, dubbed the Super Performance
Braking system, with iron rotors measuring 380mm on the front, complete with
performance pads. These elicit the odd squeal at low speeds but are
reassuringly strong at pace, with a solid pedal feel.
The R is a nicely honed and powerful
performance car, but despite being made of alloy it’s nearly 1,800kg. I’d like
a Coupe WR, as in weight reduced. If they could somehow make it 150kg lighter,
it’d be simply phenomenal.
The
retractable spoiler is like an insult to the F-Type's sleek roof profile
But then we’d have to forgo some of the
luxuries which make the R Coupe such a useable everyday machine. It’s nicely
made with fine materials covering the interior surfaces, though the shift
paddles deserve to be made of better stuff than plastic. There are a few
Jag-centric details like the disappearing air vents on the dash, while the
infotainment system takes care of most of your needs. The spec list is
comprehensive but there’s no reversing camera, nor any active safety features.
The low lying front end requires some caution on hilly driveways and speed
bumps, but otherwise it’s an easy commuter and there’s even a reasonable boot,
once you remove the space saver wheel that Jaguar NZ includes. You can choose
to ditch it and roll with the puncture repair kit, also provided. There’s vastly
more space available than in the F-Type Convertible.
The R starts at $185,000, which is plenty
but after investigating the competition, it’s actually good value in this
market. The Aston V8 Vantage S costs over $210k, as does the BMW M6 while
Porsche wants over $260k for its Carrera S. So there’s plenty of performance,
value for money and driver appeal here. As we said at the start, the R Coupe
has something for every car lover.
