2014 Jaguar F-type - A Thrilling Blend Of Style, Performance And Luxury Car

Ferocious

Diving into the Porsche 911 end of the sports-car pool after a four-decade soak in the GT and sedan spa seems suicidal. Just be grateful that Jaguar finally realized that its technology, honed while fighting the German and Asian juggernauts, shouldn’t be exclusive to cars with a surfeit of seats and doors. By growling at the 911, Jaguar is confirming that its F-type is an earnest return to two-seat roadsters.

Jaguar is confirming that its F-type is an earnest return to two-seat roadsters

Driving it on Spain’s Navarra circuit and through mountain passes near Pamplona revealed that the F-type pays no homage to the E-type roadster or any other past Jaguar. Compared with the spear-like E, and F is a Billy club. The social graces this brand has long nurtured – supple paws, a mellow meow, and affectionate disposition are missing. Some errant strain has invaded Jaguar’s genetics, making the F the brand’s feral prodigy.

At least the initial greeting is cordial. You sink into bucket seats donated by the XKR-S that wrap your ribs like a chest cast. The driver’s zone is defined in part by a barrier that arcs up to the right of the shifter and into the dash. The bone thrown to the rider is a grab handle, vaguely reminiscent of the one in the E-type that served double duty as a wind-shield brace.

In the F, the stitched leather and the painted or polished trim are all of high pedigree. A central touch screen flanked by eight buttons handles navigation, car setup, communication, and entertainment functions, while three large knobs and half a dozen classic rocker switches manage climate control. An orange “Dynamic-i” switched engages a more aggressive throttle response, higher steering effort, quicker shifts, and delayed ESP intervention.

Elevating the seat is the first order of business. The stack of V engine, super-charger, intercooler, and pedestrian protection yields a forward perspective more like that in a World War II radial fighter than a modern jet. Because the high hood blends into a high beltline, you wear this sports car like an aluminum flak jacket.

The driver’s zone is defined in part by a barrier that arcs up to the right of the shifter and into the dash

Fortunately, Jaguar didn’t penalize the automatic F with its hallmark rotary shifter, instead fitting a more conventional pistol-grip gear selector, though a clutch pedal and H-pattern may be in the works for future release. Compensation for the F’s stick less product launch is a ZF eight-speed automatic that’s both user friendly and geared to the sports-car mission. There are three control tools: a gear lever with toggle-switch action in manual mode, a pair of steering-wheel shift paddles, and a decent switch beneath the throttle pedal that tells the transmission you need a shift right now or that you’d rather hold the current gear to the corner’s exit.

The automatic never really impedes the performance of any of the three engines. The two V-6s and the V-8 share the same core technology, including a DOHC valve-train with variable intake and exhaust timing, direct injection, Eaton supercharging, and liquid intercooling. The base 3.0-liter arms the F-type with 340 horsepower. Reprogrammed engine-management soft-ware gives the F-type S’s V-6 another 40 horses. Both provide impressive leap at low rpm. While the lesser version is tapped out by the 6500-rpm redline, the hotter six hustles to a 7000-rpm fuel cut.

What trumps the acceleration which should be under five seconds to 60 mph for the base F-type, a couple tenths quicker for the S version is the savage howl from twin exhaust pipes. A console switch allows selecting between “merely loud” and “gather the women and children”. Full-throttle acceleration sounds like open-pipe day at the track, and the overrun is a rich medley of pops and snorts. With each full-throttle upshift, there’s a rip as torque-management software intervenes to glaze over the gear change. Just to make sure no one misses the fact that the F is a Jaguar with lungs, intake noise is also piped into the cabin, though the woodwinds are invariably drowned out by the exhaust trumpets.

Because the high hood blends into a high beltline, you wear this sports car like an aluminum flak jacket

The 495-hp V-8 is the overkill choice for those willing to spend an extra $23,000 over a $69,895 base F. The sprint to 60 drops to four seconds flat (our estimate), and the growl verges on the leonine. Snappy gear changes are still in force, but now it pays to think twice before slamming the throttle to the mat. In addition to extra lunge, the top F gets four exhaust outlets, larger brakes, an electronic engaged limited-slip differential, and 20-inch wheels and tires. Even though carbon-ceramic rotors and opposed-piston calipers aren’t offered, the F-type brake pedals provide sharp initial bite, easy modulation, and no apparent fade.

The F’s aluminum unibody consists of 141 stamped panels, 18 die castings, and 24 extrusions joined by 2400 self-piercing rivets and more than 100 lineal yards of adhesive. The only welding is located in the bolt-in sub-frames that support the front and rear suspension systems. Add to that the stiffest springs, tightest damping, and stoutest anti-roll bars Jaguar has probably ever sent to the street, and those expecting the supple ride typical of this brand are in for a shock. The F’s body feels inert, as if it’s been piled on by armed guards. In exchange for grab-your-hat steering response and virtually no roll or pitch, you’ll know every patch and pothole on a first-name basis.

Jaguar bred this one to thrive in the sports-car jungle

To its credit, Jaguar didn’t make the move to electrically assisted steering. While the F has a slack-free center connection, a satisfying rise in effort with added lock, and a quick overall ratio, there’s little feedback through the wheel to signal the front tires’ loss of grip. Your ears and the seat of your pants will tell you adhesion is dwindling long before you receive that message through the steering wheel. Coincidentally, the 911-series Porsche 911 also lacks steering feedback when you most need it.

With fresh Porsches above and below in price and a new Corvette roadster due late this year, the F-type would have been ripped to shreds had it arrived as a lap kitty. Jaguar bred this one to thrive in the sports-car jungle.