This, plus several chassis tweaks to make it more extreme,
has justified Jaguar applying the “R” moniker. Hence, where the range-topping
V8 version of the Roadster is called the V8 S, this car is called the F-Type R Coupe.
This isn’t the first time said 5-litre V8 has produced such
figures, though. The higher tuned version of this engine has already been seen
in the XKR-S, XJR and XFR-S, so it was only a matter of time before the F-Type
range similarly benefitted.
An 8-speed automatic gearbox from ZF does duty in all three
models, with lovely metal paddles behind the steering wheel giving tactile
pleasure to the fingertips as I call up each gear change.
The base-model V6 Coupe isn’t available at the launch, so I
have to “make do” with the V6 S. On open roads, it’s wonderful – beltingly
fast, very nimble and composed even over poor surfaces. The engine’s 380bhp is
ample – the supercharger giving strong, lunging acceleration from low revs and
taking the car to 100km/h in a claimed 4.9 seconds. If anything, it feels even
quicker than that. The engine sounds superb, too, singing stridently to its
redline, and rasping and crackling on the overrun when the drive mode selector
is in Dynamic.
F-type r coupe’s
550bhp v8 bellows and its loud exhaust soundtrack thunders through four
tailpipes
The ZF 8-speed auto box may not boast fancy twin-clutch
tech, but it is still lightning-quick, snapping through up changes and grabbing
down changes with an urgency that can beat many of today’s twin-clutch
transmissions.
Swivelling the chunky, flat-bottomed steering wheel (a
regular round wheel is a no-cost option) elicits an instant, sharp response
from the nose, the car flicking into bends with little inertia. There is some
slight body roll, but it’s kept well in check and doesn’t hamper the fun one
bit.
This being a front-engined, rear-driven two-seater, the
driving experience is different from that of a mid- or rear-engined sports car.
There is more yaw in corners, more sense of the rear wanting to step out.
Ultimate grip is fantastic, but overall the Coupe is less planted than, say, an
Audi R8 or a Porsche 911.
I’m seated almost above the rear wheels, behind a long
bonnet, which gives me a more intimate feel for that rear end (does this read
like it’s mildly illegal?) and allows me to better sense its impending
breakaway (and when it does so, the extent and progression of the slide).
This is a proper
high-performance coupe, with handling and sound effects to match, especially in
top-ofthe-line R configuration
For such an agile car, the ride is impeccable. It’s firm,
but bumps are massaged and muffled with dismissive ease, and they never succeed
in upsetting the car’s rhythm, even when in Dynamic mode. On straight stretches
of tarmac, the Coupe feels supple and long-legged, while on more sinuous roads,
that suspension compliance keeps the car from being deflected by mid-bend
bumps, while at the same time maintaining sharp, stable handling.
If the V6 S Coupe is the annoyingly capable all-rounder, the
R Coupe is the bad*ss of the range. Its engine note is louder and much wilder
than that of the V6 S, bellowing and snarling all the way from idle to rev-cut,
and emitting the most exhilarating thunderclaps from its barely silenced
exhaust system (quad pipes, instead of the pair for the V6 S).
Apart from an extra 50bhp, the R Coupe sets itself apart
from the V8 S Roadster with significant chassis revisions. Spring rates have
been slightly increased over those of the V8 S, while the electronically controlled
adaptive dampers and the Electronic Active Differential (EAD) have both been
retuned to suit the car’s more focused nature, with the EAD benefitting from a
new electronic controller that continuously senses road grip at each rear wheel
and provides the necessary degree of lockup to parcel out the torque
appropriately.
The R Coupe also features Jaguar’s torque vectoring, which
cleverly brakes individual inside wheels in corners, effectively “pulling” the
car towards the bend’s apex and helping to pivot the car.
F-Type R Coupe
wheel
On open roads, the F-Type R Coupe is noticeably frmer-riding
than the V6 S and deliberately more hard-core. The steering is slightly
heavier, and it directs the nose with even more alacrity than on the already
excellent V6 S as well as the V8 S Roadster. There’s less body roll, too,
making the R Coupe feel even more planted.
With all that extra power, it’s obviously more rapid than
the V6 S, doing the century sprint in 4.2 seconds on its way to its
(electronically governed) 300km/h top speed. And that sprint time would almost
certainly be quicker if it wasn’t limited by the ability to put all that power
down through the rear tyres.
The V6 S is a consummate all-rounder – achingly pretty,
exhilarating to drive hard, yet also an accomplished mile-eater. But for
ultimate visceral thrills, the R Coupe is unbeatable. But whichever model rocks
your boat, it’s clear that the F-Type Coupe doesn’t have to sit in the shadow
of the E-Type, because it’s brilliant in its own right.
