On cold tyres or damp roads, even the car's
most forgiving winter setting struggles to keep the rear wheels planted. In all
conditions, wet or dry, it's the on/ off nature of the throttle pedal, and its modulation,
that proves the greatest challenge in keeping things neat and tidy, especially
out of low-speed corners. Of course, the counter argument is that there's
plenty of fun to be had by effortlessly kicking the tail out whenever the mood
(and the spouse) permits. A glance at the $1,280 replacement cost of a pair of
295/30 R20 Pirelli P Zero rear tyres may soon quell this urge, though.
The
interior designers have created a luxurious, spacious cabin that dresses
advanced acoustic and electronic technologies
Ultimately not as light on its feet as we
had hoped, with heat in the tyres and sweeps in the road, the R Coupe rewards
smooth throttle and steering inputs with smile-inducing precision. A new
torque-vectoring system is able to brake the inside wheels for a more accurate
turn-in (i.e. less understeer), while at speed the electronically controlled
Active differential copes admirably with the management of 680 Nm sent
exclusively to the rear wheels. Purists will enjoy the fact that, despite the
presence of electronic safety aids, there's still a challenge to be had in
driving the R Coupe fast and smoothly. The rest of us, however, might call it
"edgy".
The three-stage stability control system
offers a more forgiving middle ground, but if you insist on the hairy-chested
approach, dynamic mode allows the driver to set the sensitivity of the
throttle, steering and transmission while firming the dampers to suit
prevailing conditions. These standard adaptive dampers offer an impressively
compliant ride in their default setting.
In
coupé form, the only real change to the F-Type’s centre console is a missing
switch to operate the convertible roof. A tiny cubby occupies its space
Ventilated (front and rear) steel brake
discs proved more than capable of bringing our 1,803 kg test unit to a stop
from 100 km/h in an excellent average time of 2.84 seconds, but Jaguar offers
carbon-ceramic units as a cost option on the R Coupe.
Test summary
Not only a spiritual successor to the
E-Type, to date the F-Type has proved to be as much of a commercial success as
its ancestor was back in 1961. With the Coupe expected to outsell the Roadster
two to one, Jaguar Land Rover will be looking to continue its recent success,
which has seen 75% of F-Type owners buying into the Jaguar brand for the first
time.
As enthusiasts, we welcome the fact that
the British brand has seen fit to build a car as wild and unapologetic as the R
Coupe. With its standout styling, impressive performance and guttural
soundtrack, it is a car that speaks to all your senses. That said, it's also
not the easiest of the F-Type packages to live with on a daily basis, with a
constant need for right-foot restraint, particularly in the wet, which can grow
tiresome over longer journeys.
It’s
hard to make seat controls look elegant, especially when you throw in gloss
black plastic. The Seat Memory Pack clutters the door panel with yet more
buttons
There aren't many sportscars that offer as
much drama and sense of occasion in this price range as the R Coupe does, but that
doesn't mean the competition isn't tough. Ultimately, as with the Roadster, we
suspect the V6 S (with optional switchable sport exhaust fitted) is the sweet
spot in the range, if not because its more usable (yet still impressive)
performance characteristics appeal to a wider audience, but also because its
centre-mounted twin tailpipes mimic those of the original (and best)
six-cylinder XKE E-Types.
