Jaguar F-Type S Coupe: PH Fleet

Want a limited edition and highly exclusive F-Type on the cheap? Just choose the manual!

From the 911 R to the Golf GTI Clubsport S people seem to get very het up about the limited availability and exclusivity of special edition cars. To which I say just look at the 'regular' spec sheet and use a bit of creativity - you could end up with something truly unique!

So it would seem with my combination of options for the PH F-Type. Chatting with Jaguar's new PR man it turns out he previously worked on the F-Type programme. Suffice it to say he knows the car inside out - indeed he bought one himself with his own money! Much geekery ensued and he reckons Firesand is very rare on non-SVR cars. The carbon roof? Even more unusual but perhaps not surprising given it costs £2,550 for little more than pose value. My indulgence, at Jaguar's expense. Cough. That combination on a manual though? Given just two per cent of F-Type sales are stick that makes 'mine' a very, very special car! And it was a configurator click away. Well, that and £71,880.

Our man was concerned to hear about the carpet coming away from where it tucks under the transmission tunnel trim. His response this is a 'global fix' suggests I'm not the first and it'll get sorted as and when I take it in. Ditto the wandering stitching on the shifter boot. He also had a proposed solution to the intermittent cruise control error I'll report back on once I've had a chance to try it out.

Now over to Nikolai, who has been enjoying the car in a most Jaguar-appropriate manner...

"It was my turn to experience the GT capabilities of the F-Type on a trip down to Goodwood for the 75th Members' Meeting," he writes. "The morning could have led to an apologetic phone call to Dan having to pass through the two-metre width restrictors getting out of London. Normally these aren't too intimidating but in a car that is 1,923mm wide (with mirrors closed) there were some sphincter clenching moments. Safely onto the A3 there was a pleasing coincidence when I joined up with a British Racing Green V8 cabriolet and an Indus Silver V6 Coupe en-route. Hindhead Tunnel was a good chance to enjoy the louder exhaust setting in Dynamic mode too!

"Living with the F-Type day-to-day is something that needs getting used to, the lack of visibility meaning you feel cocooned but a little remote from the outside world. Not always ideal. Those expensive Performance Seats are pretty snug, look good and I can get over the lack of heating elements especially as spring is here. One annoying oddity is the fact only height and recline are power operated - back and forth adjustment is manual. First world issue I realise but day-to-day I also found the set belt lodges into the epaulette and won't dislodge until the belt is manually redirected."

FACT SHEET
Car: Jaguar F-Type S Coupe
Run by: Dan, with help from Nikolai this month!
On fleet since: October 2016
Mileage: 10,054
List price new: £71,880 (Basic list of £60,775 plus Firesand Orange paint £715; Jet leather facings and Firesand stitch £0; Jet/Firesand Interior £0; Dark Hex Aluminium centre console £0, 20-inch Cyclone wheels in black £1,785; High Performance Brake System with black calipers £310; Visibility Pack inc. heated windscreen and Auto High Beam Assist £1,100; Premium Leather Interior with Performance Seats £2,495; Parking Pack inc. front parking sensors and rear view camera £515; illuminated metal treadplates with Jaguar script £255; Meridian 770W Digital Surround Sound System £1,380 and Carbon Fibre Roof £2,550)
Last month at a glance: Past the 10,000 mile mark and that noise is still invigorating

Previous reports:
If PH built F-Type Coupes...
Spec blushes averted with de-chroming
Hang on, another spec cock up?
Jaguar + bike = happy Dan
Back to driving school in the F-Type