Sunday 27th November 2016

Jaguar F-Type S Coupe: PH Fleet

Dan rues a configurator cock-up with his supposedly carefully specced F-Type

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This must happen out there in that there real world where people actually pay for their cars. Or maybe my abuse of privilege and lack of financial commitment meant I was a little slapdash when browsing the options on the Jaguar configurator, my attention distracted by options like the £2,550 carbon fibre roof I was busy adding to my build. But even in the excitement at my F-Type Coupe arriving at PH Towers I knew immediately I'd messed up by not speccing the blacked out window surrounds, side vents and grille you get with the £610 Black Pack. It also totally exposed my own hypocrisy, given just days before on Twitter I'd called out a 911 Turbo parked up on a Porsche press event for its combination of bold Mexico Blue paint and chintzy chrome window surrounds. Trent, you're an idiot...

This was only confirmed a few weeks later when I was chatting with design boss Ian Callum at a pre-LA I-Pace unveiling. When I told him I'd just taken delivery of my long-termer his first question was "what colour?" When I said Firesand he nodded approvingly, before fixing me with a more serious look: "You chose the Black Pack, right?" His wince when I confessed I hadn't said a lot. Options were discussed, including Callum's old-school hot-rodder tip of carefully stretched insulation tape, or perhaps a visit to a wrapping specialist.

Conducting this conversation within tactical earshot of the PR team probably helped my case when I put a nothing ventured, nothing gained request in to see if the Black Pack could be retrofitted. I need to find out if such a request would be entertained by a Jaguar dealer but, in this instance, it was deemed possible and after a brief trip to the press garage my F-Type has returned de-chromed. Even seeing it for the first time in the dark confirmed what a transformation this seemingly subtle tweak has made to the car; to my eyes it now looks complete.

Begging the question, has anyone else taken delivery of a car and had that sick to the stomach feeling when they realised they'd missed an essential tick on the options sheet? I'm hoping I'm not the only one...

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FACT SHEET
Car: Jaguar F-Type S Coupe
Run by: Dan
On fleet since: October 2016
Mileage: 3,930
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: Spec blushes spared with a trip back to the garage for de-chroming

Previous reports:
If PH built F-Type Coupes...

Photos: Ben Lowden

 

[Dale487]

Only after taking delivery do I wish I'd included rear electric windows at about £150 to my Skoda Fabia Monte Carlo - to add insult to injury when a friend was looking at my nice new car they said it was very nice but why did it have cheap manual windows in the back.

[gazza5]

I did the same with my astra - I didn't even think to look in the back to see if it had electric windows - it was when I got home I noticed after paying for it! Although mine was 2nd hand - I didn't even think to look!

Big mistake as now my 3 year old doesn't understand why I can't open her window when moving.

ALthough I guess some people will say it was a big mistake buying a astra - but the car has been great to me over the 52k miles in 5.5 years.

[Guvernator]

What I don't understand is why in this day and age do manufacturers still insist on putting chrome around the windows in the first place? It didn't look all that great in the 80's IMO, let alone now. I can only assume they do it on purpose to force you to pay to have the unsightly things removed.

[jtopps]

Recently took delivery of a Skoda Citigo to keep the miles down on my pride and joy as my commute to work increased to approximately 2000 miles a month. The idea was something cheap, economical and with just enough character that my girlfriend wouldn't turn her nose up at the idea of learning to drive in it. I specced it in the spring green metallic paint (think lime green similar to the old mazda 2 colour), with black alloy wheels on the exterior. The girlfriend cares not a jot about cars and would want something easy to use so to that effect I got sat nav, Bluetooth phone/audio, cruise control and parking sensors.

Within a day of receiving the car I wish I'd pushed the boat out a little bit more and specced the leather gearknob and steering wheel and the gloss black dashboard as right now they're all grained plastic and my god the interior looks dull even if it does feel solidly screwed together. I'm thinking I might have to source and retrofit some mildly used versions of these parts. I also got a 10% off accessories voucher so perhaps some racing stripes and a rear spoiler are in order too

[gweaver]

Guvernator said:

What I don't understand is why in this day and age do manufacturers still insist on putting chrome around the windows in the first place? It didn't look all that great in the 80's IMO, let alone now. I can only assume they do it on purpose to force you to pay to have the unsightly things removed.

I'm sure Ford do it on the Fiesta Titanium to encourage you to spec a Zetec-S/ST-Line - it's just another way of persuading you to part with more money.

[gweaver]

I regretted ordering the dealer-fit sill protectors for my Swift Sport - mostly because the work experience boy (I presume) did such a crap job of fitting them. I should have ordered the part and fitted them myself.

[philmots]

It does look loads better.

The chrome works better on black, dark greys and blue etc.

[stevejgt2]

Yep if I had spent my own money and got the spec wrong (at least when I was told it was wrong) I would feel sick to my stomach. I may have misread the article, you actually bought and paid for this car yourself Dan?

[Bencolem]

Not quite a spec faux pas but I remember my father wanting to spec a 5 speed gearbox in a company car Rover 2000SE SD1. Went against company policy so he had to settle for the standard 4 speed. Imagine his surprise when - about 3 weeks into ownership - he was messing around and ghosted into a 5th gear position only to find it slotted home. Despite the spec sheet saying it was a 4 speed (and the gear lever only showing 4 speeds) the legendary British Leyland quality control had managed to see a 5-speed box fitted by accident!

[Hitch]

I quite like a chrome window surround on a dark saloon or estate. There, I said it.

The current trend for murdered out black/night/shadow/ninja packs is a bit crap I think. On cars like this yes, on a boggo 2.0 A6 with a balding middle aged man at the wheel, no.

[Milemuncher]

The very definition of 'first world problem'.

[T1berious]

The original owner of the Z4MR we have must have been on crack when he ordered it...

Silver - Check
Contrasting Red and Black Interior? Of course Sir! (WTF?)
Carbon effect trim - Of course Sir! (WTF?)
Sat Nav - Check
Heated Seats - Check
Upgraded Stereo? Pardon? Oh no, I'm quite deaf so don't bother.... (WTF?)

It was the closest Z4MR from a main dealer, wasn't till after we'd bought it I realised the stereo was Fisher Price, where the speakers should be I have storage bins! FML!

[Domf]

I ordered a Jaguar in 2003 and ticked the Radio CD Player box, the car was delivered with a Radio Cassette Player! Factory misbuild, so it's not always your fault on the options list.

[liner33]

The original owner of my XFR ordered black pack on the front but chrome on the back ....wtf??

[macajc88]

Saw this at Ginetta Sunday Service last weekend and thought what a perfectly specced F-Type that is - not sure I'd have felt the same with the chrome bits. Nicely saved!

[Buffy d]

stevejgt2 said:

Yep if I had spent my own money and got the spec wrong (at least when I was told it was wrong) I would feel sick to my stomach. I may have misread the article, you actually bought and paid for this car yourself Dan?

No, it's a press car on longterm loan, but the press office allowed Dan to order it and spec it as he liked.

[unpc]

When I first moved the the US I bought the Mrs a new Explorer, viewed it in the dark only and went to pick it up the following day. Turned out it had a blue interior. I couldn't see the colour in the dark and looked something like this

[Gorbyrev]

Milemuncher said:

The very definition of 'first world problem'.

Indeed, my first thought also, yet here we are reading it which is probably a "first world response"! Does be the question as to why this is not a suggested option on the configurator.

[RingSpanner]

Jaguar's option choices are sometimes a little unclear. (Then again, BMWs could be pretty confusing, too.)
You can specify an option from base, only to have it deleted when you choose something else not remotely connected to it.
I suppose you could always ask a salesman - they can be handy.

[Ian_C]

Someone who posts on this very forum ordered an early 987 Boxster S around 2004 2005 in a very good spec with lots of options..... however xenons were not standard and he only realised the day it arrived.....

• edit - lots not 'lost'.... oh the irony

Edited by Ian_C on Friday 25th November 16:29