Thursday 26th January 2017

Jaguar F-Type S Coupe: PH Fleet

Is the bike'n'Jag combination a match made in heaven?

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As you may have seen the addition of a Sea Sucker suction cup bike rack now means I can take the F-Type AND my bike to make the most of those precious off-duty passes. When I shot the videoblog I'd not actually put many miles in with the combo though; now I have and in response to some of the points raised in the comments thread here are some further observations...

The point of testing the Sea Sucker was to see if an external mounting of any type on a sporty car really does mean you can have your cake and eat it. Yes, to the extent you don't have to leave the sports car at home when you have a biking roadtrip planned. But, as some have pointed out, can you really actually enjoy the benefits of the car with however many kilos of bike suckered onto the roof? Sea Sucker has demonstrated the rack with it fixed to the top of a NASCAR but the official line is not to exceed 75mph and, with or without that, there's a certain boot cooling element when it comes to the slinging it around on the twisty B-roads leading to the trailhead.

Arguably you'd actually feel more secure chucking a car like James's previous long-termer Octavia vRS and tow-bar Thule rack in such a situation. But if you're chopping and changing between cars the Sea Sucker does offer some flexibility.

In direct response to some of the feedback though, if you're thinking of trying one it's worth taking note of whether your pedals will hit the roof if they spin in transit. Obviously it'll depend how you mount it but, as one reviewer learned the hard way, a pedal can do some real damage to your paintwork if you don't secure it first. I'll be sure to check clearance before setting off in future.

Overall the best thing about the Sea Sucker is, of course, those times when you're not carrying a bike around. No roof bars, no tow bar and no compromise when you DO want to enjoy the F-Type to its fullest.

And on winter roads it's rather fun. I'm enjoying the more natural balance of the V6-based weight distribution and the mechanical diff seems to have a more progressive lock-up than the electronic one fitted to the V8 cars. It may be contrived to act that way to make it 'feel' more aggressive but the snap into oversteer on those cars seems more unruly; in the S it's a more fluid transition from lightly squeezed throttle into a rotation as mild or wild as your mood (or stability control setting) takes you. The rubbery shift and mushy clutch still aren't as sharp as I'd like but as an overall package I'm pleased to find that my hope this would be the thinking man's F-Type spec seems to be bearing out.

I'll be interested to try the updated MY18 car though. The improved nav can't come soon enough and I really like the sound - and look - of the Sport 400, though it's a pity this won't be available with the manual as well.

In the meantime I continue to enjoy 'my' car, while still baffled (especially at this time of year) at the £2,495 Performance Seats not including bum warmers. Weirdly in the winter gloom the Firesand paint seems to have regained its 'pop' though. In direct sunlight it looks ace but it can look a little muddy when it's overcast. A car swap with James on a recent run revealed it really stands out in the flat winter gloom, the orange regaining its luminescence in a very pleasing manner. Meanwhile one option I nearly ticked and am now glad I didn't is the Sport Design bodykit - my local dealer had a Firesand coupe fitted with it, making for a worthwhile comparison and confirmation the F-Type looks better unadorned with skirts and 'aero'. I will have to return there soon though; although the speed limiter works as it should the cruise control has become 'unavailable' when requested. The reality of spending a lot of time on camera regulated 'smart' motorway means I depend on both and need to get it sorted.

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FACT SHEET
Car: Jaguar F-Type S Coupe
Run by: Dan
On fleet since: October 2016
Mileage: 6,976
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: Does a bike rack an F-Type SUV make?

Previous reports:
If PH built F-Type Coupes...
Spec blushes averted with de-chroming
Hang on, another spec cock up?

Photos: Sim Mainey/Dan

[Sources: RoadCC]

[paulyv]

I know little about depreciation but when do we think the first models might dip close to £30k? Will be looking to trade in my Z4 coupe for one of these if all goes well.

[Mr Tidy]

Anyway, back in the real world where you get the folding out of your own pocket would I enjoy the £2,495 Performance Pack (without bum-warmers) more than a whole car - NO!

2 years ago I got an E46 Compact 325ti with (a bit of) change from £2,000!

Amazing how priorities change when you are spending someone else's money!

[bunyarra]

Looks like they have removed loads of paint options for the F Type now - Firesand is no more

[Mr Tidy]

Not going too well on this topic!

If I really could afford nearly £72K for a new car I would definitely want a bike that had an engine!