Something purring loudly among the Porkers WT…..F type?
Discussion
Like a lot of petrolheads, I enjoy the utterly pointless weekend trip to the coffee shop where I meet a bunch of other Porsche drivers, we all stand around, peer at cars, stare into engine bays and once again circle the air-cooled versus water-cooled, RMS failures and all of the other nonsensical topics. A senior female executive once crisply remarked to me about this activity : " why, of course , dear. Men like to lock antlers and fart!". Similar gatherings are common over here for Vettes, Jeeps , Harleys and other marques.
For the last while I have been driving F type Jags including some long distance running, so I decided to leave the RS at home and bring an F Type out. I have been very,very impressed with the F, ( in general I am not at all a Jag fan), so was interested to see the reaction of the diehard Porker people.
The reaction was a very big thumbs-up to the F Type, and at least one attendee had already ordered one. " That is one beautiful car" was a common reaction, and also there was a strong view that the Jag represented very good value for money relative to the Porsche equivalent. Nobody even ventured to say " Well, its no Porsche". I was surprised in general by the amount of admiring reaction from passers-by or at the gas station, even in a conservative black finish. The car is very color sensitive. Finished in bright red with black wheels for instance the car has huge visual presence.
Austrian car for comparison:
A lot has been written about the F type being aimed at the 911, but it seems to me that the Boxster is also a comparison. They are pure two-seat convertibles, whereas the 911 convertible is more expensive when properly optioned and has substantially more interior room, with a small rear seat for kids. After a couple of thousand kilometres, mainly in the V6S, this car really impressed. Stylistically it is quite an elegant car, and at a rear 3/4 view has a touch of the BMW Z8 about it. The very first impression on driving the car is the engine note . In these days of cars so quiet that some manufacturers are piping in engine notes through the the sound systems, the Jags are unabashedly, joyously loud. The V8S could win an Oscar for best soundtrack, a muscle-car vintage roar, crackling and burbling on lift off. The V6S does the same thing but has a high-pitched wail. I looked forward to every tunnel.
The interior is a major improvement for Jaguar, with high quality switchgear and one of the best designed menu systems available today, taking only a few minutes to learn the car. Seats are very comfortable - an 800 mile drive caused zero fatigue. The sound system is excellent, the only downside being the placement of the USB and CD drives at the rear of the centre console glovebox resulting in a awkward twist to get to them. The soft top deploys in eight seconds. Strangely , the side windows must be raised manually after closing it. Overall, however, the interior is a very nice place to sit with no rattles or sense off cost-cutting.. The view of the long hood ahead feels very traditional.
Although the 495 bhp V8 is clearly a much faster car, the slightly lighter V6S with 380 BHP felt like more of a driver's car, with its mechanical limited slip diff. In both cases the 8-speed ZF transmission was very quick and precise in performance driving. The only transmission offered, it is as good as an auto gets. In these waning days and falling demand for stick shift, I was left hoping for a double clutch, rev-matching transmission nonetheless, though I doubt if this will affect demand. The hydraulic steering is precise and perfectly weighted. If you like a thick, ,meaty wheel, ( I do) this is a perfect example. Handling is very predictable and forgiving. Certainly the Boxster is still a more precise car to drive on a track , but in practical terms, in road conditions, there is nothing in it. I was particularly impressed with wet handling after a 100 mile drive in monsoon-like conditions on a slick highway with a lot of standing water. The F type felt utterly planted and at no stage was there any intervention of stability control.
What's not to like?
If you're a golfer, you might want to consider taking up tennis instead, because a racquet is about all you'll get in the trunk, which has a tiny odd-shaped interior. A legal carry on plus a computer bad pretty much fills the space, and as there is no usable space behind the seats, careful packing is needed if going away for the weekend.
Pricing is difficult to compare directly with Porsche as base prices are typically just a starting point , but a comparably equipped 495hp V8S at around $100K would require about $125k for a 400hp 991 C2S while a 380 BHP V6S would run abut $85k against about $77k for an similarly optioned 315BHP Boxster S.
In my experience this is the best Jaguar in decades, based on driving for long trips in mixed conditions. it is a car that gets better the more its driven. On the road it just feels a bit more special than the Porsches, and the reaction of the cars and coffee guys certainly confirmed it.
For the last while I have been driving F type Jags including some long distance running, so I decided to leave the RS at home and bring an F Type out. I have been very,very impressed with the F, ( in general I am not at all a Jag fan), so was interested to see the reaction of the diehard Porker people.
The reaction was a very big thumbs-up to the F Type, and at least one attendee had already ordered one. " That is one beautiful car" was a common reaction, and also there was a strong view that the Jag represented very good value for money relative to the Porsche equivalent. Nobody even ventured to say " Well, its no Porsche". I was surprised in general by the amount of admiring reaction from passers-by or at the gas station, even in a conservative black finish. The car is very color sensitive. Finished in bright red with black wheels for instance the car has huge visual presence.
Austrian car for comparison:
A lot has been written about the F type being aimed at the 911, but it seems to me that the Boxster is also a comparison. They are pure two-seat convertibles, whereas the 911 convertible is more expensive when properly optioned and has substantially more interior room, with a small rear seat for kids. After a couple of thousand kilometres, mainly in the V6S, this car really impressed. Stylistically it is quite an elegant car, and at a rear 3/4 view has a touch of the BMW Z8 about it. The very first impression on driving the car is the engine note . In these days of cars so quiet that some manufacturers are piping in engine notes through the the sound systems, the Jags are unabashedly, joyously loud. The V8S could win an Oscar for best soundtrack, a muscle-car vintage roar, crackling and burbling on lift off. The V6S does the same thing but has a high-pitched wail. I looked forward to every tunnel.
The interior is a major improvement for Jaguar, with high quality switchgear and one of the best designed menu systems available today, taking only a few minutes to learn the car. Seats are very comfortable - an 800 mile drive caused zero fatigue. The sound system is excellent, the only downside being the placement of the USB and CD drives at the rear of the centre console glovebox resulting in a awkward twist to get to them. The soft top deploys in eight seconds. Strangely , the side windows must be raised manually after closing it. Overall, however, the interior is a very nice place to sit with no rattles or sense off cost-cutting.. The view of the long hood ahead feels very traditional.
Although the 495 bhp V8 is clearly a much faster car, the slightly lighter V6S with 380 BHP felt like more of a driver's car, with its mechanical limited slip diff. In both cases the 8-speed ZF transmission was very quick and precise in performance driving. The only transmission offered, it is as good as an auto gets. In these waning days and falling demand for stick shift, I was left hoping for a double clutch, rev-matching transmission nonetheless, though I doubt if this will affect demand. The hydraulic steering is precise and perfectly weighted. If you like a thick, ,meaty wheel, ( I do) this is a perfect example. Handling is very predictable and forgiving. Certainly the Boxster is still a more precise car to drive on a track , but in practical terms, in road conditions, there is nothing in it. I was particularly impressed with wet handling after a 100 mile drive in monsoon-like conditions on a slick highway with a lot of standing water. The F type felt utterly planted and at no stage was there any intervention of stability control.
What's not to like?
If you're a golfer, you might want to consider taking up tennis instead, because a racquet is about all you'll get in the trunk, which has a tiny odd-shaped interior. A legal carry on plus a computer bad pretty much fills the space, and as there is no usable space behind the seats, careful packing is needed if going away for the weekend.
Pricing is difficult to compare directly with Porsche as base prices are typically just a starting point , but a comparably equipped 495hp V8S at around $100K would require about $125k for a 400hp 991 C2S while a 380 BHP V6S would run abut $85k against about $77k for an similarly optioned 315BHP Boxster S.
In my experience this is the best Jaguar in decades, based on driving for long trips in mixed conditions. it is a car that gets better the more its driven. On the road it just feels a bit more special than the Porsches, and the reaction of the cars and coffee guys certainly confirmed it.
Ari said:
Lack of ability to take anything with you renders the car pointless as anything other than a Sunday morning toy.
I tested various type of luggage. you can get a legal carry on plus some soft bags in there, so ok for a casual weekend, assuming you are not bringing a load of sporting gear!
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