It’s been less than a year since the Jaguar F-type first blew our socks off, but now it’s time to lose our hosiery once more as the F-type Coupés enter the arena.
While last year’s soft-top version of the F-type didn’t exactly fly out of the showrooms, it did do respectable business and contributed to a growing renaissance for Jaguar (now the fastest growing car manufacturer in the vital US market). But can sticking a hard-top onto the F-type and calling it a Coupé help boost sales and push the brand even further?
It’s certainly an unusual choice to release a soft-top version first, then re-engineer for a hard-top construction. There’s always the danger that you’ll end up with a clunky mess of a car that looks ungainly from the outside and feels uncomfortable on the inside. The job is made perhaps even harder by the USA’s strict roll-over laws, necessitating the introduction of a complicated network of hydro-formed aluminium roof beams. Fortunately, Jaguar’s engineers have managed to incorporate these smoothly under the cant rail, satisfying the US regulators without seriously compromising on aesthetics or comfort.
Outside the Coupé looks beautiful, its smooth, graceful lines betraying no hint that this was ever intended to have anything other than a hard-top. That hard-top also contributes to an 80% increase in torsional stiffness, providing a significantly improved ride, in spite of the added weight compared to the soft-top. But there’s no getting away from the fact that the F-type Coupé is a heavy beast, coming in at around 200kg heavier than an equivalent Porsche 911.
On the inside, the cabin is much the same as the soft-top, providing a comfortable amount of space, but nothing much more than that – although there is a surprisingly good amount of headroom. The dash is uncluttered and elegant, providing all the essential information, without overloading you with unnecessary dials and readouts. One very welcome change from the convertible is that the luggage capacity has increased significantly. Taking away the need to store the food allows the boot to go from a weedy 196 litres up to a very respectable 407 litres. To really make the most of the interior, there’s also the option to grab yourself a panoramic glass sunroof.
The engine options are basically the same as for the convertible, but the Coupé does come with the addition of electronically controlled limited slip differential (LSD) and torque vectoring, which helps the brakes pull you into turns. There’s also a spoiler that pops up automatically at 70pm, counteracting some of that pesky lift – and Jaguar have finally fallen into line with their competitors, now offering ceramic brakes which have some serious stopping power.
When they launched the range last year, Jaguar promised us that the F-type Coupé would be their most “performance-focused” production car yet. On the basis of what we’ve seen so far, it’s a boast that seems just about justified.
Release: March 2014
Price: From£51,235(Coupé), £60,235 (S Coupé) or £85,000 (R Coupé)
Engine: The standardCoupé has a3.0 litre V6 delivering 335bhp/332lb-ft, the S Coupé has a slightly more powerful 3.0 litre V6 producing 375bhp/339lb-ft while the R Coupé comes with a 5.0-litre V8 developing 542bhp/502lb-ft
Top Speed: 161mph (Coupé), 171mph (S Coupé) and 186mph (R Coupé)
Acceleration: 0-60mph in 5.1 seconds (Coupé), 4.8 seconds (S Coupé) and 3.9 seconds (R Coupé)
If the new F-type takes your fancy but you don’t quite have the funds to finance this beauty, don’t worry about it. With the Car Loan Warehouse, you can find the finance for your dream car without the hassle – check out our loan calculator to find your rate.
