I often tell my writers not to fall into the trap of describing the looks of a car when the pictures right above the copy do a far better job.
But this time, I must break my own rule and go inch by inch with you over the sinewy and sensuous lines of the 2015 Jaguar F-TYPE Coupe. Because – my god – it is truly one of the most stunning things I’ve ever seen.
All too often, automakers will create a brilliant design concept, and, after its made a momentous impact on the motoring world, create a production car half as good looking and about twice as bland. Not Jaguar.
No, it dared to be different. It went about things in an unusual manner. In 2011 Jaguar unveiled the C-X16 concept car. After it won accolades from the world’s motoring press, it went and made a convertible version that would become the F-TYPE Convertible we know today. Then it went back to the drawing board, refitted the roof, dubbed it the F-TYPE Coupe, and unveiled it for $4,000 less than the Convertible. This, I should point out, is completely backwards and topsy-turvy from the norm. And I love everything about it.
Before we get to the body, let’s talk teeth – and this Jag has plenty.
The F-TYPE Coupe, just like its drop-top brother, is headlined by a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 that makes 550 horsepower and can go 0-60 mph in 4.0 seconds and a top speed of 186. Beneath that are two versions of a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 that makes 380 and 340 hp. These twin sixes will go 0-60 in 4.8 and 5.1 seconds and top out at 171 and 161 mph respectively.
All these wondrous forced induction motors are backed by an eight-speed automatic, which I think is one of the best in the biz. The splendid eight-speed sends power to a second-generation electronic active differential and all-new torque vectoring system, which will ensure drivers can keep the F-TYPE firmly planted to the pavement.
The three models I hinted at above are designated as follows: F-TYPE Coupe starting at $65,000, F-TYPE S Coupe starting at $77,000, and F-TYPE R Coupe $99,000. Impressively, the F-TYPE R can do 50-75 mph in 2.4 seconds.
Clearly, the two F-TYPEs aren’t very different … at least in terms of powertrain options. Where the two truly differ is with space: trunk space, to be exact.
Jaguar boasts the F-TYPE Coupe has apparently far more space for things in the boot, as the Brits say. Just beneath the performance figures, Jaguar notes that the Coupe can hold two sets of golfing clubs. I take this to mean that many, many plaid-draped Englanders threw stiff upper lip fits when they discovered the brand-new Jag couldn’t hold their clubs.
Now the part I love the most: the body. I have often stated that the Audi A7 is the best-looking car of the last two decades. I think, however, the F-TYPE Coupe might have surpassed the Teutonic hotshot.
The Coupe is that perfect blend of aggression and sportiness with undeniable effortless elegance that only the Europeans are capable of. It’s the kind of thing you want to see hauling down the highway at 150 just as bad as you want to see if absolutely still so that you can take in every inch of its perfectly sculpted sloping roof line and proud, jut-y front nose.
Goodness I love this thing.
Thankfully, on the interior, Jaguar designers didn’t mess with a good thing; they let it alone. The F-TYPE Coupe interior looks a bit cramped but what it lacks in space it makes up for in spades in design inspiration. I love the big jutting arm that keeps passengers’ sticky fingers off the perfectly formed knobs of the center stack that were designed to look milled. I also love the extensive use of Alcantara, which hints quietly at the sporting nature of the new Jag.
Jaguar wants you to know all about the optional, new Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) braking system, which, with the help of the Vivid yellow monoblock six-piston calipers, will bring the forged 20-inch ‘Storm’ wheels with a gloss black/diamond-turned finish to a rapid stop. All I want you to imagine though is the sound of the furious roar of the R Coupe’s 5.0-liter V8 rushing through the hills outside Pamplona, Spain. Heck, why imagine it when you can see if for yourself?
