Te test model featured a number of optional extras which bumped up the asking price from £58,520 to £68,440. Tese included soft-grain leather trim, heated seats with a memory package, 19-inch alloys, a wind deflector, rain sensing wipers, a heated leather flat-bottomed sports steering wheel and that ear-bursting Active Sport Exhaust system. So, like its legendary predecessor, the F-Type is beauty in motion. It radiates sophistication and craftsmanship and has all the built-in technology you could wish for. But does it live up to expectations on the
performance front? Te answer is a very resounding “yes”. Tanks to its lightweight aluminium construction, the F-Type is agile, nimble, beautifully balanced, blisteringly fast and exceptionally sure-footed. It handles busy city centres and faster motorways with aplomb, but it’s out on the twisting, more testing country lanes that the car bursts into life and demonstrates all its attributes to the full. Te Supercharged V6 engine blasts the F-Type to 60mph from a standing start in just 5.1 seconds and it tops out at a limited 161mph. But it’s the manner in which these speeds
and bursts of acceleration are achieved that really impresses. Te F-Type boasts an eight- speed Quickshift automatic gearbox which is magnificently efficient, although there’s plenty of scope to play with the steering wheel-mounted paddles and listen to the soundtrack! Road-holding is sublime and sharp bends
are tackled with ease and although the ride can be a little hard at times, that almost adds to the car’s charm. Mother Nature was certainly looking down on me during my week-long test as almost the entire 450 miles I clocked up were in roof-down mode. Tis is achieved by pressing a switch and takes just 12 seconds to lower or raise the canvas
hood at speeds up to 30mph. Storage might be an issue for some as the boot can only cater for just under 200 litres with the roof up or down and storage options within the cabin are limited. But, in all honesty, many F-Type owners
will have another family-type car that can be used for load-lugging purposes. Safety specifications are comprehensive and
include anti-lock brakes, emergency brake assist, dynamic stability control, a smart airbag system and lots more. Jaguar says the F-Type heralds a return to the company’s heartland – it’s a two- seater convertible sports car focused on performance, agility and driver involvement – I couldn’t agree more. Te company faced an almost impossible task of recreating what many considered the perfection of the E-Type. And some die-hard critics may say the
newcomer lacks the soul of the E-Type, but I would argue that Jaguar has progressed with the times and somehow maintained a timeless tradition in the process. It’s a fact that Jaguar has taken nearly 40 years
to go from E to F, but I can’t think of many better ways of getting from A to B.
Jaguar F-Type V6 Supercharged Maximum speed: 161mph (limited) 0-60mph: 5.1 seconds Mechanics: 340PS, 2995cc, V6 Supercharged petrol engine with 8-speed Quickshift automatic gearbox Combined mpg: 31.4 CO2 emissions: 209g/km Insurance group 1-50: 50 Warranty: Tree years/unlimited miles Price: £58,520, plus £9,920 extras
64
waterfrontmagazines.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68