F-Type [Official] Jaguar F-Type

[Cashmere]

Reminds me of how Mclaren went on and on about how the MP4 was a 458 slayer but when the reviews came out, they proved otherwise.

In any case, I still think the Jag is a great car but not quite the 911 rival just yet. They had better price it well below the 911.

 

[Cashmere]

Review by Autoweek Magazine

Jaguar F-Type vs. Audi R8 vs. Porsche 911

Research the 2014 Jaguar F-Type

Jaguar​

F-Type​

2014​

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June 2013 - by Georg Kacher | Photographs by: James Lipman


We might have picked somewhere warmer than northern Wales for the Jaguar F-Type's first meeting with its sports car rivals, but despite the chill of a winter that had overstayed its welcome, this frigid clime did offer some benefits: barren rolling hills; traffic consisting of little more than the postman in the morning and a farmer or two in the afternoon; and mother nature's own special driving stages laid out long before man invented the automobile. Here, three high-performance driving machines gathered for the young season's first roadster shoot-out. In one corner, we have the Audi R8 with the 430-hp V-8 engine and an S tronic automatic transmission. In the other corner is the 400-hp Porsche 911 Carrera S with a seven-speed manual. At center stage is the top-of-the-line, 495-hp Jaguar F-Type V8 S with an eight-speed automatic.

Full Review here: http://www.automobilemag.com/reviews/driven/1306_2014_jaguar_f_type_audi_r8_spyder_2013_porsche_911/viewall.html#ixzz2QyfwbAUe

 

[Kilcrohane]

They had better price it[the F-Type] well below the 911.

JLR? Before or after hell freezes over?

The 'new' F-Type - it's a cut and shut seven year old XK, itself a cut and shut 2002 XJ, so an eleven year old, hugely outdated, hugely overweight platform, with a 'new' V6 engine with a V8 block!, a torque-converter auto box, so how in the hell did even the most deluded Jaguar fanboys think this was going to 'kill' the Boxster, let alone the 911, both of which represent the non plus ultra of automotive continuous development, and cutting edge use of high-strength/ultra-high strength steels and other light weight/high strength materials mix?

Thank god there're still people like Tiff Needell around to call foul on BS merchants like Ron Dennis's McLaren, with their laughable 'automotive perfection' MP4, and the hyped as 'Porsche-killer' F-Type.

Tiff has already almost singlehandedly consigned the MP4 to the rubbish bin and looks to have probably done the same with this ludicrous F-Type.

 

[Deckhook]

Autoweek's conclusion sums up what I reckon would happen, if it were my money and the only car to have I'd pick the better all rounder F-type.... despite having a twenty year old chassis and fifty year old engine. lol

 

[Kilcrohane]

Autoweek's conclusion sums up what I reckon would happen, if it were my money and the only car to have I'd pick the better all rounder F-type.... despite having a twenty year old chassis and fifty year old engine. lol

Fine, I'm sure they'll shift a few, at least initially, of this "all rounder", to octogenarian retired quacks in Palm Beach and such likes, but, Hallmark, Callum and co. are telling anyone who'll listen right now that their F-Type is an out and out sports car, a Porsche 911 killer, and will shortly go racing, and have a manual 'box, and... blah blah blah.

Now that that all that nonsense has already been blown by the wonderful Needell and Autocar's Matt Prior to a lesser extent, Steve Sutcliffe's cringeworthy, arse-licking antics notwithstanding, can we all at least accept that this F-Type is just a fat boulevardier, an "all rounder" if we must, in your language, and nothing more, and move on to more attention worthy automotive products, like the coming new M3/M4, which actually move the game on, for example.

 

[Deckhook]

Jaguar for as long as I've known have been about offering a better balance between handling prowess and ride comfort, so to me at least I'm not expecting the F-type to tear the 911 a new arse hole on the track and frankly anyone that did really needs to take a reality check. PR is what it is, BMW's claim their products to be 'the ultimate driving machine'..... hello, yeah they are very good but there are many brands which have a proper claim to that title. Every brand tell porkies to promote their products and if you believe all the hype then I've men in white coats waiting here for you.

The F-type by all accounts offers a brilliant balance of both excitement and relaxed driving to fulfill most people's needs, if you prefer a bit more excitement then look at a 911 or something similar, no one is forcing you to buy it so why such negativity to the point of being obsessive.

 

[Sunny]

Now that that all that nonsense has already been blown by the wonderful Needell and Autocar's Matt Prior to a lesser extent, Steve Sutcliffe's cringeworthy, arse-licking antics notwithstanding, can we all at least accept that this F-Type is just a fat boulevardier, an "all rounder" if we must, in your language, and nothing more, and move on to more attention worthy automotive products, like the coming new M3/M4, which actually move the game on, for example.

I would be seriously surprised if the Jag rides as good as a PASM equipped 911. I have driven more than a couple of them now, in the 'comfort mode' the ride is just sublime - even ones with Sports PASM. And 911 also has rear seats how ever rudimentary they are, at least they give 911 more storage space if nothing else. So, I don't for a second buy the Jag is better "all rounder" crap. Mind you, I don't hate the Jag like you, I think it is a rather nice looking roadster with it's own little niche for people feeling nostalgic about about a sporty British roadster and I do hope it is a success. But setting it up against 911 (or even Boxtser) in any way or form is just knocking down failure's door.

 

[Sayyaaf]

Lets not forget the automotive press drama that occured in the 90s and they were to blame about the fall of Britains automotive industry. I don't blame them British cars came a long way but .... you know the rest.

 

[hoffmeister_fan]

I like how the F-type looks and am sure it drives very well. However, for my (imaginary) money, I'd get a 911. Again, the great appeal behind the 911 is that there's no car like...consider it's a Flat-6 and the fact it's more or less behind the rear axle. And with this set-up, it does everything well and has been doing well for quite sometime. For that simple reason and the simple reason I'd want a Porsche for quite some time and that I am gravitating more and more to that brand with each passing day versus a lot of other cars, I'd get a 911 at the snap of the fingers....that is if I had the means.

However, that being said, I do like the F-type and agree with both Deckhood and Sayyaaf that I am glad that there are choices and that foreign-owned British brands have come a long way. But my heart and brain both want the Porsche, rarely when thinking what car to buy, are both body parts in agreement. That's how good a Porsche is.

 

[Deckhook]

Its funny but when I watched the EVO video of the F-type (not the Tiff one) I instantly thought this is Jaguar's take on an modern day AC Cobra, especially the V8S and that made me smile so much.

 

[martinbo]

Jaguar's modern take on the AC Cobra? I don't think that's anywhere close to their intention. Heaven forbid.

They wanted a Porsche-tweener - it's obvious - but ended up getting a car that was better than neither.

 

[Levi68]

... the coming new M3/M4, which actually move the game on, for example.

With an engine based on a 8 year old N54?

 

[Sayyaaf]

They wanted a Porsche-tweener - it's obvious - but ended up getting a car that was better than neither.

Stunning use of words as usual martin.

 

[Deckhook]

Jaguar's modern take on the AC Cobra? I don't think that's anywhere close to their intention. Heaven forbid.

They wanted a Porsche-tweener - it's obvious - but ended up getting a car that was better than neither.

What, you don't like the AC Cobra....open top, big muscle bound V8 with the soundtrack to make, whats not to like? Seriously Martin there's something wrong if the AC Cobra doesn't appeal to a petrol head like you.

 

[martinbo]

I like the AC Cobra for what it is. And what it is isn't really all that special - bit of a clumsy affair. As a petrol head the last thing I'd want is for the F-Type to be anything remotely like an AC Cobra.

 

[Deckhook]

^Martin my reference had little to do with the way the AC Cobra drove but everything to do with the appeal of a big block V8 with a killer soundtrack and the wind in your hair.

 

[Guibo]

You can get the big block V8 experience with wind in your hair for a lot less than when you shell out for the F-Type. The point being made is that when you're targeting Porsche, simply having those virtues isn't going to be enough. The Viper was also a modern take on the AC Cobra and by most roadtest accounts, it was pretty much crap on the road compared to others.
But this gets to maybe the heart of the perception: Did Jaguar really say they were out to kill Porsche? Jaguar tend to be a conservative lot and this seems like a mission statement that is out of character.

In any event, it would seem that if one judges cars on the bang-for-buck factor, and places that high on the list of priorities, then the Jag can only be seen as a failure at this point. No question about it.

 

[Deckhook]

^I can't believe this car ever truly wanted to compete with the 911 from a purely handling point of view to have done so would have alienated the majority of their present customer base because frankly if you want a Porsche kind of experience then buy an f'ing Porsche. If you look at their current line up you have cars which handle well but not at the expense of ruining the ride so why would the F-type change this fundamental belief.

I'm waiting for a proper road test away from the track because I'm convinced its here that the F-type will shine, not as a 911 wannabe but as a polished open-top roadster which still allows you to have fun and awards such driving.

 

[Levi68]

"Bank-for-Buck' is very relative. BMW is a bang for buck compared to Porsche.

The cars that officially aimed at the 911 were/are/will be the Vantage V8 (failed), the SLC AMG, the NSX II, the GT-R, the Shamal, the P13. But we are talking about 911 Carrera (S), not 911 GT3 (RS) or 911 Turbo (S).

 

[Guibo]

^I can't believe this car ever truly wanted to compete with the 911 from a purely handling point of view to have done so would have alienated the majority of their present customer base because frankly if you want a Porsche kind of experience then buy an f'ing Porsche. If you look at their current line up you have cars which handle well but not at the expense of ruining the ride so why would the F-type change this fundamental belief.

I'm waiting for a proper road test away from the track because I'm convinced its here that the F-type will shine, not as a 911 wannabe but as a polished open-top roadster which still allows you to have fun and awards such driving.

But what makes you think they were trying to cater to a majority of their present customer base?
"Jaguar F-type: an ‘off the line’ sportscar
Jaguar F-Type engineering boss Ian Hoban says the new F-type marks a fundamental shift for the British firm that will change its brand DNA.
The current XF, XJ and XK all fit neatly on a line balancing refinement and sporting character – but the F-type intentionally does NOT fit on this line, skewing the emphasis much more towards sportiness.
“We are moving away (from the current cars) and doing this very differently,” said Hoban at the F-type’s world press launch in Portugal. “It is off the line.”
This is why Jaguar expects 90 per cent of all F-type customers to be first-time Jaguar buyers. Marketing director Steven de Ploey told MSN Cars the objective for the F-type was to “put sporting credentials back at the heart of the brand proposition”.
Jaguar’s performance credentials “have been hidden – too hidden. The F-type brings them back out.” He believes the F-type is a ‘critical trigger’ that will become an ‘enabler’ for the repositioning of Jaguar’s brand.
“If we’d have done this through the core cars, it would have taken a lot longer to embed an image of sporty dynamism.”
Jaguar brand director Adrian Hallmark is in no doubt that the F-type is a long overdue car. “Jaguar without a sportscar is as unthinkable as Porsche and Ferrari without a sportscar.”"
http://www.motoringresearch.com/jaguar-f-type-an-off-the-line-sportscar/878920

While one might not expect it to be a 911-beater (or even -matcher) dynamically, it's pretty obvious they've strayed from the typical current Jaguar traits on purpose, and various road tests have indicated they've specifically benchmarked the 911 cabriolet.

I agree that on-road performance matters, yet within these (and other) forums, it was largely on-track specifications that defined bang-for-buck. It's a little strange now that the Jaguar, having been soundly beaten here by the Porsche, is being given the benefit that other cars were not. I will grant that this is only an early test and other tests may show differently, but there is a marked lack of consistency going on here.