In 2013 it was obvious that Jag XK has its days numbered and new F-Type was introduced as a successor. Forget about Jaguar intentions, F-Type is hardly connected to its official predecessor, as their cores couldn’t be much apart. XK was a luxury grand tourer, although cramped in a way that only Jaguar can do, while F is just a killing machine. XK competed BMW 6 series and Merc CL, while F-Type rivals 911, GTR, Corvette and similar bunch. Let’s see how 2017 Jaguar F-Type do its job in challenging mentioned legends.
STYLING
It looks stunning. It is muscular, well-shaped and brutal. It is proper muscle car but from the other side of the pond. It carries hints from legendary E-Type, as seductive thighs at the rear are hard to miss.
XK looked tamed, F looks wild. Attention to details was so high that we dare you to find door handles as there are no any, instead just rectangle lines ready to pop out as handles at the push of the button.
CABIN
This is a sports car, and there is no joke about that. Don’t look for wood, because you won’t find it now, remember old XK? Styling is the serious no-smiling type, and the whole interior seals around you, making sure that you understand that you are behind the wheel of a proper muscle car.
It doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not, so head and leg room is not perfect, 7.3 cubic feet of space in the trunk of the convertible or 11.7 cubic feet in the coupe are not going to take much into. Furthermore, don’t stare at the back, there are no more seats, no bench, not even a shelf. Don’t worry spending time inside, it is not going to resemble horseback riding as seats are comfortable, there is decent quietness, materials are properly selected and build quality is pretty close to perfection.
BIG THING
Push the pedal and it will rip the road. The rear is not afraid of letting loose as you tear down you tires all day long with a big smile on your face. Finding so easily drift willing car in these days is hard, and you’ll have to swim the ocean from its birthplace to search for one.
In front of rivals, it acts as a silver-back gorilla when threatened, and it will show its teeth to anybody, well primarily to Porche Boxter and Cayman as we went too far in introduction mentioning 911. Although it is aluminum made, with 3500 pounds is heavier than mentioned competitors and it’s not so precise on track until you opt for R and let alone SVR model. In engine department there are four choices, base F-Type with 340 hp 3.0-liter V-6, add letter S and you’ll get 380 hp from the same unit.
Slowest one takes 5.5 seconds to 60 mph and reaches 171 mph so many buyers could stop there. For those that want to take this car to track from time to time, R version with 5.0-liter V-8 producing 550 hp and breaking 4 seconds limit in acceleration would be sufficient. If even this one is not enough, SVR will be, as it is pumped to 575 hp that makes zero to 60 mph times fall to 3.5 seconds, and top speed settles at a 200 mph high. They are all supercharged and manual, just for V6, or 8-speed automatic shifter is offered.
FEATURES
In order not to completely desert its GT roots from XK, it will cushion you with lots of equipment, as standard one include power features, automatic climate control, leather upholstery, Bluetooth connectivity, 18-inch wheels, cruise control, navigation and a 770-watt Meridian sound system.
The F-Type S adds adaptive dampers, 19-inch wheels, ambient lighting, driver-configurable Dynamic mode, and a limited-slip differential. The F-Type R gets 20-inch wheels, performance brakes, its own sports seats, and an electronic limited-slip rear differential with torque vectoring. Finally, SVR adds its specially tuned suspension and wheels, aerodynamic and additional cockpit details.
2017 Jaguar F-Type Video
FINALLY
Have you ever desired masculinity of American muscle car, Germanic attention to build quality and British sports car lunacy? Desire no more, as you can get your hands on 2017 Jaguar F-Type.
