Jaguar F-type V8 S Review: A Muscle Car With Manners
Pros
Cons
Is it fast?
Oh yes. How fast depends on which F-type you buy. There are 335bhp and 375bhp supercharged V6 versions – neither a slouch, the slowest hitting 60mph in 5.1 secs – but it’s this supercharged V8 version that you really want. Its 5-litre engine comes from the crackpot XKR-S and it’ll pass 60mph in a supercar-like 4.2 secs before topping out at 186mph. And that’s limited…
Is it sexy?
Jaguar sports cars never lack sex appeal, but the F-type takes things to the next level. It’s been 13 years in the making, so Jag has been a dirty little tease, and it’s totally worked on us. It’s like a little muscle car: long bonnet to house those meaty engines, and a stubby little rear, with plenty of beef in between.
What’s it like to drive?
The muscle car theme continues here. Plonk the jet fighter-style gear selector into D (eight-speed automatics only in the F-type!) and bury the throttle and if the road isn’t warm, the rear wheels will fizz up as they attempt to handle how much power you’ve cruelly thrown at them. And when they do transfer the grunt, you’ll end up going very fast with the most silly, amazing, ear-splitting soundtrack to enjoy. Take manual control of the gears and there’s the equivalent of a sawn-off gunshot on upchanges and more pops and crackles than a Group B rally car on the overrun.
With the roof down you could play tunes in the F-type all day, but the good news is you’ll want to go round some corners too. Its steering is weighty and quick – and loads better than any other Jaguar, err, ever. But it’s a bit wild – grip at the rear isn’t generous and you don’t need to turn all of the ESP off to make it do some YouTube-pleasing skids. The V6 is probably the more talented car, but the V8 is the more exciting.
How about the inside?
It makes you feel good, sitting in the F-type. The seat is low and snug, the steering wheel is fat-rimmed and flat-bottomed and the starter button and gearshift paddles are an eye-catching copper colour. You’re in no doubt it’s a sports car but it’s comfy too.
Will my mates rate it?
If they think Jags are still for cigar-smoking old men who wear elasticated trousers, one run through the F-type’s gears would probably make them see sense – once they’d got their hearing back. This is a cool car and everyone who sees it gives the thumbs up.
Can I afford it?
The cheapest V6 costs £58,520 while this pant-dampening V8 is 15 quid short of £80,000. So probably not. And you can buy second-hand Gallardos and R8s for that sort of money anyway. But are they as cool as a drop-top Jag? Would you ever get spat at or called a pillock (or worse) in an F-type? We think not.
Show me three used alternatives
Front engine, rear-wheel drive, ability to drift: you can get it all for less than a grand in the good old Mazda MX-5. With engines from 1.6 to 2.0 litres, it’s not as hairy chested as the Jag, but on a lot of roads you’ll have nearly as much fun. Here’s one in tip-top condition for less than two grand.
If you need a sexy, supercharged V8 Jaguar convertible you can save 70 large ones and get an XKR cabrio for less than £10,000. There’s even a proper boot and room for two tiny friends in the back. Might need to take up those cigars, though.
Loud, silly and British? Look no further than the mad, bad AC Cobra. You can buy a ton of replicas and kit cars for less money but shell out £45,000 and you can have this bona fide example. Only 220bhp, but that’ll be plenty to get you in an awful lot of trouble…
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