Jaguar F-Type R Coupe 2014 review

The Jaguar F-Type Coupe is one of the most beautiful cars currently being produced. It is a stunning vehicle that attracts attention both in traffic and wherever you park it.

But this F-Type Coupe promises more than looks, it also wears the R badge and that means it is also very fast.

The R is the most powerful F-Type Coupe, which was developed to go head to head with the iconic Porsche 911.  

It is out of the reach of most of us at $219,130, but has the presence and the pace of cars that demand far higher prices.  

Design

The F-Type was originally designed as a convertible and the coupe came later. Both are beautiful, but the coupe has a wonderful flowing roofline that makes for a fantastic profile. It perfectly mixes elegance with aggression and looks more agile than a 911.

The interior looks good, but the quality is not quite at the level of Porsche or Audi. It looks a little less developed. The R spec bronze anodised elements in this car (paddles, starter etc) look out of place and clash with the rest of the interior. There are some cool touches, such as the climate vents rising

up out of the dashboard when you switch on the car. The seats are comfortable and supportive, but don’t have a heater function as standard.

The red paint on our test car looked rich and bright, but this colour, which is somehow “race inspired” according to Jaguar, costs a mind-blowing $5620. It almost makes the premium other companies charge for metallic paint seem reasonable.

About town

The sloping tail of the F-Type Coupe means it has terrible rear visibility. Making it worse is the fact there is no rear-view camera fitted as standard, which is a ridiculous omission for a car that costs this much.

The boot is tiny and is almost completely filled with a space saver spare wheel. It is a two seater, with no space behind the seats for storage, so you will need to pack carefully for a weekend away. Apart from the visibility issue, the F-Type is easy to drive around town, with a competent automatic taking care of the gear changes.

On the road

The F-Type Coupe is not quite as brilliant near the limit as the 911, but that’s not an issue unless you plan on heading over to Germany’s Nurburgring. It still does handle extremely well and is very happy slinging around corners at a rapid rate. The body is tied down well and there is very little roll.

It definitely has the ability to match its looks, but the downside to its impressive agility is the jolty ride on less than perfect roads.

Performance

The R version is astonishingly powerful. A supercharged 5.0-litre V8 makes some 404kW and 680Nm, which is way more than you could ever use on public roads. It blasts from 0-100km/h in just 4.2, which is smidgeon faster (0.1secs) than the Carrera S Porsche auto. The Jag’s pace is great, but the

exhaust note is even better. Press a button on the centre console and this cat snaps from domesticated to feral in an instant. It roars wildly on acceleration and bangs like mortar rounds when you back off. The exhaust is so loud that you should consider turning it off in the early morning and late at night for fear of waking the neighbourhood.

The fuel consumption is ordinary, some 11.1L/100km, and is worse out on the road, but few owners will care.

The F-Type R is seriously overpriced when you factor in all the options that should be standard, but no other car in that price range delivers the same heady mix of beauty, performance and sound.

Standard features

The R version rides on 20-inch wheels, has quad exhaust pipes, performance brakes and special bonnet vents. It has leather sports seats and the switchable sports exhaust.

Options

Several items that should be standard on a car this costly include a reversing camera ($1725), heated seats ($1410), digital radio receiver ($600) and a blind spot warning system (along with a collision warning system) ($1500).

Ownership experience 

Warranty: is three years/unlimited km
Service: No capped service
Resale: N/A