Jaguar F-Type review

Supercharged engines and a brilliant chassis mean the F-Type delivers performance to match its looks

No matter what version of the F-Type you choose, you’ll be rewarded with a superb driving experience. As it was developed as a Convertible from the outset, there’s very little twisting or vibration through the bodyshell, and body control in corners is excellent. 

Enhancing things further is quick and precise steering, plus strong grip, along with 50:50 weight distribution and either rear- or four-wheel drive. It all adds up to an extremely involving and agile car.

All F-Types allow the driver to select a Dynamic Mode, which sharpens the throttle response, increases steering weight and, when fitted, changes the shift pattern of the smooth eight-speed automatic transmission. The P380 3.0 V6 and V8 R models add adaptive dampers for even better grip and response, and there’s torque vectoring which helps sharpen turn-in during fast cornering. 

The six-speed manual gearbox is a welcome addition for driving purists. It’s a slick-shifting unit, although it’s not quite as finely honed as the manual box offered by Porsche – and, besides, the auto versions change through the gears faster than you can yourself with the manual, giving faster acceleration.

The overall result is still not quite as poised as a Porsche Boxster, but the F-Type is an amazing car to drive nonetheless. What’s different is that it blends superbly engaging performance with the sort of supple ride that makes cruising a pleasure. German rivals tend to adopt a more firmly sprung approach, which sometimes jars on Britain’s mixed bag of surfaces.

Four-wheel-drive cars are a real thrill. They feature an active system that generally sends only 30 per cent of torque to the front wheels, but feeds more in as the rear wheels lose traction. You don’t notice the added weight, and most of the time the car feels like it’s rear-wheel drive, but the extra grip and quick-witted 4WD system add to the fun, and the levels of grip are phenomenal.

Engines

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine is turbocharged, but all the other engines in the F-Type are supercharged, and familiar from other models in the Jaguar line-up.

That 2.0-litre unit in the P300 2.0 i4 is Jaguar’s Ingenium engine that’s also used in the XE saloon and Land Rover’s Discovery Sport, and in the F-Type it makes 296bhp and 400Nm at just 1.500rpm. Top speed is 155mph, and 0-62mph arrives in 5.7 seconds. 

It goes without saying that all other versions are incredibly fast, but the P380 3.0 V6 and V8 R turn up the drama further still with a crackling active exhaust system. We think the P380 3.0 V6 is the pick of the line-up for keen drivers: it’s almost as fast as the V8 R on typical UK roads, yet it handles just a little better thanks to its lighter, more compact engine. The 2.0-litre feels lighter and nimbler still, but it lacks the V6’s pace and drama, and there’s no manual gearbox option.

The entry-level P340 3.0 V6 claims 0-60mph in 5.3 seconds (with an automatic gearbox) or 5.7 seconds (manual), plus a 162mph top speed. Go for the uprated V6 engine and Jaguar promises 0-60mph in 4.8 seconds (auto) or 5.3 seconds (manual), along with a 171mph maximum. 

The F-Type R with its 5.0-litre V8 is only available with an automatic gearbox. In the coupe, it dispatches the 0-60mph sprint in 3.9 seconds and hits a top speed of 186mph. The SVR does 0-60mph in 3.5 seconds and has the potential to crack 200mph.

If you specify all-wheel drive with either the S or R models, the auto is the only transmission option. Interestingly, while the extra weight of the AWD system adds a couple of tenths of a second to the 0-60mph time of the P380 3.0 V6, the set-up has the opposite effect in the V8 R; it’s one tenth faster, thanks to the extra traction off the line.