With the New F Type Coupe, Jaguar is going back to its roots.
The F Type Coupe evokes the golden era of the E-Type but also adopts elements from the C-X16 ultra-modern concept model that won a design award last year.
Ian Callum, director of design at Jaguar, said that the purity of the C-X16 concept had been retained without compromise.
A true sports car with stunning looks the F type Coupe is a dream to drive on the open road. Suspension on uneven city roads feels tough but in terms of performance on motorways it rivals the best in the market, including the Porsche 911.
The strictly two-seat design gives a roomy atmosphere inside the car. Seats provide firm lateral support and plenty of leg and head room.
Doors are also wide making it easier to get into and out of the car.
The luggage space is good for a couple of golf bags or a weekly supply of food shopping.
The layout of the dashboard is intuitive with a seven inch color touch-screen in the middle.
Apart from the climate control buttons that are prominent and display the desired temperature, other buttons seem slightly small and hard to read on the move.
The only switch that is hard to locate is the volume control — but then the function can be operated from the steering wheel.
However, driver position is comfortable and front and side views are clear – not so the rear view due to the coupe design.
The interior is of high quality leather and tasteful design. Mood lighting is also a nice touch as it turns to red when Dynamic Mode is selected. It is thoughtful to provide the passenger with a grab handle that comes handy with hard cornering.
The F Type Coupe has keyless operation and stop/start system.
Other standard equipment include: sports suspension; center-mounted exhaust pipes; exterior heated and electrically-adjusted folding mirrors with side repeaters; HID xenon headlights with LED daytime running lights; and navigation system with route guidance.
The F Type Coupe is not short of power with a supercharged three-liter, six-cylinder engine with four valves per cylinder. Power available to the car peaks at 340 BHP and 450 newton meter of torque. The engine is linked to an eight-speed auto “Quickshift” gearbox. Performance is 0-60 MPH in 5.1 seconds and maximum speed is limited to 151 miles per hour.
With this engine the F Type Coupe manages an average of 32.8 miles per gallon rising to 41.5 MPH on motorways. This is an excellent achievement from a three-liter engine together with low carbon dioxide emission of no more than 205 grams per kilometer.
An F Type Coupe offered for testing in the UK had other useful extras such as the performance braking system with red calipers; a Black Pack; parking Pack; and a Meridian 10-speaker 380watt sound system. Other cosmetic extras include illuminated stainless steel tread-plates and sports sun visors with mirrors.
Buyers will have to go easy on options as it pumps the car price up quickly.
The base model is sold in the UK at £51,250 ($ 82,000 -including local taxes) but with the options added the price goes up to £59,850 ($95,760). Prices in the region are different from those quoted here.
The driving dynamics of the F Type Coupe are unmatched, possibly due to the unique chassis and extremely strong and lightweight body-shell.
The Coupe’s body is made from a single piece aluminum pressing.
A deployable rear spoiler sits within the tapered shut-line of the F-Type while a wrap-around LED lamps flank a rounded tailgate with a powered open/close option.
It is easy to drive with the brilliant automatic gearbox that renders the steering-wheel paddle shifters unnecessary except on a track.
The three-liter engine makes a savage noise on pushing the start button.
With this model Jaguar certainly has a winner.
The company as a whole came first in the 2014 JD Power customer satisfaction survey.
The F Type Coupe has a three-year warranty vs. two years provided by Porsche.
This car is fun to drive; it also excels in the ease to drive and prestige image factor. This is a great package for the GCC region.