Jaguar reveals F-type coupe 20 | 11 | 2013
JAGUAR'S NEW F-TYPE Coupe will land in Scottish dealerships next March, with prices ranging from £51,235 to £85,000 for the 542bhp supercharged V8 R (see more official photographs of the new Jaguar F-type coupe).
Labelled its 'most dynamically capable, performance-focused production car ever built', the new Jaguar was designed by Dumfries maestro Ian Callum (watch our video of the Jaguar F-type R being driven).
While the entry-level coupé and coupé S closely mirror the performance spec of the V6 roadster range, the range-topping F-type R coupé — capable of 0-60mph in 4.0sec and with a restricted max of 186mph — is heavily modified.
It's powered by the 542bhp supercharged 5.0-litre V8 used in the XKR-S and XFR-S, as well as the Project 7.
Interestingly — and very significantly — the base F-type and F-type S are each £7285 less than the equivalent open-top F-type. If you really must have the R coupé though, you'll have to cough up a whopping £85,000 grand.
Visual appeal is fundamental to Jaguar and, as such, the F-type Coupé is immediately recognisable, building on the design of the stunning C-X16 concept sports Coupé and the F-type Convertible, winner of the 2013 ‘World Car Design of the Year’ award.
“Creating a sports Coupé is the purest of design tasks," Callum, Jaguar's director of design, said, "and also the most challenging; get it right and aesthetically the result will be as dynamic as the car should be rewarding to drive. In F-type Coupé, I believe we’ve got it right.
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"The purity of the C-X16 concept has been retained without compromise; the F-type Coupé’s long bonnet, low roofline and tapering cabin inspire me every time I see it.”
The newcomer has a low roofline with no B-pillars, which has been achieved by incorporating a high-strength, hydroformed aluminium beam which runs over each door opening from the bottom of the A-pillar to the back of the C-pillar.
The bonded-in roof panel is available as either aluminium or as panoramic glass, and neither option alters the car’s rigidity.
Jaguar’s so-called Super Performance braking system — featuring 380mm front discs and 376mm rear discs — has been fitted to the R coupe as standard. If the £85,000 isn't enough for you, there is the option of fitting carbon-ceramic brakes on the R coupé and S coupé models. Just for good measure, the shave 21kg off the car's unsprung weight.
All coupe models are fitted with Jaguar's eight-speed Quickshift transmission — lifted from the F-type roadster — though the R coupé’s software has been recalibrated to suit the greater engine outputs.
The coupe also gets one of those heartening rear spoilers which rises automatically when you hit 70mph: it drops down again again when you dip below 50mph.
Inside the coupe's cabin, it's all very familiar from the roadster, as you might imagine. The R version though does get significant add-ons such as ‘Performance’ seats, which have side bolsters that inflate under heavy cornering.
And the coupe will be the perfect car to park in the most prominent parking space at the golf club: the bootspace, heavily criticised in the roadster, has been increased to 407 litres, big enough, according to Jaguar, to accommodate two golf bags.
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Jim McGill