The Jaguar F-Type R AWD Coupe

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Jaguar F-type R

It is rare to find a car that blows your mind after being spoilt with some mind-altering cars over 30 years, however this leaper ticks all the sweet spots and a 5,0-litre, 423kW supercharged V8 reaching 0-100km/h in just 3,7 seconds is so much more than a sweetie pie.

By RUBIN VAN NIEKERK

This 300km/h super car is future classic right now and growing demand ensures value escalation. The best part of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is the subtlety with which it blends in grey suburbia. 

Dramatic design, improved dynamics, driver engagement and in both coupé and convertible form, does its World Car Design-winning predecessor’s form credit. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder though, so indulge your eyes in judging the aesthetic appeal.

The F-Type’s driver-focussed 1+1 interior has been refined with discreet details and a heightened sense of luxury and sportiness, with a theatrical start button’s pulsing red ‘heartbeat’ that merges with ‘Jaguar Est.1935’ markings that hints at Jaguar’s rich heritage.

Tactile materials such as Windsor leather, Engine Spin metallics and satin-finish Noble Chrome add touches of luxury and are complemented by beautifully crafted monogram stitch patterns and Jaguar Leaper or R motifs embossed in the headrests.

Available throughout the first year of production is a special First Edition version of the P380 all-wheel drive exclusively. The First Edition adds 20” Diamond Turned alloys, ‘First Edition’ scripting on the door tread plates and aluminium instrument panel finisher and Windsor leather performance seats in a choice of Ebony with Light Oyster stitching or Mars Red with Flame stitching. The First Edition is available in three colours – Fuji White, Santorini Black or Eiger Grey.

A Quickshift transmission has been recalibrated for even faster, crisper gear changes via the steering wheel-mounted paddles or the SportShift gear selector. A torque on-demand all-wheel drive system combined with Jaguar’s Intelligent Driveline Dynamics (IDD) control technology delivers immediate throttle response in all gears, on all surfaces and in all conditions.

A recalibrated electric power-assisted steering (EPAS) system offers immediate responses to driver input, while new springs and anti-roll bars further enhance the continuously variable dampers at the core of Jaguar’s Adaptive Dynamics system. The valves inside each damper and the control algorithms have been recalibrated to improve both low-speed comfort and high-speed control.

Massive standard front and rear brake discs can be specified with Jaguar’s optional yellow Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) braking system, exceptional braking performance and fade resistance.

The super charged monster benefits from the new Quiet Start function, which ensures a more subtle, refined sound where electrically actuated bypass valves in the rear silencer remain closed until they automatically open under load. Quiet Start can be over-ridden by selecting Dynamic Mode or by pressing the switchable exhaust button before starting the engine if your neighbours irritate you.

Listening to the stunning sound system can be a sin though, if you never just simply indulge in the acoustics of the distinctive crackle and pop of this divine engine, that begs to run wild. A rare privilege to experience such deviant work of art in an era where the trend is to build small engines with the appeal of sowing machines. The ultimate accolade though is that Jaguar is also at the forefront of the electric vehicle revolution.

Website: www.jaguar.co.za

Instagram: instagram.com/jaguarsouthafrica

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