The F-TYPE Coupé provides its driver with a unique sports car experience. It combines seductive design with cutting-edge technology and performance which is truly breathtaking. Engaging, precise, intuitive and alive – it is the definitive sports Coupé.” Those are the words of Phil Popham, Group Marketing Director, Jaguar Land Rover.
The latest in the Jaguar series certainly created a buzz when it was launched at an exclusive media and consumer event on the eve of the Los Angeles Motor Show.
What impressed the gathering of stars and motor enthusiasts was what the company calls “the most dynamically capable, performance-focused sports car that Jaguar has ever produced”. It comes in three versions: F-TYPE R, F-TYPE S and the F-TYPE.
The range-topping F-TYPE R Coupé is powered by Jaguar’s 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine in 550PS/680Nm tune, delivering acceleration to 60mph in 4.0-seconds, and a top speed of 186mph (electronically limited).
The F-TYPE S Coupé and F-TYPE Coupé are powered by Jaguar’s 3.0-litre V6 supercharged petrol engines in 380PS/460Nm and 340PS/450Nm forms respectively, giving 0-60mph in 4.8/5.1-seconds and top speeds of 171/161mph.
The F-TYPE Coupé embodies the uncompromised design vision of the Jaguar C-X16 concept sports coupé that debuted at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, its dramatic cabin-rearward stance being defined by three heartlines. The first two heartlines – shared with the F-TYPE Convertible – form the muscular front and rear wings, the third heartline being the sweeping Coupé roof profile, which provides an unbroken silhouette while emphasising the visual drama of the tapered cabin sitting between powerful rear haunches.
The company’s Vehicle Line Director, Ian Hoban, was inspired by the challenge and delighted with the result. “With F-TYPE Coupé, the Jaguar engineering team has exceeded our considerable target of building a car that delivers even more driver reward than the acclaimed F-TYPE Convertible. Engineering an exceptionally rigid, all-aluminium Coupé body structure was the key to achieving this, as it’s the fundamental basis for enhanced dynamic attributes.”
Jaguar’s expertise in aluminium technology has enabled the design vision for the F-TYPE Coupé to be delivered in a lightweight yet extremely strong bodyshell. Torsional rigidity for all F-TYPE Coupé variants is 33,000 Nm/ degree – greater than in any previous production Jaguar – this rigidity providing the basis for excellent dynamic attributes.
The F-TYPE Coupé’s body side is made from a single piece of aluminium pressing, probably the most extreme cold-formed aluminium body side in the automotive industry, eliminating the requirement for multiple panels and cosmetic joints. The roof panel itself is available in either aluminium or panoramic glass form. A deployable rear spoiler sits within the tapered shut-line of the F-TYPE Coupé, while slim, wrap-around LED lamps flank a beautifully engineered tailgate, with optional powered open/close functionality.
To deliver assured, progressive handling in line with its 550PS output, the range-topping F-TYPE R Coupé features a bespoke suspension set-up and new dynamic technologies. These include a second-generation Electronic Active Differential (EAD) and – for the first time on a Jaguar – Torque Vectoring by braking, these systems working in parallel to provide immediacy of response and exploitable handling. The EAD system automatically redistributes engine torque between the rear wheels to ensure excellent on-the-limit control, while Torque Vectoring by braking intelligently applies precisely metered braking force to the inner wheels as necessary during cornering to enhance agility. Sports suspension with Adaptive Dynamics damping and Configurable Dynamic Mode further enhance the F-TYPE R’s immediacy of response, providing an exhilarating and involving driving experience.
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. Another happy is Ian Callum, Director of Design. “Creating a sports Coupé is the purest of design tasks, 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. 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.”
www.jaguar.be
