WASHINGTON — Hey, Santa Claus? It’s me, Mike Parris. I think I’ve been pretty good this year, so I want the new Jaguar F-Type R Coupe for Christmas. The one with 550-horsepower and a supercharged V8 engine. The one with gorgeous looks. The one that’s $103,000. That’s pretty affordable, right?
For the 2015 edition, Jaguar has created a hardtop coupe from last year’s stunning F-Type convertible, which I thought was one of the better-looking cars to be released in years. When I heard there would be a coupe version, I didn’t think it would be as pretty.
I was wrong. Jaguar has turned the coupe into a stunner, a tough task that other car manufacturers have failed to pull off when transforming convertibles to coupes. (Typically, coupes are more powerful than convertibles.)
When I first get cars to review, I usually hop in and drive for a mile or two to get a quick feel for the car. This time, I just stood, stared and walked around the vehicle. I admired the lines and wondered how in the world they bent aluminum into such impossible curves and angles.
Jaguar really nailed the proportions here — the long hood and flared rear end hiding large 20-inch tires. The rear hatch makes it easy to haul smaller things in the back cargo area, behind the seats.
And while the outside styling is epic, the inside is impressive, too. It has heated, two-toned sport seats with quality leather. They’re very comfortable, firm enough to keep you in place during turns, and good for all-day cruising.
The large center screen is welcome when in reverse. The camera gives a good view of what’s behind you since rear vision isn’t the best. And though the NAV isn’t the quickest, it got me where I needed to go.
The Jaguar F-Type R Coupe is a fast car, with glorious sounds coming from those four exhaust pipes. It’s even louder when you hit the button on the center console. It sounds awesome on acceleration, and when you take your foot off the gas, the Coupe makes a good, popping sound that rivals its good looks.
I found some back roads to explore the F-Type R handling. This thing can turn and it’s planted; if you push it, the rear will want to come out a little. I’m certain this would make a good drift car and look especially good doing it. The eight-speed automatic is quick to shift when called on and smooth when driving normally. This is one of the stronger sports cars Jaguar has built in a long while. They’ve done a good job while keeping the Jaguar a nice ride that does well on bumpy roads.
The all new Jaguar F-Type R Coupe is a fun machine that can be used on a track, on back roads or as a commuter car. I know the price of $99,000 seems high, but if you price some of the competition, this Jaguar makes sense and is a relative bargain.
This is one of the few cars I’ve tested that I’d love to buy myself.
Your move, Santa.
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