Jaguar F-Type

Overview - Jaguar F-type is a 2-seater sports car offered by the British ultra-luxury automaker Jaguar Land Rover in India. The Jaguar designers, under the very able leadership of Ian Callum (Design Director, Jaguar), haven't left any stone unturned to provide it a one-of-its-type exterior appearance. Right from the word GO, this convertible is a genius in every aspect; be it performance, be it acceleration or be it the hugely watched out interior cabin sophistication.
Often being speculated as a successor to company's another peach of a car, The legendary E-type which was the glory of 60's, it is being built on Jaguar XK's platform, and the platform is being shortened a tad in order to contemplate a sportier appearance and brisk acceleration. Unlike other Jaguar cars, it is being sold in India en-route CBU.
Jaguar F-type is being presented in five variants with two being convertibles while the remaining three being coupes. The convertible variants are available since 2013 whereas the extravagant coupes made their global debut in the initial months of this year and were also an indispensable ingredient of JLR India's stands at 2014 Indian Auto Expo. The mystery behind the extreme agility and tenacity of these supercars turn out to be the immensely light all-aluminum chasis along with centre mounted twin exhaust pipes. The company offers completely panoramic roof with the coupes while the convertibles are graced by a fabric roof that also assists in eradicating the unnecessary noises and winds. The F-type is flooded with exquisite safety features such as Emergency Brake Assist (EBS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), 4 Airbags ( 2 front and 2 side), Advanced seatbelt pretensioners etc. to mention a few.

Jaguar F-type is a timeless beauty and the best work of Ian Callum, till date. The D-shaped grille compliments the vertical inlets below the headlights immensely well. The lines goes particularly well in the sides and form an eye-soothing duo with the tail lamps. It's long bonnet gives a faint glimpse of the famous E-type that was the showstopper of the 60's. The splitter at the front below the grille maintains a healthy airflow. Additionally, the rear spoiler pops out and door handles gets contracted automatically while the car is at higher speeds, in an awe to maintain the requisite speed consistently, without any hassle.
Jaguar designers have successfully provided it a distinct appearance which is unmatchable with its German foes. Even the fabric roof in the convertibles open and closes at a pace of 50kmph and in just 12 seconds. It is the latest one adopting Jaguar’s state-of-the-art aerodynamic modelling technology. So, in all everything just seems to be falling in the perfect place for this car which makes it even more adorable. Hence, this Brit sensation deserves a eleven out of ten in the exterior design section which, unabashedly, is the biggest plus for it in the Indian auto industry.

Top-notch exterior appearance doesn't imply that interior is left aside; instead equal emphasis is paid to both the aspects which further multiplies its gorgeousness. Although, the driver seat is a bit low but it turns out to be a blessing in disguise as it is nearest to the car's centre of gravity.
The bigger instrumentation cluster acts imperiously well and keeps the driver updated with every essential information regarding the vehicle. Behind the 3-spoke steering wheel, there lies Jaguar's avant-garde paddle shifter which facilitates the driver to change gears without even removing the fingers from the steering wheel. In addition, Jaguar F-type also has a 8-inch color touch-screen in the center console which garners intuitive control of many features including Navigation, Infotainment and, where specified, the Dynamic-i system. Apart from these, 8-inch color screen also provides access to features like climate control, bluetooth telephone system, audio choices, managing multimedia connections on the screen, including iPod or MP3 player. The whole interior can also be customized on customer's wish such as the seat options, textures and color combinations can be chosen from the available ones. The inside cabin is no less than a automatically operated control room and it is by far the best at this moment of time than any other.

Jaguar F-type has been offered by the company in as many as four engine options. Although, every single engine is ruthlessly aggressive performance oriented mill; the difference lies in the power and torque figures. The base variant in the coupe line-up, the F-type, is equipped with a 3.0-litre, V6 supercharged engine but it is de-tuned a bit to maximize efficiency. It delivers a maximum power of 335bhp at 6500rpm along with a torque of 450Nm at 3500-5000rpm. The mid-level variants of both convertible as well as the coupe (The F-type S) don a 3.0-litre, V6 supercharged powertrain which is peculiar in its own way. It displaces 2995cc and has 6 cylinders which subsequently enable it to generate a mammoth power of 375bhp at 6500rpm and a super torque of 460Nm at 3500-5000rpm. Every engine is coupled with a 8-speed automatic transmission ZF gearbox which compliments immensely well.
On the other hand, the top variants in both coupe and convertible modes are served with a much heavier and powerful mill. Under the hood, the F-type R (coupe) has a 5.0-litre, V8 supercharged engine, the most powerful engine in the entire Jaguar range. It develops a monstrous power of 543bhp at 6500rpm and a peak torque of 680Nm at 3500rpm. The company has used the ZF's 8-speed automatic transmission particularly well with this variant, hence-by creating an immense space of improvisation in agility and performance. Last but by no means the least, the F-type V8 S which is top-end variant in the convertible line-up sports a 5.0-litre, V8 supercharged engine. It comprises of 8-cylinders and has the ability to displace a 5000cc. With utmost ease and minimum efforts, it belts out an enormous power output of 488bhp at 6500rpm and an impressive torque performance of 625Nm at 2500-5500rpm. Yet again, the ZF made 8-speed automatic transmission does its duties to the variant.

Well, nobody would really bother about this aspect while going for such exhilarating supercar but yet the numbers are not so bad. The base F-type delivers the best mileage among all as it comes up with a decent fuel economy of 11.36kmpl. The mid-range F-type S variants in both coupe and convertible return 10.98kmpl followed by the 9.0kmpl mileage of both F-Type V8 S and F-type R, despite possessing such a massive engine.

Jaguar has incorporated three different braking systems for the F-type. The company has developed three braking systems which are equipped with various variants. Jaguar Performance Braking System comes with the base F-type, while the F-TYPE S features Jaguar High Performance Braking System, followed by the Jaguar Super Performance Braking System which graces the top-end variants F-Type V8 S and F-type R. Each of the aforementioned braking system features large, ventilated disc brakes. The size of the brakes is even up to 380mm in diameter on the High Performance and Super Performance systems. An optional carbon ceramic braking system which is being extracted from the motorsport is also on offer with F-TYPE S, F-Type V8 S and F-type R.
On the safety and security front, Jaguar F-type has Blind spot monitor and closing vehicle sensing, electronic brake force distribution, 4-airbags, pedestrian contact sensing system, reverse traffic detection, assisted parking, emergency brake assist etc. to mention a few. In addition, there are roll over protection bars in the convertible variants as a weapon of protection in cases of deadly roll-overs. These highly technologically advanced safety features and braking systems make the F-type one of the safest supercar on the planet.

Jaguar F-type is a spontaneous performer and it performs phenomenally well. Each variant in the F-type lineup, except the base F-type coupe, accomplishes the 0-100kmph barrier under 5 seconds of time with a top speed lying between 275-300kmph. Even the CO emission numbers of the supercar, despite the lightening fast acceleration, are at par with the Indian standards. As for handling, the F-type's steering wheel is so light, responsive and endearing that it works on the movement of your fingertips. It reacts instantly and precisely to driver's input.

Jaguar F-type, unarguably, is the best 2-seater supercar on this planet. Not a little bit of exaggeration in the aforementioned sentence, owing to its impeccable appearance, elegant interior and first-grade performance. Hefty price and lack of Jaguar dealerships in the country might be a hurdle in the sales of this car but it is entirely flawless!

As already mentioned, it is a one-of-its-type car and hence, it really hasn't got any competitors in the country but Porsche 911 and Audi R8 can be the potential rivals for Jaguar F-type. It is many-a-times technologically advanced and up-market than both of the other cars while the exterior appearance too is unforgettable. Its agility, tenacity and acceleration lead its way in this competition.