MAD pages Volume 1 | Issue 1 | August 2013 | Page 38

Jaguar F- Type

Faster with the capital ' F '
“ The growling cat”“ The cat gets its scratch back”
To rouse its sports car soul from a forty year nap, Jaguar sets its sights on Porsche ' s 911 Carrera Cabriolet, the crown Prince of Roadster speed and agility. With the 911 playing Draco in this pageant, Jaguar ' s Harry Potter dare not be a pussy foot.
How is it then?
So, the question is it the same old Jag with just all the hype ' s well its not. This Jaguar in fact is the fastest in its bloodline. The F- type is the new clan for our cat. It revealed its cunning attack on the Navarra Circuit in Spain. Aesthetically the F bears no family resemblance to the Jag ' s last great sports car the E – type, allegedly endorsed by Enzo Ferrari as the most beautiful car ever created. When a large front mounted V engine with a supercharger and inter-cooled Valve, the result is chunky proportions. The hood and bent line makes the F – type looks like its wearing a turtle neck. The cockpit respects both trendy and traditional design views. A touch screen flanked by eight buttons which provide a full menu of navigation, car and setup.
What it feels like? Soothing ride motions and polite manners, two traditional Jaguar virtues are absent here. The F – type suspension is so taunt and the body structure so rigid that every misaligned grain of pavement sends notice to the cabin, making this roughest riding Jaguar ever and a roadster ready for the track. Feeding the kitty The F – type is endowed with more than enough fire power to fight any sports car advisory in the $ 60,000- $ 100,000 range. The three variable engine shares the same core technology – DOHC, direction injection and Eaton super charging. Ample torque is readily available and exhaust note is pretty mean also. But the 495 bhp, 5.0 litre V8 goes about its business with more growls and less fuss. All the three models came with eight speed ZF automatic transmission. The lower variant with relatively good power that will be in mind of the buyer ' s who don ' t want their pockets getting smacked.
The Verdict
Whether the F – type smites the 911 in the heart or elbow will be revealed by the inevitable comparison test. Even so Jaguar ' s return to the form will make life tougher for the less intense roadsters such as BMW Z4 and Mercedes Benz SLK. And it makes life more interesting for the sports car fans blessed with a shopping list larger by one.

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