A stylish Coupe in British Racing Green with Tan Windsor leather, does it get more British than this!? Add to the list of ingredients a glorious V8 engine and rear-wheel drive and you will be unlikely to find a more delightful recipe to enjoy. Last year Jaguar Australia announced that the F-TYPE will only be available here in V8 guise and as lover of cars, I am not disappointed about this. The P450 is the ‘base model’, while the F-TYPE R P575 gets more power and all-wheel drive.
Not that this Jaguar F-TYPE R-Dynamic P450 Coupe could be called underpowered by any stretch of the imagination with the 5.0 litre, V8 supercharged engine putting out 331kW at 6,000rpm and 580Nm of torque between 2,500-5,000rpm. This is good for a 0-100km/h sprint of 4.6 seconds and a top speed of 285km/h. The recent wet weather meant I was not able to enjoy the F-TYPE as much as I would have liked too, so I only used 12.7L/100km for the week, with the official combined fuel consumption being 10.6L/100km. This is less than the 15.1L/100km I used the last time I drove the stunning Sorrento Yellow 21MY R Coupe in dry conditions.
The reduction in power has done nothing to dull the aural excitement emitted from the quad exhausts. While the F-TYPE will happy mooch along at 1,000rpm, with a little provocation from your right foot the beast within is awakened and the V8 snarl builds like a growling animal before unleashing a vicious bark around 6,500rpm as you upshift to the next gear. The 8-speed automatic transmission is accommodating for both aggressive up and down shifting using the wheel mounted gear selectors, which are Aluminium and lovely to touch, but a $700 optional extra.
A V8 engine combined with rear-wheel drive should result in cooked rear tyres, but for me at least this wasn’t the case, as I don’t turn off traction control on the cars that I review. Even from a standing start in the dry I struggled to break traction on the Pirelli P Zero 295/30 rear tyres. While numerous attempts, all in the name of research of course, to provoke some sideways wiggle barely resulted in twitching from the back end. I have seen a video of this exact F-TYPE on the track very sideways, so baking the rear tyres is possible. But I am more than happy to know that this rear-wheel drive Coupe will not try to put me in the scenery at every corner, even in the wet.
Like with previous F-TYPES I have driven, I found the ride to be compliant in Comfort mode and even in Dynamic mode it was not bone crushing, so great for long drives through the countryside. Dynamic mode also gives you the option to configure the Engine, Gear Shifts, Steering and Suspension between Comfort or Dynamic mode, so potentially you could soften the suspension while still keeping the rest of the F-TYPE in hot mode.
This F-TYPE cabin smells as good as fresh bread just out of the oven thanks to the Extended Leather Upgrade ($4,720) and Windsor Leather Performance seats ($2,330). These are two of the optional extras that I would select on the F-TYPE, but there are some optional extras that I think should be standard equipment on a high-end vehicle such as this. Things like the two-zone climate ($1,040), powered tailgate ($1,160) and auto-dimming, power fold heated door mirrors ($420) should come as standard in my opinion.
The performance seats held me nicely and have power adjustment, with the controls conveniently located on the door, for recline, forward/back and height for both the driver’s and passenger’s seat, but no memory positions. This F-TYPE was fitted with optional seat heating/cooling ($1,150), both of which worked adequately. Like on other Jags, you engage this function by pushing the rotary temperature controller, but this feels more substantial than the same function in the F-PACE.
The driver gets digital dash that can be customised to show various info and an elegant steering wheel to hold. There are steering wheel controls for making calls or adjusting the audio volume, but no voice control functionality. The 10” infotainment screen incorporates Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, plus other media sources including AM/FM, DAB and Bluetooth, that can be enjoyed on the 380W Meridian Sound System that has 10 speakers and two subwoofers.
The storage in the F-TYPE is still very limited with a felt lined cubby under the arm rest that would not be large enough for modern sized smartphones. Here there are two USB ports and one 12V outlet, with a second 12V outlet at the front of the centre console. The cup holders have grippy rubber sides and there is only room in the door cubby for sunglasses. I do have to give a special mention to the glove box release button, it’s very classy. The passenger footwell is cramped, so if you have a passenger in the car with you, there is no room in the cabin for your handbag. Luckily the boot is a good size with enough room for the shopping or luggage when you take a romantic weekend getaway. You don’t get a spare tyre, just a tyre repair kit under the boot floor.
The F-TYPE is a driver’s car, so safety aids are limited to standard cruise control, lane keep assist, emergency braking and standard rear-view camera. It does have front and rear parking sensors, but you need to remember to turn the front sensors on as they default to off and if you are not aware of this you may bump into something. My F-TYPE also had the optional Blind Spot Assist pack ($1,000), which includes blind spot assist with steering assist or alert only and rear traffic monitor. The F-TYPE does not have an ANCAP or Euro NCAP safety rating.
All new Jaguar vehicles sold come with a 5-year unlimited kilometre warranty with 5 years roadside assistance. A 5 years/ 130,000km (whichever occurs first) service plan that covers standard service costs during this period is complimentary with the purchase price.
This is the sixth Jaguar F-TYPE I have driven and I still adore this sexy British Coupe, seriously look at those classic lines! The good news is that the Jaguar F-TYPE P450 Coupe could be considered a bargain starting at $166,048 plus on-road costs and as tested this British Racing Green example was $188,868 plus on-roads. Visit your preferred Jaguar retailer to cook up a storm in the F-TYPE for yourself.
| Pros | Cons |
| Improved pricing | Some optional extras should come as standard |
| The V8, supercharged engine | No voice control |
| Plenty of grip from the rear-wheel drive | There isn’t one in my garage |
Photographs by Driven Women Magazine.