Words: JeremyTaylor
Photography: Wilson Hennessey
On the wild frontiers of innovation, smaller is almost always better. The silicon chip is powerful only because it is tiny; smartphones are little more than shrunken supercomputers. Power grows as dimensions shrink. The same might now be said of the new Jaguar F-Type. The latest 2.0-litre version looks, on the outside, to have the same heft as the previous model. But underneath the bonnet it’s a different story.
The original F-Type was unveiled with serious pomp in 2013. The coupé came equipped with a choice of throaty V6 and V8 engines — a beautiful car touted as the E-Type for a new generation. Both power plants offered an exhilarating exhaust note of crackles and pops — something akin to a Spitfire pulling out of a victory roll. It was the perfect soundtrack for any journey.
Now, in a bid to help save the planet, Jaguar’s slower, lower-price version of the F-Type has been loaded with a modest four-cylinder engine that’s frugal, cleaner and zippily turbocharged. In comparison to the V6, it sounds more like a balsa wood aeroplane wound up with an elastic band.
The V6 and V8 F-Types remain in the line-up, although the cheapest V6 costs only a couple of grand more than the 2.0. So why should anyone even consider the smaller version? I headed to the Cotswolds, a familiar Jaguar stomping ground, to find out.
The F-Type in it’s familiar Cotswolds stomping ground
You may have noticed a lot of sports cars downsizing of late. But when even Porsche ditch their legendary straight six for a four pot, you know that change is in the air. The latest Cayman is probably the F-Type’s closest rival. It’s smaller, slightly less glamorous on the outside but gives the driver oodles more thrills on a winding country road.
As I go to push the Jaguar into Dynamic mode on the Fosse Way, near Stow-on-the-Wold, the throaty roar I was expecting fails to materialise. I’m working the car harder than any other F-Type I’ve driven, probably because it’s lacking a hefty chunk of grunt.
"In a bid to help save the planet, Jaguar’s F-Type has been loaded with a modest four-cylinder engine that’s frugal, cleaner and zippily turbocharged..."
For high speed overtaking and long distance touring, the larger V6 and V8s are much better suited to the job. But because the smaller 2.0 engine is lighter, it helps steer the car through a tight corner with far more precision. It may cost more than twice that of a Mazda MX-5 RF, but the entry-level F-Type inspires a sort of breezy confidence. It makes even a modest driver feel like Lewis Hamilton, minus the tattoos.
I found the 2.0 a joy to hurl around corners, without the loss of rear traction associated with its bigger F-Type siblings. It’s a two-seater that inspires confidence and lashings of right foot. Jaguar’s Ingenium engine is brilliantly matched to the company’s ZF eight-speed automatic transmission, too. It allows the car to pull from low revs while never losing that sense of flappy-paddle fun.
Thankfully, while the engine has been downsized, the dimensions of the F-Type remain the same. It’s a wide car for British back, roads, but remains surprisingly comfortable on a long journey. It’s more economical too, returning almost 40 miles-per-gallon.
The single exhaust doesn’t fit with Ian Callum’s original, more aggressive design – one that requires at least a brace of pipes poking from the rear. It also makes the F-Type purr, rather than roar. The deployable boot-lip spoiler, however, is still standard.
The interior features leather seats and a brushed black aluminium centre console
The Jaguar’s fancy interior certainly conjures the visual occasion of driving a sports car. A brushed black aluminium centre console, not to mention heated and cooled leather seats, are features you won’t always find on more expensive rivals.
Jaguar has tweaked the interior of our test car with tan leather seats (£3,050), seat memory pack (£1,100) and a Meridian sound system (£990). But even without the toys, the 2.0-litre F-Type is more impressive than it sounds. Because the smaller engine encourages a driver to push on, it gives a dose of fun missing in other models.
This is a car with poise and true character that demands your full attention. Look past the lack of burble, and you may find that size doesn’t matter after all.
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