Zander Drives Cars

The idea of a V8, rear-wheel drive GT car is fading. Specifically, the V8 part. Yes, there are some new cars that still offer this format, but the number is dwindling and it isn’t long until the V8 GT car goes the way of the dodo. And one of these cars that are going the way of the dodo is Jaguar’s flagship, the F-Type R. After almost a decade in production, the F-Type R will disappear completely, leaving Jaguar not only without a big GT car, but first time without a V8 GT car altogether. So, before the production line stops, let’s take one final look at the Jaguar F-Type R.

There are pretty cars, there are sexy cars, there are cute cars, and there are attractive cars. However, there are very few gorgeous cars. That F-Type is one of those few. When it was launched back in 2014, it looked correct. Huge hood, sloping roof, beautiful tapered rear. Almost, if not every, angle of this car is a piece of art by itself. The 2019 facelift only made it better, adding a new front fascia and some new rear bits as well. Personally, the only way to spec this car properly is green on white, but, this blue on white situation isn’t too bad. The only complaint I have is with the electronic door handles. I don’t care what car they’re on, I don’t trust their reliability or use in cold weather.

Like the exterior, the F-Type’s cockpit is a very stylish place to be. Everything is designed very well, and for the most part, feels pretty good as well. The dashboard is trimmed nicely, and a lot of the surfaces are either leather, carbon fiber, or metal. Stuff like the shift paddles and seat controls felt weighty and solid, and the various buttons and switches all felt pretty secure and had nice clicks to them. I will dock some points for the very cheap, almost plastic-like, material found on the center console, as well as the button used to open the glove box because that’s a recipe for disaster. That being said, the F-Type has a pretty comfortable cabin that I, a 6’2 individual, can fit in just fine with the seat all the way back. that being said, the width of the seats does require you to be squeezed in there if you aren’t super skinny.

This car’s main catch is the technology and infotainment. This car works at a disadvantage as it doesn’t have Jaguar Land Rover’s new operating system, which is important to note. The old system is fine, but not class-leading. I’ll give it this, there aren’t a trillion submenus to get lost in, meaning it is easy to navigate and find stuff in. Unfortunately, the system feels old and slow. It takes a couple seconds to load up different functions, and the general look of the system, while simple, is a bit boring and uninspired. The driver’s display is the better bet. It is fully customizable and is much faster than the center screen.

One of the things I do really like about the cabin is these big knobs that sit on the dashboard. They’re similar to those found on cars like the Audi TT in that they have multiple different functions depending on what switch you press. You can have them as the HVAC controls, as well as other functions like the heated and ventilated seats. It’s a good use of space for a car that doesn’t have a ton of it.

Because this is a $110,000 luxury GT car, there is still quite a bit of stuff for you to keep yourself busy with. You get heated and ventilated seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, USB ports, a Meridian sound system, CarPlay and Android Auto, a button that raises and lowers the rear wing, a button that changes the exhaust-noise levels, adaptive cruise control, rear-view camera, blind spot assistance, a rear traffic monitoring system, and “configurable dynamics.”

Listen, you’re going to find more on stuff like the Porsche 911 or the Mercedes AMG SL55, but this is a car that had its last redesign right before the full integration of stuff like wireless chargers and USB-C ports. And guess what, the way this car drives makes you forget about that immediately.

The Jaguar F-Type R is powered by a 5.0l supercharged V8 that makes 575 hp and 516-lb ft of torque and is mated to an 8-speed automatic that sends power to all four wheels. It goes from 0-60 in 35 seconds and has a top speed of 185 mph. Needless to say, this thing moves. Well, it takes a second to move. While the 0-60 is very impressive, after you hit second gear you have about 5000 rpm to play with before the rest of the power kicks in. Everything feels like it’s stuck at the top of the rev range which is fine for keeping you from doing dumb things on public roads, but annoying if you want instant, continuous power. But, while you might not get that power right away, you do get the sound of that V8. Jaguar Land Rover V8s are very, very throaty. It’s like listening to Barry White out-yell a motorcycle. It is glorious.

As for the handling, the all-wheel drive system does its best to keep you in check, but there is a heavy rear bias and the rear can kick out if you so choose to do so. You can tell that this thing has some serious performance chops in sport mode, and taking corners a bit faster than you should is no problem for this car. Hey, the ride isn’t even that bad when you’re slinging it around, so how about that? A true GT car.

I genuinely enjoyed my time with the F-Type R. Is it perfect? Hell no. The infotainment is shoddy and the rear visibility sucks, and don’t even get me started on gas mileage (16 city, 24 hwy). Do I still think it’s a good car? Uh, yes! This is one of the prettiest, loudest, most down-to-earth GT cars of the modern age. It balances tech with feeling better than a lot of its competition. If you can find one, drive it. You don’t have much time left.

Once again, a huge thank you to Oliver from Mercedes-Benz of Owings Mills for letting me come down and drive this very gently used F-Type. He, and the rest of the dealership, are great people and also have a great selection of Mercedes and non-Mercedes products. Click here to view their site.