High-performance F-TYPE R brings thrills and excitement to people in two ho-hum towns.
Since 2012, the United Kingdom and the United States have celebrated Dull and Boring Day, a whimsical holiday on August 9 meant to bring attention to the cities of Dull, Scotland and Boring, Oregon. How did Jaguar help a pair of residents from each unfortunately named place enjoy their Dull and Boring Days? With a car that’s anything but those things: the 2018 F-TYPE R.
About 75 five miles north of Glasgow is the 200-resident city of Dull. According to the gals in the video above, it was named well. The same goes for the 8,000-person city of Boring, which is approximately 21 miles to the east of Portland. Jaguar decided to bring a little excitement to both places by lending two people from each city a 2018 F-TYPE R for a few hours.
It’s not hard to imagine what happens next. The lucky gals and guys are blown away by its curvaceous beauty. They become addicted to the thrust from the F-TYPE R’s 550-horsepower supercharged V8 as they do everyday things such as go to local stores, pop into coffee shops, and pull into gas stations. Many squeals and giggles of delight fill the cabin. The raucous active exhaust causes even more of them.
In a press release about the above video, Joe Torpey, Jaguar Land Rover North America’s Communications Manager, said, “The Jaguar F-TYPE is our performance sports car, so we wanted to demonstrate how the vehicle can excite the senses and enhance everyday driving experiences. Bringing the F-TYPE to the cities of Dull and Boring allowed us to have a bit of fun with the brand in a way that was relatable for Jaguar consumers in the United Kingdom and the United States.”
Clearly, the people on JLR’s team weren’t the only ones having fun. They picked the right car for the job. The F-TYPE can make listening to a lecture on tax law more enjoyable.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
