Like I said, I had not bought any of my Jags for their ultimate performance but, rather for their looks and comforts. I am interested in the F-type Coupe but, I have to really like it when I finally see one and drive one.

On the other hand, I was thinking today that I may just purchase my XJL at the end of the lease AND purchase a new Z51 Vette, both for less than the price of the F-type R Coupe... Of course, first Jaguar would have to fix the ride of my XJL. I love the car but, hate its ride. I will be meeting with a factory Engineer next week to discuss a possible solution. If I can get the ride fixed I would seriously consider buying the car as I think it is close to what I consider the ultimate luxury sedan.

Albert

 

There's just something about the corvette that makes it unattractive to me. Chevrolet makes the car look greasy and not exotic. To generalize, it's the type of car you would see at red-neck bars more so than at the country club. Chevrolet needs to stop trying to make the car look fast and just built a clean looking super car with nice lines or they can take it a bit further and add some dice hanging from the rear view mirror, add some flame decals behind the front wheels and put some carpet on the dash to really shake things up.


Some manufactures just have bad DNA in how they dress up their cars look. The C7 could look so much cleaner if Chevrolet never tried so hard to make it look like a Chev. If the C7 looked cleaner, more like a Ferrari 458, I would be more interested. Alternatively, one could remove the flames, dice and carpet and give the car a more refined look.

 

The posted weights aren't accurate. And, it's not only Jaguar who does that, making things look better than they actually are exists in the entire car industry.

BMW M5 rated at 560hp dynos at 620hp. Mercedes does the same with their AMG engines followed by Audi. They make 80hp more than they are rated at.

 

Regardless, the point for those that care about it is that the convertible and the coupe weigh about the same.

 

Its buyers can't be particularly concerned with weight at all, but buy it for its other virtues. Came across this comparison with the new 911 the other day ...

 

For me, the Chris Harris comparison test probably summed it up best. Liked all of the 911, Vantage and V8S, but indicated the car he probably liked best was the Jag. That's how I felt.

 

Is that the one where he was so excited about the ease of drifting the V8S and how quickly the interior filled with tire smoke?

Bruce

 

That's the one. Always easier when someone else is paying for the tires! It's a long video, 20 minutes or so, but a great watch.

 

Ahhh, cool, a road test video made up primarily of gratuitous power slides. Now *that's* something new and different, isnt it? :-)


Cheers
DD

 

This type of power sliding video car review is surely far more popular than any done in print, and I can't think of a car that was better designed to ace it! They combined that with an equally outrageous exhaust note to make it the top pick for "fun" every time...and look gorgeous doing it!

Doug, were you by chance suggesting that you'd like road tests to focus on other attributes? What, like driver engagement, steering feel and accuracy, braking effectiveness and resistance to fade, scapel-like ability to maintain control when driven at the limit on a slalom course, around a track, or when carving your way through the canyons or favorite twisted road? Hmmm

 

I think a bigger question is whether Stingray is safe when you hit a free as I believe it still has a lot of plastic in it compared to its competitors. I suspect a Paul Walker type fiery explosion is more likely in a Stringray.

 

Here's the thing. My 997s (and certainly a 991 ) would probably score higher in some of those categories, Bruce, as would a Boxster or a Cayman. Trouble is, none of them deliver close to the fun and visceral experience of of my V8S. Isn't is better to have a ton of fun than to be quietly impressed by how clinically competent your car is? That right that there is what separates cars like the F (and the C7) from cars like 911. I've owned both and right now I'm much happier with loud visceral ***** out fun than clinical competence.

 

I absolutely agree. I have a 2014 Nissan GT-R and a 2013 XKR. Both are considered GT cars. Although the Nissan GT-R is a phenomenal performance car it lacks refinement, class and comfort. The XKR is a much better street car to have fun and enjoy. On the other hand, on the track, where I never drive, the GT-R would be king. However, the XKR is car of choice for me. Also, the 991 Porsche is soooo over priced.

 

Swajames, I could not agree more. It is absolutely all about fun, and knowing what kind of car will provide the kind you are looking for. Some of us need more than one toy to cover all the fun bases, and are very fortunate to be able to do that. I tend to combine as much as possible my occasional street viseral cruising and track at the limit competence needs in each car, and looking forward to my latest attempt!

 

I get the 'fun' part. :-) I have no aversion to a bit of burning rubber, believe me. Heck, I have red blood in my veins like any other guy! In fact, for the last few months (and a few months more) I've been involved in shooting videos for a musclecar series. We always try to include a burnout or two.....remembering that a good entertainer 'always leaves the audience wanting more'. An eight minute video might have eight seconds of burning rubber.






Well, it would be nice, I think.

I know more well-rounded road test videos are out there but over the last few years there has been a pre-occupation .....ummmm, maybe more like obsession.....with intentional power-induced oversteer. Gah, enough already! It's like, "OK, I get that it has ample power to break traction. All modern performance cars do. Now, can you tell me about the car, please?"

Oh well, don't mind me. Just another of my little rants.

Cheers
DD

 

Chris Haris is one of the worse reviewers. Every car he gets, from station wagon to a Ferrari, just drifts around in and laughs like a 5 year old.

None of his reviews say anything useful about the cars. It's a joke!!

 

Doug, I agree. The one time I put down a strip it was glorious, and the thrill has thankfully lasted me a lifetime. It was 38 years ago in my XK-E...must be something about 2 seater Jags! My driving has since mostly focused on not sliding the car, unless a little steering with the right pedal is the fastest way around a track's corner!

Executive, Chris's reviews used to be much better, but as annoying as they are for the amount of sliding, you can still learn much from them.

Bruce

 

I recognize that those tire burning power slides impress some people and what better way is there than filling video reviews with smoke? Without those clouds of smoke and drifting, video reviews could look boring.

Now, what does concern me is what these videos "teach" the average driver. Is that driver going to try and emulate those huge power slides on the streets? That would be dangerous and expensive (in terms of crashes and tires). I personally take pride in NEVER to even chirp my tires during cornering and accelerating as I consider that bad form and a sign of an inexperienced driver. When I slightly stepped out the rear-end of an XKR (trying to defeat the effects of the DSC) during the JaguarAlive autocross event I felt so bad that I apologized to the Jaguar guy riding with me. I felt embarrassed by my lack of fine control. He thought it was just great... And, yes, I cringe while watching those tire burning reviews.

Albert

 

Quite honestly, no one in their right mind is going to go out and drift their car just because they see it on a review. For most of us, knowing that your car is capable of that is enough, but some just see a new set of tires as a consumable and the price of a little fun. Still, we're back to what we discussed earlier. What do you value? The fact that your car can shave a few tenths here and there against a competing car you don't own anyway, or the fact that you have one of the most beautiful looking, intoxicating sounding and most visceral cars out there? I'm a big Porsche guy, but as I said before they do clinical competence better than they tug on the heartstrings. I was at a dinner at a fairly high end hotel last night and guess which car they chose to park right in front of the main entrance - moving other cars to do so? That's what the F Type is all about, and for me *that* was actually the message Chris Harris was conveying. The drifting etc is great, but that's not what ultimately drove him to suggest that the Jag would probably be the car he would pick when he tested it along with the Vantage and the 991. If the message someone takes away from his review was that you can hoon around in these cars if you want to, I'd respectfully submit that one may have missed the actual points he was making. I'm more than OK living vicariously through Harris when it comes to burning rubber but I think his review focused on the intangibles just as much as the powerslides.

 

YouTube is chock-full with videos of drivers in 400-500-600 hp cars who think they can hop in, turn off the traction control, hit the throttle, and drive like Tiff Needell does. We've all seen the results In most cases, thankfully, bruised egos and smashed fenders are the only victims.....but there *are* cases where those with more enthusiasm than skill have plowed right into crowds of onlookers. Not amusing at all.

I'm no expert driver but I always thought that breaking traction was the antithesis of what an experienced high performance driver wants to acheive....unless he's in a drifiting competition, that is.

Well, anyhow, I don't want to come off as a prude on the subject. I fully appreciate the entertainment aspect of tire smoke. To a point, that is.

Cheers
DD