Hello!

I finally put a deposit down today on a new F-Type (celebratory thread to come once I've picked it up) and had decided I don't need the spare tire. Of course, tonight, in the rain, I get a flat in my old car. Having the spare and room to fit the damaged tire in the trunk was the difference between a really bad night and an utterly horrible night.

So, now I'm reconsidering the choice of not having the spare. For anyone that has one in a coupe, how much of the trunk space does it take up? Any pictures to give a sense of scale? And will the 20" wheel/tire fit in the trunk or am I just hosed if I get a flat with a passenger?

Thanks!

 

I'm pretty sure the spare takes up 100% of the spare... damn typos in subject lines.

 

My 2 cents is don't worry about the spare. The included air pump and tire too will get you out of most flat tire situations. You'd have a very difficult time putting a flat stock rim with tire in the back hatch on the coupe.

I'd see what the price and details of a tire and wheel warranty were from the dealer or after market though...

 

Think I've seen one pic w/ a spare...basically takes up the entire trunk. You wouldn't be able to go on a weekend trip or anything like that.

FWIW, I blew both my right side tires a while back...no way the inflator kit was going to help since it destroyed the tire sidewall. Then again, have a single spare would not have helped either...would have needed 2.

 

What trunk?

 

My spare tire has consisted of a cell phone and Triple-A card for the last 13 years. Works well and is a lot safer than trying to change a tire on the shoulder of I-95.

 

+1

 

+2

Changing a tire on the shoulder of a busy freeway is insane in the age of texting drivers (or driving texters), as well as people fooling around with their car infotainment systems.

 

Certainly can't disagree with this logic. I'm just trying to game out what would have happened last night without a spare.

Late at night taking the sick GF home and tire goes out about 5 mi from her place. Not patchable. I suppose the answer would have been call AAA, have car towed to tire shop, summon uber to bring us to her house, summon second uber to take me home at the end of the night (because there's no way I'm trying to sleep in her twin size bed). Summon third uber to get me to the tire shop or rental car place today.

All things considered, I suppose that would be manageable, though less convenient than popping on the spare and driving myself.

 

My Jaguar X-Type goes through 225/45 17" tires, road hazards and low-profile tires don't go well together. I was nervous about the F-Type so I ordered the spare -- and then bought the pump/goop kit which is automatically deleted when you order the spare.
I carry a box cutter and a pair of work gloves rolled up in a big plastic garbage bag in the smuggler's compartment: if I get a flat and I have a passenger and the road tire won't fit, I can try to cut the bad tire off the rim. Or at least bag the dirty tire.
Wife and I went on 1 week road-trip to Canada with the spare. I removed the compartment cover; we each packed 2 small/medium sized bags, no problem (no room for souvenirs). No prob

F-Type Coupe spare tire


lem. You can lay a flat suiter or coats over the spare, even with the compartment cover in place.

 

As mentioned before, can't imagine you could cut a modern tire off a rim with a boxcutter.

 

You'd be hard pressed to do it even with a dremmel!

 

I hope I never had to find out! If I'm ever in this sort of situation you can expect a full report on the Forum. JLR Roadside Assistance or AAA likely first choice, but I don't want to be stuck somewhere if I can avoid it.

Now that I have the spare I'm afraid to remove it: the moment I do the car gods will start messing with me again.

 

Would doubt a good utility knife would do it either. You can use the technique I used years ago when I had a flat on Rt 128 (Boston), with not much of a shoulder, on a dark night. I kept driving until I got to an exit, and parked in a mall parking lot. By then, the wheel had nearly cut all the way through the tire.

I took it into the dealer and asked if they could patch it.

 

Perhaps it is easier than it sounds - and it certainly doesn't sound, or seem, easy at all - but I'd much rather call Jaguar Road-Side Assistance or AAA then try, under any conditions, to attempt to separate wheel from tire.

 

oh wow, i stand corrected...didn't realize there was all that room underneath the trunk floor cover. Hmmm..now I'm tempted to remove the floor cover and use the extra space for extra storage on weekend trips!

 

I believe the "cover" referred to which was removed was the top cover, the security cover in the boot. I did remove that top cover as a test and you can gain the equivalent of another 2 cubic feet or so, by doing that in the coupe. On longer trips where we want more space for luggage I may do that and use a small dark blanket to cover the boot items.

 

anyone try the jaguar roadside assistance?

 

Before I realized that I could use the vehicle-equipped tire pump (initially I thought mine was missing a canister based on the illustration; so I didn't bother to try) I called them even though I also have AAA for a small leak I had in one of my tires. They came in a timely fashion, did a professional job filling the tire (certainly a no-brainer) but I was particularly pleased and impressed that I received at least two phone calls subsequent to my service making sure I was satisfied with the service I received.

Oh...I was satisfied. (Small task that it was).

 

Oddly - if you remove the battery cover and smugglers compartment - there is a spare tyre-sized indentation in the trunk floor panel.

Could be a left over from a previous model, or a late design change on the F.