Others will have a much better idea of how they work, but for me the difference is that without a LSD (in my first XF (which was a 4.2V8) my car was much more likely to break traction in one wheel accelerating around a corner, and a little more prone to fishtail.

For average or even a bit of spirited use I dont think you'd notice a lot of difference in the 340hp car, as the power level goes up you'd notice it more, eg if you had an ECU tune to take the car to 380hp.

Personally I wouldnt be too worried about it unless you find that the wheelspin is intruding on how you can control the car.

 

And it isn't practical to try adding one, based on previous discussions here.

 

I find LSD a must-have with RWD configuration, otherwise you will have a lot difficulty putting power down due to one wheel slipping. I purchased more expensive V6S mostly to get LSD. However, that LSD turned out to be rather fragile, and now I am on a second one. If I were retrofitting LSD on my car, I'd get something more robust than what JLR put into F-type S.

Do you really need it? Well, that depends how you use your car. You don't need it for cruising or commuting.

 

This will totally depend on your driving style. LSD is practically a must have if you want to do big slides. Can also come in handy if you plan on driving hard in the wet, as it can help mitigate understeer. For slides, the LSD will allow you to keep your foot further into the throttle while maintaining a good amount of forward progress. That’s my biggest complaint with my XE: no option for an LSD and I can’t even retrofit one

 

There is a way.
Remember when we would put alka seltzer tablets in a bathtub to mimic a whirlpool.
Just limit the lunatic driving to an empty parking lot.
Other than that embrace the fishtail and spin-outs. Revel in the fact that you can even do it.

 

Thanks for all of your responses!
My 340hp f type has torque vectoring by braking with an open diff. How does this compare to also having a lsd? On their website, Jaguar says that the torque vectoring is the main focus on turns and doesn't mention lsd. Is that true? I'm a little above average driver in terms of skill and am wondering if I would notice the difference between the torque vectoring alone and with lsd?
Thanks very much for any info as this is all somewhat new to me
Nick

 

+1. Unlikely that you're missing anything unless you really wring it out, track it, or use it regularly in slippery conditions. If the latter, you can always switch to all-season tires. I've had LSD on other cars; not missing it on the F-type.

 

The E-diff on my 510hp setup, I believe disengages the clutch to the slipping wheel and applies braking till composure is regained. All while I keep my foot on the throttle.
I could easily live without it. By just changing my driving habits.

 

Torque vectoring by braking is more for turns, it sharpens up the turning and it is awesome for twisty roads at driving speeds. Where I've noticed the lack of a lsd is more where I was mashing the accelerator, usually from launch. But the more hp you have, the more you'd miss it - or as Queen and Country says, the more you'd need to change your driving habits.

 

After owning for many years SL500, I promised myself that I would never ever get into another car without LSD. In that car Mercedes combined nearly-perfect V8 with a chassis that would never let you put that power down from standstill.

Why torture yourself this way?