Just picked up my new 2018 F-Type R AWD in beautiful Ultra Blue. I have only had it for a few hours, but I’m ‘loving it so far.

Ive had two Aston Martins (V8 & V12 Manuals) and the Jaguar feels closest to them. The cars have the same basic layout and similar-ish dimensions, all are heavy for aluminum cars. The Jag has the same long hood that drops off into nowhere. You sit lowish in the car and you don’t have the kind of visibility you get in a Porsche or even the R8V10. The F-Type is a WIDE car and it feels it, I’m not sure I would ever feel comfortable piloting it through a tight road course. On a the road it feels like a brutish GT car than a pure sports car, and at the moment that suits me just fine.

I have read lots of comments regarding the interior quality and I have no complaints. The materials are are nice and the controls are intuitive. The V12 Carbon Edition Aston Martin felt a step up in material choice, but the infotainment, the layout etc were just archaic (through I never cared, I just listened to the V12). It is strange how tight the Jag is compared to the Aston, the cabin ends right behind the seats, and there is zero storage outside of a glove box (my Alfa 4C was the worst it had zero, not even a glove box). Even though it’s cramped, its a wonderful place to be. It envelops you, as an ex-track junky, I’m used to be cramped and held in place with a 6 point harness. The panoramic roof makes the space feel open and the mirror frames the rear window perfectly.

Its a heavy car and features like a power trunk release and the power rising heating vents on top of the dash seem like poor choices for a sports car, but I’m guessing fine for a GT road car.

Its a beast of a car with that big punch of torque. I haven’t been able to test it on an open track, but it is an event, even at legal speeds. Around town I love the growl and the exhaust. I have had an R8V10 with that Lambo motor and a V12 Vantage, and this motor feels at least as characterful. The Aston seemed to spool up faster and the V10 would go past 8000 RPMs, but the supercharged V8 grunt of the Jag has a guttural bark and a huge shove that rivals some of the best. It is more of a Rottweiler than a race horse.

My car is AWD and I can say it is not nearly as tail happy as my V12 Vantage was. That car would spin the rear tires right up to 4th gear, the Jaguar is more planted. Both had Pirelli Pzeros, though the Aston had the Cora tires.

The Jaguar is a very pretty car. My only wish is for the nose to hang out less at the front and terminate closer to the front tires, but that is a nit. I think its a flawless a version of this layout as the Aston Martin is, but in its own way. It has so many beautiful angles, I cant wait to wash it.

My cars have been split between front engined and mid engined (Aston Martin V8, V12 Vantage, Jaguar F-Type R, Audi TTRS vs R8V10, Alfa 4C, Lotus 211, Boxster Spyder, Boxster S, Cayman R). If I’m against the clock on a track I find the mid engined cars are easier to place and I’m more comfortable with the way they rotate. I find they are just easier to place on the road as the packaging allows for better sight lines etc. But on the roads the more classic GT approach is great fun, especially since the limits are so much lower, horse power is cheap and the practicality of the packaging is higher.

I’m excited to learn more about this car as I drive it more. It is certainly one of the more compelling cars on the market, especially at this price point.