BUDGET

World-class cat on a

When it comes to affordable sportscars, the shape of the 2019 Jaguar FType P300 Coupe is what makes it stand out.

The liquid lines penned by director of design, Ian Callum, have that Jaguar DNA which made the original XKE one of the most desirable sportscars of all time.

If you’ve wondered where the romance of car design has gone, look no further than the F-Type P300 Coupe.

Just prior to testing this coupe, I spent a week with the mighty, 575 hp 2019 F-Type SVR Coupe in brilliant red.

It was stunning, but the massive functional rear wing made it look somehow more brutish, in my opinion.

The P300, painted in glistening Santorini Black, with 20-inch gloss black five-spoke alloy wheels, made this tester look sinuous and also sinister, like the Alien in the movie.

For 2019, Jaguar has trimmed the F-Type lineup primarily by eliminating the 4.0-litre V6, cutting the models from seven to six with the Coupe tested here being the “entry” version, powered by a turbocharged inline four-cylinder producing 296 hp and 295 lb/ft of torque.

The P300 is strictly rear-wheel-drive, but shares the same eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters as do the other F-Types.

While exotic carbon-ceramic brakes are available on the SVR, the P300 makes do with 355 mm iron discs up front and 325 mm discs at the rear.

And while the SVR has almost 300 hp more, the P300 does 0-100 km/h in 5.7 seconds with a top speed limited to 260 km/h.

So it’s no slouch.

All F-Types share much of the mechanicals, which includes most instruments and controls. Thus the P300 gets the same centre console toggle switch to alter ride response by toggling forward for ice and snow and back for Dynamic Mode control.

Dynamic Mode stiffens the steering and suspension while enhancing engine throttle response. That coupled with the open rear differential which, with braking input, results in torque vectoring through a corner at speed.

The interior of the P300 as tested seems understated at first, but then you notice the optional ($1,740) sports performance seats and the fixed ($1,230) panoramic roof.

The Climate Pack2 ($1,840) system with heated/cooled front seats and blessed heated steering wheel is worth it.

But that also adds Jaguar’s dreaded heated front windshield with wire filaments imbedded in the glass which, on a rainy or dark day, makes it seems as though you are looking through a screen door.

But of late I’ve noticed at night with oncoming cars with the new and brighter LED headlights, that light glinting off the mesh at times and can be distracting.

The rest of the options on this week’s tester seemed reasonable with power tailgate ($510), front parking aid ($290), blind sport monitor ($500) and rear traffic monitor at no charge.

Clambering in for the full-figured, such as myself, is not a big challenge, despite its lowness to the ground and even with the lower roofline, which is an Ian Callum signature design cue.

Punch the ignition button and the engine starts smartly, followed by a “huff-huff” sound when pulling away. To my ears it sounded not unlike that of a Porsche turbo flat-four.

The optional ($260) switchable active exhaust, which opens up baffles, can be overridden with a touch of a button on the rear centre console.

Switch to Dynamic Mode and the exhaust automatically opens up, so joining the flow of traffic from an on-ramp can be a sonorous and satisfying experience.

At just over 100 km/h while accelerating, a panel at the rear automatically deploys to add downforce, and retracts at 75 km/h. There is a centre console override switch that lets those around you think you haven’t been naughty.

Despite large outside mirrors jutting out into the wind stream, it’s pretty quiet on the inside, even at highway speeds and with performance tires.

The P300 was equipped with paddle shifters which I rarely use, but this was an exception. Shifting up and down the rev range one day with few other cars on the road added a lot to the experience, especially with the unbaffled exhaust.

Stopping at a secluded beach I know for taking photos that has sand hard enough to support most vehicles, three different people out for a stroll or walking their dog paused to comment on the black beauty.

Their biggest surprise was the starting price of $69,500, which one fellow pegged at twice the amount.

The starting price of the P300 is $69,500, and as tested, it was $84,850 including $1,500 destination fee.

That compares favourably to the F-Type SVR, coming to these pages soon with an as-tested price of $167,420 with a $1,500 destination charge making the P300 seem a positive bargain.

And when you combine the price with the looks, it will leave you smiling like a Cheshire Cat.

What’s Best: Drop-dead gorgeous looks, decent pace and more than reasonable price for what you get. What’s Worst: The wire heating filament in the windshield that is part of the Climate Pack2 option is distracting.

What’s Interesting: The verve of the 1960s original XKE has been restored with the F-Type.