Keeping the interest up
Get a 2016 Jaguar on open road and it comes together perfectly
As the long-awaited spiritual successor to the legendary Jaguar E-Type sports car, the 2014 F-Type convertible arrived to much fanfare along with a massive weight of expectation on its sexy flanks.
It turned out to be a great car, delivering on its gorgeous looks with some bona fide sports car moves and spectacular aural symphonies from both the 3.0L supercharged V6s (340-hp, 380-hp) and the 495-hp 5.0L supercharged V8.
Yet, with small-volume niche cars such as these, you gotta keep the interest up. Last year, we saw the hardtop coupe that earns a rightful place in the pantheon of cars that can bring you to your knees on beauty alone. The V8’s upgrade to 550 hp from 495 hp got our attention, too. However, all variants of the F-Type were rearwheel-drive and fitted with a ZF eight- speed auto with paddle shifters.
For 2016, further changes are afoot in F-Type land. Both the V8-powered convertible and coupe brag 550 hp and allwheel-drive, and the rear-drive V6 cars are now available with an honest-to-gawd six-speed stick shift.
Considering that the manual transmission generally looks to have one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel, kudos to Jaguar for giving a friendly nod to the few who value tactile involvement over the pursuit of faster lap times.
Sometimes adding a manual transmission to a high-performance car doesn’t work out as one might hope, but this proves to be a happy union. And a pretty significant one, as Jaguar last produced a true sports car with a stick shift about 40 years ago.
Tested here is the 2016 F-Type V6 S Convertible manual with a starting price of $91,500. The manual tranny is a no-cost option and saves 10 kilograms.
Granted, if you’re spending a lot of time in city traffic, this transmission might not be for you, but get this Jag out on the open road and it comes together beautifully.
Yes, the shifts are a tad long and a little ropy, but once you get the feel for the clutch and shifter, the V6 S shows bags of character and plenty of pace thanks to the 380-hp supercharged V6 that makes fantastic noises and has sharp throttle response.
Those 380 ponies ride along with 339 lb.-ft. of torque, available from 3,500-5,000 rpm. Despite being supercharged, this V6 exhibits the characteristics of a good naturally-aspirated unit. Power escalates as the tach needle swings right, and it happily charges to the red line.
If you’re into heel-and-toe downshifts, the Jag folks made sure the pedals are properly positioned. The F-Type gets electrically assisted steering for 2016, replacing the old hydraulic unit. It seems Jaguar has this technology figured out because the helm feels every bit alive as before.
Try to drive the F-Type with the top down because the twin central exhaust trumpets sprouting from beneath the Jag’s fetching derriere live up to their visual promise. With sport mode selected, bypass valves allow them to broadcast a most unholy V6 racket. They wail, cackle and blat flatulently on upshifts, and while coasting you could be tricked into thinking there were some nutty clowns sitting on the bootlid gargling with Cuervo Gold.
This F-Type S might not have the poise and fluidity of a Porsche Boxster, nor the precise shifter, but it’s those little imperfections that make this Brit so engaging. This is a throwback Jaguar with soul — it’s all about the rear-drive elemental sports car experience. Boisterous, ballsy and beautiful.
So if you’re into rowing your own gears, praise be. This manual F-Type S Convertible goes as good as it looks, and that’s saying a helluva lot. Freelance writer Peter Bleakney is a frequent contributor to Toronto Star Wheels. For this story, the manufacturer supplied the automobile. To reach Peter, email wheels@thestar.ca and put his name in the subject line.