2017 Jaguar F-Type V8R AWD Convertible

Driven: Jaguar F-Type V8R AWD Convertible Review

We tested out the Jaguar F-Type V8R AWD Convertible and here are our thoughts on this dramatic car.

What is the Jaguar F-Type V8R AWD Convertible all about?

When you think about the Jaguar F-Type V8R, it has really smashed the sports car market to pieces with its beautiful design and incredible performance. The F-Type V8R is the fastest and most extreme version of the already impressive F-Type range. Now we get the convertible version that opens up the market to more buyers.

Just looking at the car you can tell it is an absolute work of art. I love the 20″ wheels, the big arches and its long sloping bonnet. The whole thing looks gorgeous and very Aston Martin-esqe. Jaguar gives us the choice of either the Coupe or the Convertible models, which both have their own advantages. We tested the convertible version, which does limit the boot space in the car, but with the top down it gives a completely different experience to the car over the coupe.

The Jaguar F-Type V8R AWD is powered by a 5.0-litre V8 supercharged engine that creates 550 PS and 680Nm of torque. The power goes to all 4 wheels using an eight-speed automatic gearbox. Consequently, the car will get from 0-60mph in 3.9 seconds and do a top speed of 186mph. For combined economy figures you will see around 25 mpg and on average you will create around 269 g/km of CO2, so this isn’t the most eco friendly V8 for sure.

How does it drive?

Getting into the F-Type, you sit very low in the car and feel very far back looking down that long bonnet. Yet this helps create a proper sports car feel. One of the most special things about the F-Type is that you don’t even have to drive it to enjoy it. Simply turning on the V8 engine is enough to weaken any petrol head to their knees. With one press of a button the engine fires up and you hear what I would describe as the best exhaust sound ever heard from any car.

Keeping with that exhaust system, it is an active system meaning that with the press of a button you can make the car louder. In the loud mode the 5.0 litre V8 engine sounds completely mental. The exhaust note alone is something to die for but the real magic is the toe curling pops and bangs that happen on the way down the rev range. I haven’t heard anything like it before.

Right, exhaust note aside, the F-Type is a hugely powerful car and not only puts the power down well but does it in an especially thrilling way. The F-Type has a very energetic nature about it and in the car’s dynamic mode it is a real handful to play with. Gentle inputs on the car have very powerful effects and leave you hanging on to the wheel, grinning like a fool. The AWD system on the car works really well to convert 550 PS to the ground. However, I do imagine the RWD version is going to be a handful.

The eight speed automatic gearbox in the F-Type is one of the best I have used, and for many reasons; the shift response is very quick, it seems to do what you ask it to do every time and it feels very rewarding to use as a driver clicking through the gears. If you leave it in fully automatic mode, you can forget completely about the gears and just enjoy the driving experience. It is an intelligent gearbox.

The F-Type is a gift for the senses; sight, sound, and touch are all hugely stimulated by the F-Type.

What is it like inside?

Sitting inside the convertible the interior has a great driver centric feel. The central controls are slightly tilted towards the driver. Additionally, there is a dividing arm on the left hand side on the central console indicating the controls are to be used by the driver and not the passenger. There are lots of buttons inside the car, but it won’t take you long to figure out what they all do.

The entire interior setup is very modern and feels particularly well put together. The configuration gives you a bit of a plane cockpit feeling, due to the fact that you are quite wrapped up in the car. This really adds to the sporty feel.

The interior really did have a luxury feel and everything you touch or looked at was something of desire.

The Experience

The Jaguar F-Type V8R AWD delivers one of the most dramatic driving experiences that is possible on the road. Simply the sound of it is enough to convince you of this. But get it on the road and it will make you realise just what all the other manufactures are missing. Let’s not forget this car has 10 PS more than an Audi R8 V10. So when it comes to properly getting the car moving, this thing is certainly a bit of a weapon.

Verdict

The Jaguar F-Type V8R AWD is an incredibly soulful car. It has real beauty, monstrous performance and the energy to excite even the most advanced drivers. The F-Type is available with smaller engines that may help economy wise and you will still get the rest of the beauty etc. Yet the V8R offers a real ear damaging playful experience that the others can’t touch.