Flipping Fantastically Fast F-Type

The V6 and V8 are very similar in design, but the extra cylinders in the latter had our writer falling in love all over again.

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After grabbing the world's sportscar fans by the throat and shaking them so hard that all they could utter for months after seeing, hearing and driving the new F-Type, were unending streams of delirious praise, the F-Type has arrived in South Africa. It is probably the most eagerly awaited new car to reach these shores in the past 10 years and to my mind, the most complete, desirable sportscar (or any car, for that matter) I have ever driven.

To say it is fantastic is just the start - I could multiply it a thousand times and still won't find enough right words to describe its looks, scorching performance and absolutely audacious soundtrack.

A long wait, but well worth it

The F-Type has certainly taken a long time in coming, with Jaguar having to survive numerous crises such as a world-wide economic slump; the growing swing away from real sportscars made for sheer driving pleasure towards environmentally friendly purring prams; and wobbling on the edge of brand extinction until Big Indian Money was thrown at it by new owners Tata.

I am Jaguar... Hear me snarl.

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Unlike plucking at sentimental memory strings such as VW has done with its rejuvenated Beetle and BMW is doing with the Mini, the new Jaguar F-Type is cast in an entirely new mould. It is completely unique and good enough to tower above most other modern sportscars... a Jaguar so good it is destined to become another legend, overshadowing even the legendary E-Type.

Of course it has all the right qualifications; it is a low, wide, two-seater, the engine is up front; the power is put down via the rear wheels; the balance is a near perfect 50:50 and it looks stunning, particularly in Italian Racing Red (take that Ferrari!) or Ultimate black.

Achtung! Achtung! Spitfire... Oh, OK, it's a Jag

Unlike the E-Type which made a name for itself as one of the most beautiful cars the world had seen, the new F-Type is built to such high standards that it is unlikely to be plagued by the battery of ailments from which the E-Type and other Jags used to suffer.

Isn't she just gorgeous... No man, the car, you fool! (Though she's very nice too.)

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Yes, it costs a small fortune compared to the E-Type but for that you get a car that is so beautiful, so fast, so glued to the road, so exciting to drive and so loud that it will probably out-thunder a squadron of World War 2 Spitfires starting up.

It was my pleasure to become intimately acquainted with two of the new F-Type models on the snaking, scenic roads of Mpumalanga that will be buzzing for a long time about the fleet of snarling, barking, screaming F-Types that briefly invaded the region.

The centre of attention... and probably a drop or three of envy

Just firing up the cars in a hotel car park was enough to stop the traffic and set the dogs barking and howling. I have never driven any car on local roads that caused such a fuss and excitement.

The F-Type comes in two distinctively different flavours, almost identical in looks, but one powered by an almighty V8 and the other by a delightful V6, available in both "standard" and S specification levels. I drove the V6 S on day one and that was exciting enough to set my pants and my hair on fire.

Quality all round.

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The 3-litre, supercharged engine nestling under its clam-like bonnet charges out 280kW to produce a top speed of 275km/h and a 0-100km/h sprint in just 4.9 seconds which is blistering fast.

But the beautiful rocket is also blessed with beauty, from the menacing narrow front day-light running headlights, black mesh grille, long sloping bonnet with air vent slits, super-sexy rims, flush door handles to its sharply raking windscreen, black fold-away roof, rear spoiler that raises automatically from 100km/h and the prominent silver leaping cat badge on the boot lid it is so pretty you want to touch and stroke it.

Blistering performance

Out on the road once your heart has settled to a less than frantic beat, the F-Type produces sublimely blistering performance. It has the ability to cling with amazing tenacity through the corners, helped along by steering that is pin-sharp and quick, and a suspension set-up so taut that the car feels like it is glued to the road.

A top speed of 275km/h and a 0-100km/h sprint in just 4.9 seconds should get the heart pumping.

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But it is the ultimately smooth and lightning fast eight-speed transmission with its closely-spaced ratios that really makes the F-Type such a wild pleasure to drive. It is so refined, so clever that when driving the car hard its software even switches gears to suit any situation.

When lifting your foot of the throttle quickly and jabbing the brakes briefly, it will automatically hold a gear in anticipation of the driver's next move. Under heavy braking and deceleration it automatically "blips" the throttle during down-shifts if the car has been clicked into Sport Automatic mode.

He thought he was in Motoring Heaven, then...

The transmission is absolutely brilliant left to its own devices, but just as responsive and quick whether you flick through the gears with the joystick-style SportShift gear selector or tap-tap the paddles behind the steering wheel.

With world flashing by in the V6 at full trot and thrilling to that loud exhaust concert reverberating off the surrounding cliffs, I thought I was in Motoring Heaven.... until along came my spell at the wheel of the V8.

The living quarters just invite you in to take the ride of a lifetime.

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With its V8 blasting out 364kW and a mind-blowing 625Nm kicking in from as low down as 2 500rpm this is snarling, growling wild cat that will bite you in the bum very quickly if you prod it too hard and run out of experience.

Quick enough for you?

It delivers instant stonking power from the moment your foot touches the accelerator, slamming you back into the seat as it blitzes from 0 to 100km/h in a mere 4.3 seconds. As if "normal" isn't wild enough for this beast you can change the car's set-up and performance kit all the way to race-track suitable, including an option to make the exhaust thunder even louder and more menacing.

Although the V8 has a slightly hairier chest in terms of performance, given the choice I would opt for the easier to handle and more forgiving V6 which is also more day-to-day user-friendly and costs about R400,000 less than the V8.

The power behind the drone.

There is so much to like about the F-Type, from its light-weight aluminium body and fold-way roof top to the comfortable, smart yet extremely intuitive and functional cockpit that I can write a book about it.

This a car that one buys for sheer, undiluted driving pleasure provided in generous doses by its super sportscar performance and handling, its blow-you-out-of-the-water looks and the non-stop orchestral exhaust music it produces.

Of course the F-Type has many other charming features and loads of fancy kit, but smart and convenient as it is to have a touchscreen, satellite navigation, a multi-Watt Meridian sound system, fancy Xenon headlamps and LED signature lights, plus numerous personal choices of body colour and interior styling, what sets this car apart is the sublimely sexy way it delivers performance.

In the past few months I have changed the screen-saver on my home desk-top three times - from Audi R8 V10, to Mercedes SLS gullwing and now to the Jaguar F-Type and I reckon I am going to be staring at this Jag's image for many, many years to come...

The models and prices are:

• F-TYPE 3.0-LITRE V6 - R845,000
• F-TYPE 3.0-LITRE V6 S - R975,000
• F-TYPE 5.0-LITRE V8 S - R1,385,000

Specifications

2014 Jaguar F-Type V8 S Start Up, Exhaust, and In Depth Review

Jaguar F-type driven on road and track - www.autocar.co.uk

Jaguar F-Type 2013 review - CarBuyer

2014 Jaguar F-Type - KBB Answers Your Questions