Jaguar F-Type Coupe manual review
Manual gearbox added to Jaguar F-Type Coupe by popular demand
If the lack of a manual F-Type has kept you away from your Jaguar dealer, the car you desire will be here in July. The six-speeder doesn’t have the crispness of a Porsche shift for the ultimate in swift, slick changes – although it makes a better noise than the auto.
In addition to the option of four-wheel drive on 2016 model-year F-Types, Jaguar has bowed to pressure and introduced a manual gearbox on the supercharged V6 models.
The new six-speeder, developed by Jaguar and ZF, has been tuned to provide what the company describes as “the purest possible F-Type experience”. However, it’s only available on either of the V6 engines in Coupe or Convertible form – the V8 remains an automatic only.
It provides a new entry level to the F-Type range, too, although due to a ‘price realignment’ it’s the same price as the lower-powered automatic model was – the auto has jumped up by £1,800.
If you really must have a manual shift for your F-Type, you’ll find the new gearbox pleasant enough to use, but without the crispness that you’ll get from a Porsche box. It’s not vague or rubbery, but lacks the direct mechanical feel of the very best manual shifts.
Swapping gears manually also means the performance takes a bit of a dip: the 0-60mph time goes up by four-tenths to 5.5 seconds in the 336bhp car and 5.3 seconds in the 375bhp model – still pretty swift returns by any standards. However, changes to the exhaust baffles on the manual car mean a more exciting noise than in automatic models, almost on a par with the rip-roaring V8.
Elsewhere, the V6 F-Types benefit from a raft of 2016 model-year tweaks, including Torque Vectoring by braking for sharper front end responses, and the new electric power-steering that gives even greater feel than before.
You can also opt for the Sport Design Pack that’s standard on the V8 R models and the much improved infotainment touchscreen system with Jaguar’s impressive InControl apps.
The latest F-Types benefit from upgrade to touchscreen infotainment system and can be used with impressive InControl apps, too. The Sport Design Pack will give V6 models the appearance of the F-Type R, with deeper sills and revised front and rear spoilers.
