MOTORING
Surrey’s Premier Lifestyle Magazine
Tip Top Cat
After years of producing rather staid models, something has stirred in the feline world and Jaguar Cars is now without doubt at the top of its game. The first cat to venture from Jaguar’s special operations lair is the F-type SVR. It’s a scorcher, and just in time for the summer as Euan Johns discovers.
After a long lay off out in the cold alley, Top Cat has returned via the advertising arena and, after some tedious years, so has another top cat’s pizzazz, Jaguar, with its new Jaguar F-type SVR supercar.
This is the first Jaguar SVR developed to exploit the lightweight aluminium sports car’s full potential while retaining day-to-day usability. It’s a 200 mph joyous, all-weather supercar priced well below its Porsche 911 peer. More powerful, lighter, and benefiting from an enhanced chassis and driveline with active aerodynamics, the all-wheel drive F-type SVR coupé and convertible deliver super performance in all conditions and pretty much unrivalled driver engagement.
Jaguar has raised the output of the supercharged 5.0 litre V8 to enable the car to accelerate from 0–60 mph in 3.5 seconds. The maximum speed of the coupé model is 200 mph, with the convertible slightly less at 195 mph. This is achieved by lowering the rear wing to make the car a little more slippery.
This is the first Jaguar SVR developed to exploit the lightweight aluminium sports car’s full potential while retaining day-to-day usability. It’s a 200 mph joyous, all-weather supercar priced well below its Porsche 911 peer. More powerful, lighter, and benefiting from an enhanced chassis and driveline with active aerodynamics, the all-wheel drive F-type SVR coupé and convertible deliver super performance in all conditions and pretty much unrivalled driver engagement.
Jaguar has raised the output of the supercharged 5.0 litre V8 to enable the car to accelerate from 0–60 mph in 3.5 seconds. The maximum speed of the coupé model is 200 mph, with the convertible slightly less at 195 mph. This is achieved by lowering the rear wing to make the car a little more slippery.
The engine delivers a stunning barking and snarling soundtrack, so drivers may want to pause the Coldplay for a moment to enjoy it going through the gears. To annoy neighbours, add an active sports exhaust for effect, but I’m not sure it’s worth the money or aggravation.
So, the power is easy to transfer to the road and steering is responsive. Wider, specially developed 265/35/ZR20 and 305/30/ZR20 tyres provide exceptional levels of grip with no detriment to ride quality or refinement.
The F-type has always been a really good long distance car gobbling up the miles with ease with a firm and composed ride. By exploiting the fundamental capability engineered in to the F-type from day one, Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations division has developed Jaguar’s fastest and most powerful series production road car.
So, the power is easy to transfer to the road and steering is responsive. Wider, specially developed 265/35/ZR20 and 305/30/ZR20 tyres provide exceptional levels of grip with no detriment to ride quality or refinement.
The F-type has always been a really good long distance car gobbling up the miles with ease with a firm and composed ride. By exploiting the fundamental capability engineered in to the F-type from day one, Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations division has developed Jaguar’s fastest and most powerful series production road car.
LOADING
Fuel economy isn’t going to be of concern for those who can afford the car, but for the record we’re looking at a pretty thirsty beast (25 mpg). The interior is a little snug for those of larger frame build, but has all the elegance anyone could wish for. There are unique SVR seats with a lozenge quilt pattern, suede cloth-covered instrument binnacle and centre console, SVR steering wheel and anodised aluminium paddle shifters as decoration.
Above all though it’s the stunning looks that catch the attention. There’s been some hard work done on the aerodynamic front trying to reconcile the twin conundrums of reducing drag and lift. To cut drag, the front bumper is extended to mask as much of the wheels as possible helping airflow to remain attached to the sides of the car. The front valance and front undertray also contribute to drag reduction and do much more to improve engine cooling.
The louvre design of the new bonnet vents uses the flow of air over the bonnet to extract more hot air from the engine compartment. Apertures in the wheel arch liners help high-pressure air to escape through the fender vents, reducing front-end lift. An under-floor tray beneath the rear suspension accelerates the airflow, reducing pressure and therefore reducing lift. There’s a lot going on, but the single most effective device developed for the F-type SVR is its deployable rear wing. The optimised design is more effective and more aerodynamically efficient in both raised and lowered positions.
If there’s a car that encapsulates everything that’s now good about Jaguar it has to be the F-type SVR, it’s all the ‘Bs’: brilliant, beguiling, beautiful and bold. At a significantly lower price than a Turbo Porsche 911, and in a year seeing our monarch’s 90th birthday and one marking the 50th anniversary of England football’s greatest moment, need I say more about what my choice would be?
Above all though it’s the stunning looks that catch the attention. There’s been some hard work done on the aerodynamic front trying to reconcile the twin conundrums of reducing drag and lift. To cut drag, the front bumper is extended to mask as much of the wheels as possible helping airflow to remain attached to the sides of the car. The front valance and front undertray also contribute to drag reduction and do much more to improve engine cooling.
The louvre design of the new bonnet vents uses the flow of air over the bonnet to extract more hot air from the engine compartment. Apertures in the wheel arch liners help high-pressure air to escape through the fender vents, reducing front-end lift. An under-floor tray beneath the rear suspension accelerates the airflow, reducing pressure and therefore reducing lift. There’s a lot going on, but the single most effective device developed for the F-type SVR is its deployable rear wing. The optimised design is more effective and more aerodynamically efficient in both raised and lowered positions.
If there’s a car that encapsulates everything that’s now good about Jaguar it has to be the F-type SVR, it’s all the ‘Bs’: brilliant, beguiling, beautiful and bold. At a significantly lower price than a Turbo Porsche 911, and in a year seeing our monarch’s 90th birthday and one marking the 50th anniversary of England football’s greatest moment, need I say more about what my choice would be?
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Michelle Rodriguez reaches 200 mph in Jaguar F-type SVR
The new Jaguar F-type SVR was recently put through a high speed test drive with Fast and Furious star Michelle Rodriguez at the wheel. On a closed highway in the Nevada desert, home to the world’s fastest road race, the Silver State Classic Challenge, the actress pushed the car to its top speed with the speedometer indicating 201 mph – a personal top speed for Michelle.
“Driving this car was insane!” exclaimed Michelle. “I’ve now broken my personal speed record in this beautiful Jaguar. Reaching 201 mph felt amazing; the car drove really smoothly, all my corrections were minimal, I was super focused and it really reacted in all the right ways. I don’t think I’d ever go this fast without a professional driver seated next to me, but oh man, it was an incredible feeling.
“I’ve always wondered what it was like to travel faster than my top speed of 140 mph and, outside of the Autobahn, it’s impossible for me to do it safely anywhere else and safety is most important to me. It was refreshing to be able to take myself beyond my limitations, going that fast is a big responsibility, but the experience in this car was more graceful than anything I’ve felt before.”
“Our objective was to take everything that our customers love about F-type and take it to a whole new level. This is what the new F-type SVR delivers: it’s a 200 mph all-weather supercar. This is a car that SVO has developed for true enthusiasts, but it’s one that can be enjoyed every day.”
John Edwards, managing director, Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations