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2015 Jaguar F-Type S Coupe Luxury Sports Car Review

Benjamin Hunting
by Benjamin Hunting
October 6, 2014
8 min. Reading Time
2015 Jaguar F-Type S Coupe. ・  Photo by Benjamin Hunting

2015 Jaguar F-Type S Coupe. ・ Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Not many cars have affected me on such a visceral level as the 2015 Jaguar F-Type S coupe.  Already a fan of the model after sampling the exciting roadster edition of the F-Type earlier this year, I thought I was well prepared for the charms of its fixed-roof sibling.  I was wrong – and I wasn’t alone.  During the week I spent behind the wheel of the two-door Jaguar, a model intended to compete against vehicles like the Porsche 911, the Mercedes-Benz SL-Class, and the BMW 6 Series, I received a stupendous amount of attention from people ages 8 to 80, all of whom wanted to either lay praise on, or find out more about the F-Type.

In translating the F-Type convertible to the F-Type coupe, Jaguar has managed to bottle more than just magic – it has created a full-on monster.  This car has shaken up the luxury elite of the sports car world, and it’s given the British brand the kind of performance cachet that it hasn’t enjoyed in decades.

Models and Prices

The 2015 Jaguar F-Type comes in a trio of flavors, with the first two based around a supercharged V-6 engine and the top-tier edition featuring a supercharged V-8.  The entry-level F-Type (MSRP $65,000) is equipped with leather seats offering suede inserts, a touchscreen infotainment system with navigation capability, automatic climate control, power windows and door locks, HID headlights, 18-inch wheels and tires, power adjustable seats, and Bluetooth connectivity for mobile devices.  The F-Type S (MSRP $77,000) makes a bigger splash when it comes to performance via the installation of an adjustable suspension system linked to the car’s driving modes, up-sized brakes, a roaring adaptive exhaust system, and a limited slip differential.  It also offers keyless entry and ignition (with a pulsing Start button on the center console).  The R Coupe (MSRP $99,000) provides brakes that are bigger still, a special rear differential that can actively manage torque, 20-inch rims, extended leather, and a few additional comfort items compared to the S. 

The vehicle that I drove for a week was a 2015 Jaguar F-Type S that featured a panoramic glass roof, performance seats wrapped in premium leather, and a heated windshield.  The total price for my tester came to $84,650.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Design

What’s New:

  • The 2015 Jaguar F-Type S Coupe adds a fixed roof to last year's F-Type roadster.

It's no secret that I am quite taken with the 2015 Jaguar F-Type S coupe's beautiful visage, as I was effusive in my review of the roadster edition of the same car (models that are virtually identical from the A-pillar forward).  Adding a fixed top to the F-Type S has done little to reduce its charm, and in fact may have actually improved the automobile's aesthetics.  The Jaguar F-Type S coupe's long roofline perfectly balances out its equally-generous hood, and the way that the hatchback slopes down to meet the top of the rear deck lid further accentuates the gentle wedge of the car's back end. 

The rear fenders are also more pronounced with the coupe as compared to the roadster, as the hatch allows for them to be visually lengthened without changing the car's overall proportions.  My particular tester was finished in white, and while the simple color might not have shown off the F-Type S' curves as effectively as say, Italian Racing Red Metallic, it still offered a pleasing contrast against the black rims and rear diffuser.  Simply put, this car is gorgeous, and it's a vehicle that attracts stares, compliments, and broad smiles everywhere it goes.  Jaguar has effectively created an affordable exotic, and Ferrari-levels of attention are to be expected when piloting any flavor of F-Type.'

The F-Type S coupe's passenger compartment continues the modern trend set by its aluminum body, with a sleek yet classy instrument panel, center console, and door trim providing a suitably luxurious interior environment.  Leather and soft plastics dominate the cabin, and despite its relatively compact size there's never a feeling a of claustrophobia once you close the door of the coupe.  Like the shift dial that rises and falls in other Jaguar models, the F-Type S has its own share of eye-catching gimmicks, such as a pulsing start/stop button that dares you to fire up the engine as well as a rectangular climate vent housing that rises up out of the dashboard when it's time to heat up or cool down the car's interior.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Comfort and Cargo

  • The 2015 Jaguar F-Type S Coupe features a larger trunk compared to the roadster.
  • Interior storage is also marginally more generous.

Coupes are typically more practical that convertibles when it comes to hauling your gear around, and the 2015 Jaguar F-Type S is no exception.  As I mentioned above, despite not being a particularly large car the F-Type S coupe provides a passenger compartment that feels relatively spacious, with plenty of room for two riders to stretch out.  My vehicle came with optional sport seats featuring a higher grade of leather, and as a result offered thicker stitching than what you would find on the standard coupe.  Unfortunately, the seam running down the center of the seat cushion was a little too aggressive for my liking, and created a 'princess and the pea' situation for me each time I tried to settle in to the coupe.

You can't bring all that much with you inside the Jaguar F-Type S coupe's cabin unless you are willing to stow it in the passenger footwell, as the center console and glove box are each quite small.  Compared to the roadster, however, you've got an additional cubby located between the two seats, and I suppose if you were feeling adventurous you could stuff sweaters and hats on the top of the cargo cover that seals off the hatch area from the interior (although you'd be giving up what little visibility exists through the rear glass).  I found the F-Type S coupe's trunk to be much more practical that what was afforded by the roadster, not to mention easy to load thanks to the large opening afforded by the hatch itself.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Features and Controls

  • The 2015 Jaguar F-Type S Coupe does not introduce any new features or controls compared to the roadster it is based on.

If you have ridden in any recent Jaguar, or even an SUV built by its sister company Land Rover, then you will be familiar with the control surfaces used inside the 2015 Jaguar F-Type S coupe.  The center console is where all of the action is, as this is where one finds the electronic shift lever, the buttons that active Dynamic and Snow modes, the active exhaust system, the all-important shut-off for the automatic engine start/stop system, and the button that raises and lowers the rear wing.  The latter was broken on my low-mile tester, as the wing stubbornly refused to answer the button's call at any time during the week (although it would raise at highway speeds all on its on, answering some deeper programming deep within the F-Type's ECU in a bid to improve downforce and reduce rear visibility).

The center stack consists of Jaguar's standard touchscreen interface and navigation system, while the gauge cluster in front of the driver consists of a pair of analog tach and speedo displays sandwiching a small LCD screen that, when the car is in Dynamic mode, presents the current gear and changes color when it's time to upshift.  Although technology is a constant presence inside the F-Type S coupe's cabin, it's not overwhelming, which is in keeping with the mix of modern design and traditional spirit that courses through the car.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Safety and Ratings

  • The 2015 Jaguar F-Type S Coupe does not introduce any new safety gear.

The 2015 Jaguar F-Type S coupe comes with dual forward airbags, side impact airbags, and electronic stability control and traction control as standard equipment.  Options for the car include a blind spot monitoring system that also serves as a rear cross-traffic detection system when reversing the car.

 The F-Type coupe has yet to be crash tested by either the NHTSA or the IIHS.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Engines and Fuel Economy

  • The 2015 Jaguar F-Type Coupe mirrors the V-6 drivetrain options provided by the F-Type roadster.
  • The V-8 engine available in the R Coupe is re-tuned for more power.

The base 2015 Jaguar F-Type coupe features a supercharged V-6 engine that is good for 340 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque.  Displacing 3.0-liters, this same engine is also used by the F-Type S, albeit with tuning that pushes out an additional 40 ponies for a total of 380 (torque is also raised, albeit marginally, to 339 lb-ft).  If you want to incinerate the rear tires at will, the you can always opt for the 550 horsepower, 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 found under the hood of the F-Type S coupe.  This unit is additionally good for 502 lb-ft of twist, and while the V-6 engines are a match for their roadster equivalents, the eight-cylinder coupe is significantly mightier than its convertible equivalent.

An eight-speed automatic transmission is included with each F-Type coupe variant, and the S model that I drove features a fuel mileage rating of 17-mpg city and 27-mpg on the highway.  I'm not going to report on my actual observed fuel economy, because I drove this car to within an inch of its life every time I was behind the wheel.  If you can resist such temptations, then perhaps you can match the factory figures, but I think you'd have to be an absolute saint to achieve them - and the pious aren't the target market for the F-Type coupe.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Driving Impressions

Few cars are able to maintain dual personalities for very long.  Especially in the luxury world, the temptation to lean too heavily in the direction of sizzling performance or plush comfort can often compromise the ability to enjoy a vehicle in more than a single, specific setting.  The 2015 Jaguar F-Type S coupe stands apart as being one of the few automobiles capable of maintaining this balancing act without shortchanging drivers on either side of the equation.

The secret lies in the F-Type S' two driving modes.  When the transmission is left in Drive the two-door Jaguar is remarkably well behaved, slicing through traffic like a lazy shark scattering a herd of frightened game fish, confident in its abilities and drawing the kind of wary attention that prey lavish on a predator.  The effect is the same whether one is in downtown traffic or cruising on the interstate, with the F-Type's suspension absorbing enough of the road under its wheels to create a perfectly comfortable long-distance bubble.

When it's time to cut loose, however, the vehicle's Dynamic mode makes all the difference in the world.  Dynamic mode, which is accessed via a console-mounted toggle, adjusts the coupe's suspension so that it more accurately transmits feedback to the driver, and it also activates louder baffles installed in the F-Type S' exhaust system (which can additionally be triggered through their own button).  Combined with moving the shifter from Drive to Sport, the transformation of the F-Type S coupe from beautifully sculpted luxury machine to child-frightening high performance buzzsaw is complete.  Add in the wrinkle of automatically-blipped downshifts when tugging back on the car's steering wheel-mounted paddles, which are garnished by the wondrous sounds of raw fuel being dumped through the manifolds on over-run, and you end up with a high performance driving experience like none other at the F-Type's price point.

In addition to sounding better than any other automobile I have driven this year, what makes the 2015 Jaguar F-Type S coupe's multi-faceted charisma so impressive is the fact that it's actually the mid-tier version of the automobile.  Given that the S is capable of launching itself to 60-mph in a startling 4.5 seconds, it's hard to imagine what this car would feel like with almost 200 more horsepower on tap (which is what you get with the R).  Quite honestly, for the money I feel like the S coupe is best model of the three, as its sublime handling, rocket-like acceleration, and brash personality at the limit are in perfect balance with each other.  I am sure that if all I wanted was a tire-shredding burnout machine then the R would be the trim level to target, but for those looking for a civilized moving sculpture that can shed its goodie-goodie act at the drop of a hat without scaring the living daylights out of you at full throttle, then the F-Type S is it.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Final Thoughts

I honestly feel that if every 2015 Jaguar F-Type S coupe test drive route included a quarter-mile stretch of tunnel, then a quick full-throttle pass with the car's Dynamic mode activated would ensure more demand for this phenomenal coupe than the British brand's factories could ever meet.  The F-Type S is the perfect antidote to the Porsche 911, making an emotional appeal that the competent and clinical Teutonic luxury coupe simply can't match.  It's fascinating to me to see a company with Jaguar's heritage be so capable of staying true to its design roots and resist the temptation to simply ape the successful German formula, a trap that so many of its would-be rivals have fallen into with varying degrees of success.  A unique option in a sea of high performance conformity, the Jaguar F-Type S coupe confers an individuality seldom seen amongst premium automobiles.

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Pros and Cons

Pros:

  • You attract attention wherever you go.
  • Gorgeous doesn't begin to describe this car.
  • Comfortable on the highway and in daily use.
  • Thrilling performance and outstanding soundtrack.
  • Affordably priced mid-tier option = the best of three available F-Type coupes.

Cons:

  • You attract attention wherever you go.
  • Still some lingering quality issues.
  • Infotainment gear not as advanced as the rest of the car.
  • No manual transmission option for 2015.

Jaguar Canada supplied the vehicle for this review

 Photo by Benjamin Hunting

Photo by Benjamin Hunting


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