Jaguar F-type R coupé

Attention to detail is what typically makes an expensive, upmarket product. Look at any high-end valve amplifier, for example. you’ll find beautifully milled rotary dials, impeccable paint finishes and heavyduty components. Even if you peer inside, you’ll find that a lot of thought has been put into how the components are presented and laid out. Elements such as these really make a high-end purchase worthwhile and justifiable.

Step into a current Porsche 911 and similar hallmarks are evident throughout. aluminium detailing, a sleekly integrated sat-nav in the instrument cluster, first-rate materials and pleasingly tactile controls all deliver a quality feel and a smart look. Given the car’s layout, it doesn’t come as a great surprise that there’s not a huge amount to see on the engine front, but at least what is presented is detailed to the nth degree. It’s immediately evident that the 911 is one hell of a machine, and simply sitting in one generates that all-important feel-good factor.

The jaguar F-type R coupé doesn’t quite measure up on this front, though, so it can often leave you, or at least me, feeling a little cool towards it. Some of the controls you interact with frequently, such as the trigger on the gear selector and the plastic stability control switch, feel a little flimsy. Want some attention-grabbing instrumentation or multimedia system functionality? Flat out of luck here, I’m afraid. Lift the bonnet, mentally preparing yourself for a vision of polished aluminium and glorious evidence of a supercharged V8, and you’re left staring blankly and somewhat sadly at a sheet of black plastic. The foibles run deeper, too; for example, if you manually downshift from second to first at low speeds, you’ll often be rewarded with a sickening lurch as the ratios change. It’s easily driven around but not something you’ll experience in the Porsche.

In some cases, you find that finesse has been traded excusably or not for, say, a spectacular visual display or a particularly evocative powerplant. arguably, the F-type does outperform the Porsche in these areas. you get a lot more bang for your buck, too. Our F-type R coupé costs £85,000, while a 911 Carrera S costs £85,933 in PDK form. The Porsche’s 3.8-litre flat six engine produces 394bhp and 326lb ft, some way down on the jaguar’s 542bhp and 502lb ft. It’ll still do 188mph and hit 62mph from a standing start in 4.5sec, though; the F-type R manages 186mph and 4.2sec respectively. In terms of sheer muscle (and volume), however, the jaguar triumphs.

The fact that the jaguar, in its first iteration, is able to compete at all with such a well developed and capable car is remarkable, though, and must not be overlooked. If jaguar attends to some of the minor quirks and foibles in the next generation, key rivals will really have to start worrying.

In the meantime, the F-type R coupé remains a captivating car. It grabs the attention of passers-by, has copious power reserves and is rewarding to drive on the road. For now, though, I’d still put my own money into a Porsche.