How do you take a spectacular Jaguar roadster that the world has anticipated for decades and make it divine? According to Jaguar you give it a hardtop and the option of a 550 horsepower V8. That’s what they’ve done with the 2015 F-Type Coupe ($65,000), which builds on one of our favorite cars this year, the 2014 F-Type convertible. This is the best-looking Jaguar since the E-Type and perhaps even the best-looking car on the market today.
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The coupe improves upon the F-Type convertible’s sleek silhouette, from the twin “shark gill” openings that flank the grille to the “J-blade” LED running lights and the rear glass tapering toward the spoiler. It’s a sight to behold, and it appeals to the heart just as much as the eye thanks to a top-end 550 horsepower 5.0-liter V8, an eight-speed “quickshift” transmission, and lightweight aluminum underpinnings, which include a single piece of high-strength hydro-formed aluminum alloy running from the A pillar to the C pillar. The R boasts torque vectoring and a suspension that adjusts to the road 500 times a second. That’s not to say that it won’t get squirrely in a hurry — but before you realize you’re doomed, the electronic active differential corrects and resets the tires, saving you a world of embarrassment and an awkward call to State Farm.
We had a chance to grab some track and road time in all three variants of the coupe: the V6, V6 S and the V8 R. Though with the V6 model you can get a strikingly beautiful sports coupe for the price of an ordinary mid-sized German sedan (around $65,000), the full upgrade to the $100,000 R model is unquestionably worth it. The bigger engine, stiffer suspension and extra bravado of the R is the best expression yet of what Ian Callum envisioned when he penned the C-X16 concept on which the F-Type is based. Sir Callum has said that the F-Type inspires him every time he sees it. Do you need any more reason to put this thing in your driveway? Didn’t think so.