Then don't use full throttle in the lower gears, especially in the rain while turning. Problem solved.

The AWD car is nice and a better choice for those who value safety over riskier thrills. The RWD car may be a better choice for those who prefer their thrills with a little less safety.

I ride an 1100cc sport bike in the mountains and in traffic. I run a 400 horsepower 25 foot boat all summer long, even in rough weather. I downhill ski in the winter, sometimes off the "safe" runs. I drive a nearly 500hp RWD roadster year round in a rainy climate. All of these activities and choices carry manageable risks. The risks enhance the experience for me.

The RWD V8 cars are not to be sold in the U.S. market starting with the 2016 model year. I think that is a shame. I think it is the best version if excitement is the buyer's top priority. It is not the safest version.

Other people (or more likely in the U.S. the insurance industry and the environmentalists) are imposing their values on us in the name of safety. Enjoy your horsepower while you can.

 

All fine until you put other people at risk. Please just live within that rule.

 

That statement could not be further from the truth (in my humble opinion)

 

Nothing beats being quoted out of context.

 

then I guess I win

 

the person asking why someone would choose an AWD over RWD obviously doesn't live where there is snow/ice/rain. safety first AWD no brainer

 

Far from it, believe it or not have Winters here in the UK as well! Not that harsh though I admit.
I have driven both a 2WD, and a AWD in winter. The AWD was an Audi Allroad A6. The Allroad Qauttro I grant, was fabulous in the snow up inclines that others in 2WD's could not get up. This is a different system to the IDD though. I think the Quattro is pretty much engaged all the time.

I understand that some US markets for 2016 you will not have the 2WD option any more, but is the reason for this so that you can circumnavigate your harsh winters?

This is where I really struggle to understand, hence my original post, to try to understand how the AWD will be perceived, before making the choice.

'Safer'
I believe this is a misconception that people are sucked into, which is great for sales I guess.

Can anyone explain how/why the AWD F-Type will be 'safer' in the same predicament?

 

I drove an E92 M3 in winter without any safety problems. Stopping is the most important part of safety. AWD does not help with stopping - winter tires do.

AWD will get you going and then due to the ground clearance you will get stuck outside of town on un-plowed streets - or streets that have been plowed & the snow is really coming down. Then you will freeze to death. RWD drive will get stuck more quickly. You will be in town. You will live.

Hence, RWD is safer and it does not give you a false sense of security.

I live in Ontario. Ground clearance is the name of the game to get going. AWD does not help when your sportscar is sitting on 10 cm of snow.

 

Love it. You are of course correct about the tires, brakes and ground clearance. We get snow two or three times a year and rain 2 or 3 out of every four days. Still not interested in AWD in my fast car.

I think the AWD in the F-type is supposed to pull a seriously out of shape car back into the direction its pointed. That would be the alleged safety advantage.

Whatever the facts are, we no longer get the RWD v8 in the U.S. So good thing I got one when I could. If it is not back in 2017 I guess this will be the only F-Type I ever buy because no chance I would ever buy an AWD sporty car.

 

Personally, I love the RWD of my FType R, it gives it real personality from the perspective of driving dynamics. I drove it through the entire snowy winter in the NE with Pirelli Sotto Zeros mounted and had no problems whatsoever. It does demand attention and some skill to drive, but is perfectly manageable.

 

I am not really shure about the "awd = safety" argument.


We have lots of snowy winters in Norway and therefore awd cars have become popular - mainly due to the fact that it does increase traction and helps you get to wherever you are going without getting stuck. However the statistics shows that awd cars are more postponed to serious accident during the winters, as it does help you get going - but it does not help much when you are trying to stop, or entering a curve too fast. And with awd, it seems like it is easier to underestimate slippery conditions till it's too late to recover....


I am in the process of ordering an F-type, and if I was looking for a practical car to take me to wherever I was going throuout the year, awd would be my choice.


But I am not looking for a practical car. I am looking for a "fun and sporty" car, that I will enjoy when the roads are clear for snow.


I have still not deceided if I will buy an awd or rwd F-type, but I am leaning towards rwd - and the main reason is that the F-type is heavy enough without the additional 70-80 kg of the awd system.


I will however test drive both versions before I make the final decision.

 

Be interested in hearing your opinion of the suedecloth package... I have leather in my XKR-S and would like something different when I get a F-Type... pour it on me!

 

I love it, gives the car a more upscale look IMO. Plus it is applied to the a-pillar and ceiling in the coupe. Also like that it covers the gauge cluster. I've also found that it doesn't show wear like leather does. On my last car with this type of interior after two years the suede looked the same as day one. The leather however was showing wrinkles and some scuffing.

 

Snow?

 

PM Sent

 

your comparison of a Turbo S porsche and Jag F V8 is hilarious but dead on!!
you've watched too much of Recombu's, Rory Reid! And if you haven't, then do yourself a favor and watch any of his videos, especially the two he does on the Jag F V6S vert and Jag F R coupe---classics

 

I haven't a Scooby Doo what Suede Cloth package has for to do with the discussion...unless it makes you safer?!!!

An amusing tangent, This is where I'm coming from...I don't get the thinking behind AWD and safer.

Surely if this was the case e.g. McLaren, Ford and Aston etc would be selling AWD cars, as well?

I am, however I open to suggestion that may help me understand why AWD is safer than 2WD...as yet, no one has convinced me!

 

I don't think anyone here is trying to convince you of which is safer. The original post was an inquiry as to whether AWD made sense in the F-Type. That point is highly debatable. Some here think they will post faster track times in AWD. I don't think the lap times will make the car better for me. My priority in buying the car was maximum in fun, not statistical advantages.

Obviously Jaguar thinks AWD is safer for low skill drivers, at least at the power levels of the v8, or they would still be selling RWD v8 F-Types in the US.

I for one wonder whether we should buy what they are selling, or find what we want elsewhere.

I think it is pretty clear that Aston and McLaren and Ferrari sell RWD because RWD offers a more involved driving experience. For whatever reason, they don't feel the need to dumb the product down for the U.S. market.

 

I've highlighted those points I completely concur with! Living most of the time in the State of Maine I can see the benefits of AWD - my wife's BMW 325 Xi wagon has it and it does provide me with a bit more confidence (that my wife is driving an AWD vehicle) - but the fact of the matter is while my V6S F-Type isn't and hasn't been a garage Queen this winter, I do not have any plans on taking it out in seriously inclement (read = snow or ice) unless I happen to find myself out in such weather in which case my experienced driving skills will mitigate such conditions to a certain, perhaps even great, extent.

Paraphasing the famous B.B. King song - written by Roy Hawkins and Rick Darnell - the thrill isn't gone, it's in the F-Type!

 

I noticed you didn't include Lamborghini in that statement....?