https://www.yahoo.com/autos/five-fau...084094657.html

 

Hmm, while I can see where he was going with some of this (the comments about the reduced drama of the car without the RWD lighting up the tires on throttle application are right on point) but I cannot agree with the handling issues he's commented about unless he just had a poor example in his test drive.

In my experience the combination of torque vectoring via braking and all-wheel drive actually makes the car feel much more planted under speed on windy roads. Makes me feel like I can push the car harder than I would have in a RWD. I haven't taken the car on a track so I don't know how it would feel under those conditions, but I've taken fairly sharp corners at significant speed in my R and it rotated through the corners more than drifted. The feeling is confidence inspiring... perhaps not as much as with a Porsche, but good for most anything else.

I think a bigger issue is the weight of the car and the front-bias on the weight distribution (which is more of a V8 issue in general) more than an issue with TVB or AWD. He didn't call that out specifically, but I wonder if he was misreading that a bit.

I'm curious to hear what the other AWD drivers think. Particularly those with the R.

 

Merlin, I am in total agreement with you. The high speed cornering on both back country roads, as well as around a 90 degree turn at an intersection is amazing. I carefully pushed the car quite a few times to see if I could "take it to the edge" but I have never felt any sense of panic, or poor performance from the car. It simply rotates around the corner when pushed.

Perhaps the author is just new at torque vectoring and was a bit in awe when the car just stuck and rotated when he was expecting the back end to slide out. (Which by his comments about lighting up the rear and drifting would certainly be plausible...)

 

I get it, I have the 6S not the 8 and I haven't driven the AWD. But I get it what he is saying.

The Beauty for me is that it is just a little bit unhinged, it is easy to light up the rear, it is easy to step the rear out a bit powering out of a corner and it is pure simple uncomplicated rear wheel drive fun. I also like the balance of the RWD and 6 it is very sweet.

If I was buying a new one and RWD was an option I suspect I would save the money or spend it on other options instead.

 

I may have a weak specimen, but I have difficulty even with dsc turned off lighting up the rears in a straight line launch in my V6S. This may be due to the PSSs, but could also be an issue with the broad friction point on the manual clutch.

 

Perhaps this "editor at large" could use an actual editor...

 

I can kind of understand what he's talking about. To paraphrase Top Gear reasoning. "they made it worse by making it better."

The AWD R just goes, whether in a corner or straight line. Not much drama at all on my test drive and I was told to basically cane it. The steering is lighter, but the feel isn't diminished greatly IMO. You don't feel like a hero having slayed a beast, there's just a BIT less pantomime.

For me the choice to roll back to a 2015 V8 was driven mostly by price, and the fact that the extra money it would take to get into a 2016 wouldn't get me much closer to my ideal car.

 

I haven't tried the AWD R on track yet, however I didn't find the TVbB obtrusive at all - if anything, I thought it was very subtle indeed when the front end was provoked into understeer.
I can only assume that the TVbB 'may' be a bit more noticeable because the model he is testing has , brakes perhaps?
i get the bit about the 'sports' car 'enthusiasm' has been diluted because it is so sure footed, but I guess for those that want to use their F's in all weathers this is a bonus.

I'll be testing a V8R AWD early next month - I'm no journalist, far from it, but at least I can judge it against fair comparisons to the V8S, V8R in real life scenarios. Personally I don't think it is fair to compare with the V6S as the V8 is a completely different beast.

Remember, it is written by a journalist in 'Clarkson 'esque' type. They can't even manage a proper review and go round a track without drifting and smoking the rears - these guys aren't the sharpest tools in the box! Take it all with a pinch of salt.

 

I will have the opertunity to test drive some different F-type models on a track at a Jaguar Experience event end of this month.
I don't yet knows which models that will be available, but I am pretty shure some will be awd.
It will be interesting to experience the differences to my rwd R.
There will also be some XE S V6 for testing there, and that will be interesting as well.
And the new XF will be there, but only on display.

 

It's actually a positive review...

Sure, he starts with what he considers to be faults, but read to the end and it's clear he likes it.

 

After reading that review I am even more delighted to have snagged a brand new fully loaded RWD V8S in black over camel. I bought it without even a test driive. Because sometimes you just know. Nearly 500 hp, RWD, short wheelbase, locking diff...it just had to be (and is) a blast to drive hard. I am happy to be able to keep it garaged, clean and well maintained. It's a keeper.

I suspect there will be at least one more RWD special edition V8 convertible available in the U.S.A. before the model runs its course. Hopefully with 600 hp.

 

saw this coming, you can't put 80kg over the front axle and expect the front end not to push

coming out of an awd gtr, i ordered my f-type in rwd (we get both in Aus) for the very reasons he's describing - having to balance throttle/wheel spin and manage oversteer adds another dimension to the driving experience on hill runs - i'm looking forward to it

imo awd doesn't suit the over-engined hot rod feel of the car

i just hope jag haven't succumbed to same market pressures that forced an awd version, and neutered the original soundtrack

 

I have the p zeros and auto, but if the tyres are cold or if there is the slightest bit of moisture on the road I have trouble not lighting up the rear. Even with warm tyres and dry road there is never any problem doing it if I want to and I have never turned DSC off.

 

But it doesn't push... He even said it doesn't push. He said the tail end steps out because of torque vectoring.

He also said it steps out unpredictably, which i couldn't agree with more. It is incredibly predictable and i'm sure much faster around a track. Drama obviously isn't there if that's what you're looking for, but i don't spend too much time doing burn outs or drifting on the street.

 

yeh it does, and they've over compensated with the torque vectoring and power bias, hence why it snaps into oversteer so unpredicatbly and unnaturally - clever electronics constantly battling with physics until one of them gives in

you don't need to drift on the street to feel the benefits of rwd, you can have the back end move around underneath you without actually breaking traction like a yob

i've tracked both back to back at a JLR track day, and i will admit the awd would be faster no doubt, power down alone off corner exit in lower gears will make up time, but are you really buying this car to set lap times, because some kid will show up in a stock awd gtr and make you look like a fool

the awd to me serves no purpose, it's a marketing gimmick designed to broaden a model range and push more sales. that US only gets awd has more to do with JLR preventing americans putting them in ditches given how hard they find it to drive other powerful rwd cars like corvettes in a straight line

the awd is still not fast enough to compete with other awd rivals in the gtr and 911 turbo in a straight line or circuit, no one is going to daily drive a low slung coupe in the snow, nor is it any more fun at sane street speeds

the rwd in US will end up being the cars sought after

 

I got the V6 because I found the V8 to have enough power to unbalance the handling (including the extra weight up front, which is noticeable), and I wanted a driver's car more than a muscle car.


Even the base car has enough power that I think a limited slip differential is necessary, so that led to the V6S. I also wanted the bigger brakes, so through the magic of bundled options, meant the electronic LSD and TVB.


So ... now I have TVB, and I've never had that before. It's a little weird, but it is astonishing how quickly the car rotates in situations it's most prevalent: second gear, middle of the power band, sharp turn, heavy throttle; that's a perfect example.


It's a little depressing to realize that modern cars are so capable that a mediocre driver has no need to really learn to *drive*.

 

The good thing with the F-type is that there are many versions that will fitt most peoples wishes.


To say one is better than another has no meaning, as different people for different reasons appreciate different aspects of the F-type.


Pick the one that ticks most boxes for you, and enjoy

 

It still beggars belief why JLR limited the US to AWD? I can't see any logical reason to limit your range - Did RWD sales figures slumps across the US?

As mentioned, AWD is a marketing gimmick. There is a void for AWD cars around the price of an F-Type. There's no AWD Box or Cayman available, so it nestles nicely below the C4S and the likes, and makes it an affordable mid size AWD sports car.

That said, it's a marketing gimmick that some undoubtedly like; knowing that they have all year round traction and a little better performance perhaps.

My simple strategy is; If AWD was that good, then surely the Chief designer would drive one (drives a V8R Coupé) and, Jaguars' Flagship the Project 7 would have been AWD wouldn't they?

So, that makes the RWD V8 the F-type to have period! ;-)

 

Arne,
You get it! (2 types of people in this world: those that get it, and those that don't)

 

The F Type SVR, which is the top of range for F Type, will have AWD.