Hi all. Just picked mine up over the weekend. Brand new 2016 F-Type (base) coupe. Really enjoying it thus far. I was an Aston Martin owner. Purchased a new 2011 AM Vantage v8 roadster a few years ago before dumping it for a brand new 2014 SRT Viper. Ended up trading in the Viper for this beauty two days ago. I change my "weekend car" every couple of years and it was time for a new car.

I test drove the F-Type R here locally (in Vegas) before buying the 2016 F-Type I ended up with from a dealership in CA. The R doesn't accelerate near as quickly as the Viper, corner as quickly, brake as quickly, etc. The Viper is just the ultimate track toy but it lacks true style and sophistication. That's ultimately why I went with the F-Type.

I chose the base over the R because I have another track focused toy and wanted a weekend toy that I could drive without every other car wanting to race me. There's a reason I kept a taser under the driver's seat of my Viper. It was a car that pissed people off. I don't know why but no other car I owned brought out the level of hate the Viper did.

The F-Type really feels a lot like the Aston Martin I owned but without the issues with shifting and engine that died if you kept it under 5mph for any length of time. I test drove one of the first F-Type roadsters in America a few years back and always liked it but didn't want one as a roadster. I remember telling the sales guy to call me when they made one as a coupe.

Fast forward a few years and WOW, is the coupe a real looker. Such a classic design and a very capable engine. Really enjoying how comfortable it is over my Viper. It's even a lot more comfortable over my Mercedes SUV. I've also done some preliminary racing of this F-Type against my 4.2 sec 2015 Nissan 370z NISMO (my current track toy) and it surprisingly has kept up for the most part. This is definitely no 5.1 sec 0-60mph car. Probably closer to 4.5 sec. It has been a truly impressive ride thus far.

The Meridian system is ample but speakers rattle. The v6 sounds weak compared to my other cars but the styling and sophistication more than make up for what's lacking. My choices of replacement for the Viper came down to the new Porsche Boxster S 718, Alfa Romeo 4C, new Mustang GT350 or 2016 BMW M2 but I think I made the right choice.

While I am going down the list of cars i've always wanted to own and am just scratching the Jaguar name off the list I could easily have chosen the Porsche or Alfa Romeo over the F-Type but after test driving all these cars the most rewarding, most pleasant experience was definitely the F-Type coupe. For the money it's a truly great car, a great experience and i'm going to enjoy owning it, at least for a couple of years.

 

Welcome!

Many F-type reviewers have mentioned that the F-Type doesn't seem to draw the wrath of the jealous and bitter like so many other cars. Glad you could retire the taser.

I would like to say that the anger/jealousy thing should be a non-issue, however I like to PARK my cars and not worry about getting keyed or worse.

Funny - a friend of mine has an older Cadillac and when he parks it downtown late at night often he finds his windshield spit on, etc. I mean it is a $20k car. Your Viper wouldn't have lasted one night.

 

Welcome and congrats on the new toy! You sound like a real car enthusiast so it will be nice to have to on board. The only statement i'm surprised at is you saying the V6 sounds weak as most people say its loud. If its not loud enough for you though you can always delete the resonator and or add some Velocity AP converters.

 

Wow talk about the vehicle version of "mood swings"

Seriously welcome and hope you continue to love it the way many of us do. The reaction to this car continues to be warm and gratifying. Overwhelmingly positive from everyone I encounter with none of the snide looks what so ever.

 

I think that the comment about the engine sounding weak has to be taken in the context that it is compared to the viper and aston, each of which has gorgeous v8 soundtracks. I find the V6 very nice under the heavy hammer though I'd rather the grumble of a v8.

I agree with your comment on the meridian system. Mine rattles on my current favorite song (Utah Saints "what you can do for me") leaving a squelchy noise in the drum track, like walking in a wet shoe. The stereo in the XE is the bigger unit, and we dont have the issue with that.

 

Not too many of us in Vegas. If you see a Stratus roadster in Summerlin give a honk. Ended up buying in Ca. also. Local service was good and reasonable but don't know since dealership moved.

 

The car club I belong to has a Viper and I took it out for several days. It seemed like every Toyota Camry driver on the planet wanted to race me. One hot truck, and a motorcycle (still remember the sound of my wife screaming as I left the bike on an on-ramp almost sideways). Funny story when my F-Type was brand new I had a Viper pull next to me on the Freeway (traffic was moving but heavy) and I tried to ignore him because I thought he wanted to race. He just wanted to give me a thumbs up, in fact other folks driving high performance cars generally just pulled up and either waved or gave me that thumbs up. It was all surprisingly civil...

 

Thanks everyone for the warm welcome. Just had it cleaned up a bit after the long drive back to Vegas. Here are two of my cars.

Really enjoying the F-Type. It's so much more comfortable than the Viper and I have my 370z I still use for a track toy.

 

Interesting to see the relative size comparison with the Z, at least from the front. I always thought the Z was markedly smaller.

 

I think i'll have time this weekend to take them to a local spot for a better mini-photoshoot. The F-Type is longer I believe. Both cars are a blast to drive. The 370z weighs a few hundred pounds more and only has about 280 pounds of torque but it is definitely a quick little monster. Stock I think the F-Type base coupe is faster though. The 370z feels more sporty and obviously corners/brakes better but the F-Type is so comfortable i'm definitely going to enjoy it.

Really glad I picked up the F-Type.

 

Oh you've done well to get the FTYPE. Believe me!

 

The 370 is about 4" shorter (having just come from one) - its a bit difficult for me to compare in your scenario as I have the S version F type - so I can definitely say the F is quicker - but you're also correct the Ftype is heavier but to me feels an awful lot lighter (go figure)

Love the colour accents on the Nismo by the way