Jag has really shot themselves in the foot over this issue (in addition to the Meridian issue).

 

Sad, but true. I had high hopes for the Jaguar brand, but my outlook has turned from positive to negative.

 

Nothing comes close to the C7 z06 bang for buck wise. It's not just fast for the money-it's just plain one of the 5 or so fastest cars in the world full stop right now. I believe the fastest cars around Laguna Seca are currently Viper ACR, 918, P1...Z06. Remarkable. Properly specced, they are also at least as nice inside as the F. Quite a car, all things considered!

 

McLaren P1

Lamborghini Aventador SV

Aston Martin V12 Vanquish

 

I looked at the C7 Z51 before buying my Jag and it is a heck of a car and a bargain IMO. I decided against it for a few reasons; but mostly because I wanted more "upscale touring car" than a good track car and I felt the Jag more closely fit the bill.....and I wanted an automatic so I was actually happy that the Jag didn't even offer a manual with the V8 so I wouldn't have any regrets later.

I also preferred the F type's styling and felt the interior was nicer....
'vettes are great but they are everywhere and I wanted something a little different.

If I wanted a manual, I would have likely gone with a Z51 or a Viper. A buddy picked up a mint black 600hp 6 spd Viper for a really good price....a very nice car if not as refined as the 'vette.




Dave

 

....and although any brand can and does have it's lemons, this article doesn't do anything to inspire confidence, that's for sure! 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray Z51 Manual ? Long-Term Test Wrap-Up ? Car and Driver

....makes the griping about stereo gremlins and heat vent motors seem a bit trivial!

Despite the Z51's superiority for track duty, the lighter weight isn't enough to make up for the HP disadvantage compared to the V8 Jag, either; with a 3.9 0-60 and a quarter mile time of 12.2 @ 118mph it falls a little short.

I'd look harder at that 2008+ Viper I think; high 10 second quarters at almost 130mph are in another league again....basically C7 Z06 territory at a less expensive (used) price point. ....that assumes that performance is the key measurable which isn't necessarily the case, of course.

Dave

 

Dave, you and I agree on most everything, and I completely agree with you here. Yes, the V8 F-Type is likely a hair quicker 0-60 and in the 1/4 mile, but it's way, way behind the Z51 on a road course because of far superior handling and less weight. The published lap times attest to that, and one of many examples is linked below and shows it faster than the 911 Turbo.

Laguna Seca (post 1988) lap times - FastestLaps.com

But the primary reason for me considering a change is that I miss having an MT. Moreover, I don't really care for straight line stuff and have had a life-long passion for corner-carving. Lastly, I really don't need or want 650HP.

Yes, any model has it's lemons, but what happened in the case of that long-term tester is not at all representative of the vast majority of owner experience. Of course, we've heard that story here too. :-)

 

Good post as usual. .....I can't argue with you if you're going to agree with me LOL!

Your perspective is spot on IMO....the difference being is that unless I take my dealer up on a track day just to play and learn the car's limits, I don't really plan on tracking the car which means that I'm unlikely to take advantage of a car like the Z51 and probably wouldn't notice it's superior handling on the street. ...but yes, the same thing can be said about power too.

I hear you on the MT thing; I've had a love/hate relationship with MT's all my life and have gone back on forth almost every vehicle purchase. My current DD is a 6spd manual and with my bad knee (motorcycle racing injury) and just getting old, I really wanted a modern performance automatic on my toy. A secondary concern was for the wife to be able/comfortable driving it but so far she's got a death grip on her SLK and refuses to drive the F type! sigh.

Praise for the ZF has been almost universal and I'm pretty happy so far.....but when I checked out my buddies Viper with that shift knob, I have to admit getting a minor twinge of regret.....which passed, thank goodness! haha.

Cars embody a host of personal choices and preferences...which can change over time. My biggest problem is that there are dozens of vehicles that I'd love to have and since owning them all isn't in the cards, I have to make do with one or two at a time. So far, I'm pretty happy with the F type but it, like everything else, isn't perfect.

I'd be the last person to criticize you for getting a Z51; it's a great car.


Dave

 

I have zero criticism of the ZF 8-speed auto in the F-Type. Shifting is crisp, precise, and it's only a hair behind the PDK, which is amazing for a "slush box" to be nearly as good as a dual-clutch transmission. During the honeymoon period, I was blown away by it and tried hard to convince myself it was nearly as fun. I still drive it 90% of the time in Dynamic & Sport mode and shift via paddles.

After 2 years, it's just not as much fun. I made the mistake of driving a 911 a few weeks ago w/ a manual, and it reminded me how much I missed it. I'm really on the fence here. We just got back from looking at the Z51 CPO, finding the exterior to be in absolutely flawless condition. The dealer was closed today, so I didn't get to drive it.

Then again, I had the F-Type parked right beside it, and the F-Type is clearly more classically beautiful. Black is great on the C7 because it hides all those vents. I can't criticize them because they're not there for looks, and are all fully-functional for cooling purposes, including the ones on the haunches that exit beside and under the rear tail lights. Those cool the rear-end, and eDiff.

It also surprised me that they are within 1" of each other in length and width, but the C7 is 3 full inches shorter. The C7 has a 3" longer wheel base even though it's only 1" longer (176.9 vs. 176). And then there is that 400 lb. weight difference between the Z51 and base F-Type and more like 600 lbs. lighter than the F-Type R.

 

Was thinking very seriously of waiting for the SVR to come out but the dealer I had been working with who was so great in the past really hasn't has not gone after my business. Pretty sure going to order the Audi R8 but having a hard time seeing the colors in person to pick which one.

 

I'd never spec a manual on a car north of 100k.

 

I'm a bit too stodgy in my styling taste at this point for the Vette to have been a serious option when I was looking for a car. With the 1.25-1.5" lowering, my F-Type is only 2.0" taller than the Vette. However, my cat still has more ground clearance, something you may need to consider with your office parking situation.

 

I wasn't talking about ground clearance, just height from pavement to top of top. It's the body which is not as tall, and I think the C7 convertible is even shorter than the coupe. My C6 Z06 had about the same ground clearance as my stock-height F-Type.

Didn't check ground clearance, but my work garage is not a problem with very long, gently slopping ramps going underground. The approaches are no issue.

 

Just saying, I remember you seemed concerned that lowering the F-Type would create clearance problems. From what I've seen, the C7 Z07 seems to have as little or less clearance than mine (under 5" at the leading edge and 4.5 " under the door rocker on the Z07).

 

Z07? That's just a Z06 w/ a special option pkg including carbon ceramic brakes, a more track oriented wing, more carbon fiber bits etc.

Like I said, I haven't measured ground clearance on the C7, but was going by what it was on my C6 Z06. If you measured a C7 Z06, I'll take your word for it, but it wouldn't surprise me if the Z06 is a bit lower, since it's set up to be even more track-oriented.

 

I'd never buy a car north of $100K. And, of course, Jaguar doesn't give you a manual choice in that price bracket, but Porsche still does. As impressive as the 991 is now, I still think it is ridiculously overpriced.

 

Sorry, for some reason I thought you were considering the Z07 option.

 

No, not even considering the Z06, and that's the only way you can get that option. Z51 is the track-oriented version of the std. C7.

 

Yeah Porsches are way overpriced IMO. I actually almost bought a new 718 Boxster S instead of the F type but they wanted stupid money and almost $5k over MSRP for misc. extra dealer markups and such. ....between that and the new 4 cyl turbo, I decided to pass and the F type V8s is so much more car (albeit used). I still find myself lusting after a Porsche but the 911 is silly money for what it is IMO....if the Boxster S had gotten a 400+ hp turboed version of the 6cyl I would really be conflicted. Then again they would tack on another $20 - 30k to the already sky high price no doubt.

Dave

 

Don't think that the Corvette with the Z51 package isn't without its own problems. A friend who ordered a new one for 2015 with the track package, can't drive the car on the track or in a "spirited" fashion for more than ten or fifteen minutes or so before the transmission overheats. It's a commonly reported problem in the Corvette community, and he's trying to get GM to buy the car back as it's been a problem they can't seem to solve without additional trans coolers etc.