Truth is that anything much over 300hp could be considered overkill on public streets yet there are all kinds of cars (yes, even RWD ones) that have more HP than an F type R; C7 Z06 and CTS-V, Shelby GT500, Viper and the 707hp Hellcat Dodges....and that's even before considering the truly exotic stuff.

I've driven a ton of 400 and 500hp cars with far less traction than a stock F type and zero traction control aids.....My friend Mark drives his 3100 lb, 804 horsepower drag car on the street with 15" x 10" drag radials and no electronic help.....he needs to be careful as to how he metes out the fuel as you can imagine....yet somehow he managed to destroy a brand new AWD 911 Turbo S from a 30mph roll on. He is a skilled driver that had to learn how his car would respond.

Of course you can't stomp the throttle of a V8 F type from a standing stop with the stock tires and expect it to utilize all available power....but you will feel the full power in a 3rd or 4th gear roll on. Too much? sure.....just like all the other truly fast cars sold today.

The V6 cars are very cool and arguably a more sensible/ logical choice with which you can use a greater percentage of the cars power on a daily basis. I'd suggest that isn't what the R is about.


Dave

 

C'mon...leave something up to driver skill!

 

For me, and especially on a V6 with a manual transmission, F-type is a driver's car right out of good old days. My only regret is that I couldn't get R-type with a manual gearbox and had to 'settle' for a meager 380HP. Maybe they assumed people buying this $100K+ R beast would show some discipline and not mash the pedal from standstill?

 

As I think you should know by now, I'm all for that. I'm constantly ranting about over-reliance on automation, too many options, and how fat this car is. Right now, it's not the "driver's car" it should be, and it needs to lose at least 500 lbs. or match the weight of the Cayman S. I couldn't possibly care less about the sound system, how many cameras, or other driver aids.

Hell, if JLR had put a decent manual transmission in the car, I'd already have one. :-)

My question about launch control in the V8 was more puzzlement about why JLR didn't do it for 0-60 or 1/4 mile bragging rights, but that's really not my thing.

 

My manual says the car has launch control.

 

Another approach to reducing rear wheel spin would be to buy a 2016, awd..

As well, the v-6 is great I tested one out, but preferred the 8 .. one thing of note is that when it comes to dialing in more power with a 'Tune', lots of the v-6 folks are lined right up for a tune, so maybe a bit more power is actually what most people want.
Lawrence

 

Yes, the manual is notorious for not being specific about which model has what feature. JLR prints one manual for all F-Types. Try it, you'll find it does not.

 

Any MY 17 MT will have updated clutch and flywheel design. If you want to row your own gears, it is order away.

 

I'm not convinced the "updated clutch and flywheel" did little more than stem the bleeding of the botched launch. It's still not a robust manual a la Tremec, given the fact that it can't handle V8 power.

I've spent 40 years "rowing my own gears," and I do miss it. The F-Type is my first auto sporty car, but at this point, I'd rather stick with it given what I test drove coupled with the experiences of others.

 

I do indeed. I was just playing with you.

I think they finally got it right. The friction point is low on the pedal and well defined, and fast shifts no longer produce a slipping clutch or billows of smoke. But, as you say, only time will tell if it holds up.

 

I've never driven an F-Type V6, so I can't comment on their performance, but I can't imagine that they are drasticallydifferent in handling or acceleration from my SLK 55. Similar HP 355 v 380, similar weight 3500 lbs v 3700. For me, it wasn't enough. Maybe it was that the SLK didn't have the throttle response.

V6 guys don't take this as a slight - it's not. To each his own.

At any rate, I love the V8. It can be a GT cruiser or with a flip of a switch a hooligan car capable wagging its tail at pretty much any time or of scaring the daylights out of a rider either by hard acceleration or cornering.

Another plus is the tranny. If I had my druthers and didn't have to commute on I270 (the devil's highway) I'd love a stick, but a slushbox this isn't. In Dynamic and Sport mode it seems to know exactly which gear to be in when cornering. OK so it's not a quick as a DCT, but I'm not racing it either.

Lastly, it shares something incredibly important with the V6. Great looks.

 

+1. What I now have at 427hp/407tq feels perfect for this car.

 

Exactly. The Tremec would be overkill and just be wasted weight for a V6. The Tremec would have been an obvious choice for the V8.

 

That's great. Let's see if that's what you have 6 months or 1 year from now. As a trained scientist, I can't help but say, "further research is necessary . . . " :-)

Meanwhile, I can only dream about a 3200 lb. F-Type with 400hp, which would have roughly the same power-to-weight ratio as a 4000 lb. R w/ 550hp. The former would absolutely humiliate the latter on a track.

 

Possibly, but those numbers are very strong and impressive for the V6S. In fact I'm going to order the lower pulley and visit John for his tune in hopes I have similar success as Unhinged. From the comments from a couple forum members the addition of the lower pulley and a tune has significantly increased the performance and feel of the car. Once that's done it's onto the PSS and I'm done. Can't wait this summer is going to be very fun and exciting.

 

Oh no question you can safely pump 400hp or more into the base since it's exactly the same engine sans tune as the V6S. I'm thinking of doing the same thing possibly w/ Velocity. But how do you lose 500 lbs?

 

agreed. Once we add the pulley and the tune and push into those ranges (430HP, 410 TQ) then we just need to shave off even 250 pounds I would be in heaven. Anyway it will still be a fun toy.. Excited!!

 

Take the load of gravel out of the truck bed?

 

I had a 3200 lb. C6 Z06 w/ a Tremec. I don't think it weighs more than your ZF, and perhaps less.

A quick Google search showed 135 lbs. dry for the Tremec T56 in the C6 Z06 vs. 145 for a ZF 6 speed, but I'm not sure that was the same version in the F-Type.

 

[QUOTE=TheStig;1453626]Yes the 550+ HP in the RWD coupe is overkill, especially with 295s in the back. My stock tires have 10,000 miles on them and if I stab the throttle I'm going no where fast with a traction control icon blinking furiously. I am really hoping the Michelins are as good as everyone says they are. I read somewhere the the f-type was like "Carl Lewis in stilettos"




In short the V8 RWD does require some effort and it is not the effortless handler a Cayman or Lotus would be , but I believe it can be just as rewarding as the V6"


What really attracted me to the f type was sound, looks and low end torque. I was impressed with the awd S I drove in this regard.


I was expecting the R to impress me even more, but it did not.


The v6's power was for me more accessible and so that made it more fun. Perhaps I am just a lazy driver but I want to be able to punch the throttle and feel that low end torque push you back in your seat at low rpm. I can punch the throttle in my cayman but its lack of low end torque means I don't get that push in the back. With the R it can obviously really push you back (much more so than the v6), but I found I couldn't just punch the throttle. When I was gentle with the throttle I didn't find it all that exciting and when I punched it, it lost control. The v6 on the other hand allowed me to punch it at will and had much more low end pull than my cayman.


I was hoping the R would bring me back to a car that pulled strong at low rpms and allowed me to pass with ease at any rpm. I had that in my old 5.0 mustangs and I find it a lot of fun. Somehow I think the v6 hits that mark more than the R does which I find a little surprising.


In the end, we all have different driving styles and quirks, I suppose the v6 just fits my lazy style more