Very interesting. I have the original 80 page glossy F-type brochure, and it shows no dynamic mode on the base model. They must have changed the specs between printing the brochure and production. Thought they had added dynamic mode later. Thanks for the clarification, so I can stop disseminating incorrect info.

 

Yes. My base V6 also has dynamic mode. On the base it only firms up the steering, makes the throttle more aggressive and changes the shift points and shift duration as Foosh pointed out. On the V6S, it does all that and adds the stiffer damper setting and active exhaust to the mix. Also dynamic mode is not configurable on the base, not even as an option, where the V6S has a configurable dynamic mode as an option. To the best of my knowledge, that's the difference. I have yet to see a base model car without dynamic mode (not that I've seen that many, mind you).

 

OK, done.. drove home in a nice rodium silve, base v6 coupe last night (with sport seats and HD radio..)

It was a nightmare decision based on color...price etc.
No turning back now, but here's why i decided.

First, i only had two cars to choose from...a white v6s, or a rodium silver v6.
I traded in my black 2007 XKR for this.

While i owned my XKR, i loved the black beast quality of it...i had an absolutely incredible exhaust put on that car by Chris, over at Mina Gallery...that exhaust transformed that XKR into a unique sounding and slightly more powerful driving machine. The only thing i regretted on that car was color...the black was always dirty..and i kept thinking i liked a couple of the silver versions i saw on the road.

I was starting to suspect that my XK was on the verge of having some mechanical issues...i already had to replace a supercharger. and there were some weird electrical glitches going on, so i just figured instead of dumping more money into a car that was already so devalued...trade it in on a lease...as there are some crazy good leases out there at the moment.

SO...back to V6 vs S. I never drove the S...and i'm sure that the small improvement on power would have made me happy. But it seems, from you guys here on the forum, that the difference is negligible. Otherwise this particular S did not have active exhaust. And the V6 had the sport seats...that are so much nicer then the S seats. So I was regretting the wheels..but i also read that the ride of the ftype is too harsh...(top gear)...and obviously smaller rims mean more rubber, and a slightly softer ride. So while the larger rims look cool, in theory, they will diminish performance, (tire width is the same..).

Finally, i am going to ask Mina to create an exhaust for this car... I suspect his system will improve the sound, and larger pipes probably mean a slight increase in power..meaning i might just end up with a car that feels closer to the S anyway. Remains to be seen.

Now i enter into the next phase...should i paint rims and vents black..or leave them stock? On the white car i definitely would have done this... but on this monochromatic silver car...i'm wondering if i will spoil it's sort of Aston Martin elegance.

 

Congratulations! Just FYI, active exhaust is standard on all models except the base. What that S didn't have was the switch on the console that allowed you to manually open and close the valves. Without the switch, the valves only open when you get into the throttle or when you select dynamic mode. That's what I was talking about when I said the base exhaust is louder than active with valves closed, and it is open all the time.

As for the wheels, you can easily find a slightly used set of wheels if you want to swap. My base came with what you probably have 18" Velas, but I found a used set of 20" Gyrodynes, complete with PZeros and TPMS for about $3K. They only had a couple of hundred miles on them.

The 20" tires are wider, particularly in the rear (295 vs. 275) and 255 vs. 245 on the front. I expected them to be a little harsher, but there isn't much difference.

 

And here is a comparison photo of the same car with 18" Velas.

 

Personally, I'd recommend you put a few thousand miles on it before you start customizing it. And definitely play with the paddles - for the first year, I didnt use the paddles much as the transmission is so responsive (in dynamic mode. It's a slug in normal mode.) but I discovered you get a whole lot more fun noises out of the exhaust with spirited driving with paddle shifts.

 

I wouldn't hesitate pulling the trigger on one of these. Base or not, this car is still freakin stunning and 340hp on the street is PLENTY!

 

Almost every review said the S was the sweet spot of the line, so I never considered base. I came out of a AMG Merc and felt the extra power was a waste except for stop light drags, so I talked myself out of V8. Might consider AWD V8 in a couple of years as an upgrade.

 

I don't think I've ever even seen a review of the base car. I suspect this is largely because JLR provided "test cars" in the S and R versions only to reviewers, and most recently, it's almost always the R.. Thus, the many virtues and cost/benefit ratio of the base car have never had much of a chance for publicity.

Obviously, that is logical, considering JLR's need to maximize revenue. I certainly don't criticize them for that. On the contrary, I'm thankful that they offered such a great value in a reasonably-priced package.

 

I would think they would have a real hit on their hands if they offered every single feature as an ala carte option on the base model. Mass customization is not a particularly new concept, but MINI has been extremely successful with You-ification. Almost every car is different.

 

Fair point and true with the Mini line, but I suspect that there is a lot more money to be had in bundling, particularly in the higher-end market.

 

Maybe we should start a new Thread: How would you spec a base model if you were given the option?

 

I would say exactly like I optioned mine...which I would never have found on any dealers lot and have had my local dealer copy the specs exactly for their stock cars.

 

Include: switchable exhaust, ceramic/carbon brakes, GPS,heated seats,manual tranny,locker, back-up sensors, A/C, adjustable suspension, USB compatible 330w stereo, 20" wheels.
Delete: air bags, all other electronic gizmos
Aftermarket: lowering springs, pulley/tune.

This would come in at a price of an un-optioned V6S, around 3400 lbs. and somewhat faster as well.

I know...That wasn't the question, but that's my answer.

 

I have Gyrodynes, sensors and camera (limited utility, given that it works in the opposite sense to the mirrors), gps, I have the lightest/lowest inertia brake set up, plus the exhaust is LOUD all the time.

I have previously paide good money just to have a loud exhaust all the time...

 

I have Gyrodynes, heated seats/steering wheel, GPS (standard BTW), plus the exhaust is LOUD all the time. I have also previously paid good money to have a loud exhaust all the time. As far as I'm concerned, it is a fully-optioned F-Type per my specs.

 

Foosh, the 20" rims make a huge aesthetic difference with the white color (Maybe they do with all the colors). The 18" wheels just don't look properly proportioned.

 

I agree. That was the plan all along when I bought the car.

However, that picture was a little misleading. Given the shadows, you couldn't really make out the taller sidewall of the 18" tires, so they did fill up the wheel well much better than it looks in that photo.

Ironically, the car was a little lower to the ground on the 18" set-up, because the 20-inchers are at least 1/2" taller. That's likely because the former are Conti's, and the latter are Pirelli.

 

When I was ordering last June I could have specced the switchable exhaust, but it was an extra £1600. Noting my past buying history and how it sounds now ve got it, I was happy to spend the saving on a set of Gyrodynes complete with new tyres.

 

I couldn't agree more. I am very happy I don't have the active exhaust given how great the base sounds. I have added more aggressive after-market exhaust systems to many cars, but I wouldn't consider it in this case. It has the perfect note, the perfect volume, and it is considerably louder than many after-market systems I've bolted on other cars.

I suppose the only thing we're missing is the ability to make it quiet should we have the need, but I live on a 10-acre property with no other houses and neighbors to bother.