Hahaha.... Obviously the Jag is heavier (approx 500-600lbs) & the Lotus handled like a go cart for grown ups. But after 3 years of Lotus ownership & when looking at a possible replacement for the same $$$ value, I feel the F-type is much more luxurious, more aggressive in styling, much more practical as a daily driver, comparable in fun factor department ,just as unique, and I am hoping.... slightly more reliable from a point of dealership & manufacturing product support. I loved & enjoyed my Lotus very much, but compared to the Jag - it’s a toy!

Ive had three different Porches, all of them 987’s, 6 speed, 6 cylinders. I owned a Boxster S, Cayman R and a Spyder. I’m a huge fan of these cars, they are sports cars, whereas the F-Type is a brutish GT. The Cayman R became my track day hero, fitted with mono ball suspension, carbon seats and Heigle half cage, 6 point harness and some crazy Trofeo tires. Even with that, it remained a great road car.

the 987 cars are great fun, but do suffer from a slightly long second gear, they also lack that big punch of power. But that’s what made them such a great tool for honing real drivers skills. You had to listen and plan ahead.

These cars are all a part of my love for light weight, and that continued with the a telepathic Lotus 211 (sequential quaife trans, dry slumped, 290 rwhp, 1680 lbs) and the smile inducing but wildly impractical Alfa 4C (my first non manual sports car). The Lotus was only good at the track, the Alfa was a huge grin machine, but didn’t even have a glovebox, so imagine how often I used it on roads.

Those cars are all better if you are looking for the true “Sportscar” experience or are seeking a track day hero. They are lighter, have better enthusiast support and are easier to place on a track.

But that’s not really what the Jaguar F-Type is all about. It is a car that is capable of devastatingly quick track times, but it wasn’t designed with the track in mind (power trunk, power heating vents??). This is a car that is more like my Aston Martin V8 and V12 Vantage’s. This is a road car, and that’s why I love it.

The reality is so many cars have amazing lap times, but are either useless or dull at road speeds. I owned an Audi R8V10 that was as quick as the Jaguar F-Type R, 2/3’s as good looking, and 1/2 as exciting on the roads. To get the Audi to make some noise and be exciting, you had to be comfortable with the idea of going to jail. Not so in the Jaguar.

The Jag slots itself right between the V8 and V12 Astons I previously owned. It’s more special than the V8 Vantage and not quite as special as the rare 6 speed V12 Vantage. The packaging is similar, you sit low with a high dash and a lively rear end. All made a killer sound. The V8 Vanatage the naturally aspirated V8 Hero, the V8 SC Jaguar the demented Rottweiler and the V12 the angry Thoroughbred. But the Jag is more useable, and in some ways better finished.

The Astons were only driven on occasions, the Jag has been designed to make normal drives an occasion. The truth is this is the kind of car we actually need in North America, were ten tenths is a fantasy.