Is the F-Type a great racer?

E

East winger

New member
Having owned the F-Type for almost 3 years I do have an opinion on this. If you are looking for a beautiful car with great street presence and you have the money, the F-Type is a fantastic car. It puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. It’s one I’m proud to own.

However, if you are looking for a car to throw into corners and power out the other side, then I suggest you look elsewhere and cheaper. The regular list of hot hatches will give you all of that and you will feel more planted on the road. I have driven two previous hot hatches will more commitment than I do the F-Type. This beautiful lady is a GT, not a Rally Car. One car can’t be all things to all people.

Think about what you are looking for before you buy. I don’t regret buying the F-Type - I love it, but the hot hatches were fun when pushing down a country lane.

To answer my own question; No.
 
But this is the same for any RWD car. You’ll struggle to beat a 1.x diesel hatch through a normal twisty road unless you seriously drive it
In the hands of an expert (which I’m not) the F type will leave them for dead
If you want low value performance then just buy a VX220
For me it’s the right balance of performance, looks and luxury, while being reassuringly impractical:)
 
It's more than sporty enough for me.
It's my daily, and when I want it to be a bit of a beast, it can be (within the constraints of my driving ability).

The noise is intoxicating, and brings much more pleasure to me than the raw speed and handling.

And I find it extremely practical.
I have a long history of owning estates & hatchbacks, and this is my first 2 seater.
The boot is impressive and easily accommodated luggage (plus other bits) for 2 of us for a 1 week holiday.

:mrgreen:
 
I'm sure I'm more committed throwing a four figure, hot hatch through the twisties than a five figure, thing of beauty but just wait for the straight bit and you'll pi$$ past anyway.

Didn't I hear somewhere that there's to be an F Type race series with Billy Monger in a David Appleby prepped car. That should answer the op's question quite conclusively.
 
I obviously touched a nerve. People are sensitive these days :D Just trying to add my input to help buyers. Oops. that's 287 posts!
 
I'm not sure anyone would think the ftype is a racer though. I know it was intended to be a competitor to the 911 but handling wise they need to rethink. I would expect most folks buying one would know what to expect, especially if they bothered to take one for a test drive.

Oddly enough the saleswoman at Marshalls in Cambridge who let me out in a v6 and v8 was surprised when I put them both in sport/dynamic and drove them on paddles. She claimed most people who test drove them left them in full auto. Clearly not the demographic on here but an indicator perhaps of the majority of buyers.

D
 
I've read the same conclusions in many of car reviews. The Porsche's are always recognized as having the edge when it comes to driving dynamics. However, the review conclusion often goes either way in terms of final recommendation, with some reviewers just falling for the looks, noise and drama of the F type in preference to the clinical precision of the Porsche. I guess it depends on what kind of 'fun' you're looking for.
 
If you want to go fastest arround a track, the F-type is not a good choice.

If you want most smiles pr gallon, the F-type is the best choice :D
 
cj10jeeper said:
But this is the same for any RWD car. You’ll struggle to beat a 1.x diesel hatch through a normal twisty road unless you seriously drive it
In the hands of an expert (which I’m not) the F type will leave them for dead
If you want low value performance then just buy a VX220
For me it’s the right balance of performance, looks and luxury, while being reassuringly impractical:)
Click to expand...

Well I would not say that rwd vs awd is the most important factor through a normal twisty road (if that is what you ment?).

The two fastest serial prodiction cars at the moment are rwd cars (except for the initial take off) - both on twisty roads and on the quarter mile:

https://www.motortrend.com/cars/por...B01013237E83244A2F56AAF6179397230DD1D85A85AE4
 
Arne said:
cj10jeeper said:
But this is the same for any RWD car. You’ll struggle to beat a 1.x diesel hatch through a normal twisty road unless you seriously drive it
In the hands of an expert (which I’m not) the F type will leave them for dead
If you want low value performance then just buy a VX220
For me it’s the right balance of performance, looks and luxury, while being reassuringly impractical:)
Click to expand...


Well I would not say that rwd vs awd is the most important factor through a normal twisty road (if that is what you ment?).

The two fastest serial prodiction cars at the moment are rwd cars (except for the initial take off) - both on twisty roads and on the quarter mile:

https://www.motortrend.com/cars/por...B01013237E83244A2F56AAF6179397230DD1D85A85AE4
Click to expand...
I never mentioned AWD..
My point was that a modern high torque front 2WD in the hands on an average driver will be as quick through twistirs. It needs skill and commitment to get the best from a RWD
No doubt about straights that power and toque take over and the hatch is dead
 
cj10jeeper said:
Arne said:
cj10jeeper said:
But this is the same for any RWD car. You’ll struggle to beat a 1.x diesel hatch through a normal twisty road unless you seriously drive it
In the hands of an expert (which I’m not) the F type will leave them for dead
If you want low value performance then just buy a VX220
For me it’s the right balance of performance, looks and luxury, while being reassuringly impractical:)
Click to expand...


Well I would not say that rwd vs awd is the most important factor through a normal twisty road (if that is what you ment?).

The two fastest serial prodiction cars at the moment are rwd cars (except for the initial take off) - both on twisty roads and on the quarter mile:

https://www.motortrend.com/cars/por...B01013237E83244A2F56AAF6179397230DD1D85A85AE4
Click to expand...
I never mentioned AWD..
My point was that a modern high torque front 2WD in the hands on an average driver will be as quick through twistirs. It needs skill and commitment to get the best from a RWD
No doubt about straights that power and toque take over and the hatch is dead
Click to expand...

I won't argue with that (which is also why I wrote "if that is what you ment?") ;)
 
The F Type is not a racer.

If I wanted a racer I wouldn't have bought a car with 12 way memeory seats that probably weight 50Kg's each.

Great, instant torque with a sound track and looks to die for, push my buttons and in dynamic manual mode it handles well enough for me to fix my smile.
 
I came from a 1.4 TSI Scirocco to an AWD F-Type R and as you can imagine, there is no comparison for performance.

The R is a beast, in a straight line I find its speed ridiculously quick. The R is obviously a very fast car but I don't see it as a car for throwing around a circuit. Accelerating from a standstill to 70mph with your foot to the floor in the R is an exhilarating experience and makes you smile!
 
It is a racer,..just more of a fast road racer however. On twisty A and B roads it feels great and makes you feel like a good driver when you control power slides like a boss.. Having 600+ HP helps. 😎. It feels a bit too chunky to do the racing thing around town, which is fine coz that is dangerous anyway.
 
In standard guise they can get around 3.5s 0-60 with around 620bhp
But its never going to be an evo or scoob thru the twisties
As for racing another car on the road thats strictly for knobheads
This car has looks and sound and great performance but it is not a slayer like a porsche
I wld like just a tad more from mine aroubd 650-670 wld be ideal but my roman name is now skintus maximus
 
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