New member introduction!

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2ndlife

New member
Hello all from a wet Ayrshire.

After humming and hawing about what car I should next have in my life before we are all relegated back to using bicycles or walking, I set my sights on a V8, perhaps it’s my heart leading my head but after having had mainly family ‘boxes’ I thought it’s time for me. So, Jaguar F-Type coupe it is, and I am thinking an R.

I’m still looking to find the right car and have been trawling the online classifieds trying to get a feel of prices and specifications as it will be my first Jaguar, but as I said, it feels like a V8 R is what I am drawn to currently. Unfortunately, from what I can see, it is only four-cylinder cars on the forecourts of Jaguar dealers in Scotland the moment. However, I’m sure the good people on here will assist in pointing out the pros and cons of the V8 and my choice of the R specifically and what I should perhaps aim for. P450 perhaps?

Although it will be my only car and I’m several years away from retiring I’m lucky in that I don’t have a daily commute, so the mileage I’ll put on it should be sub 6 or 7K.

I have currently been looking at the early new shape cars, and was thinking an approved car from a Jaguar dealer would give me peace of mind, along with one having a service history to go with it. But please comment if people think otherwise or have experience of buying out with Jaguar dealers. I have seen a comment that cars are not always what they should be from a main dealer.

I have already spent many hours lurking, reading through various topics on not only this forum, but also those from the old colonies, and one of the biggest things I have taken from them, is the sheer enjoyment of having the car from its owners, both here in the UK and abroad, so I’m very much looking forward to becoming a part of that happy group.

James
 
Welcome to the forum and, potentially, our club!

The V8 is definitely the one to go for, IMO, though I admit I'm biased in that direction. Many will say the V6S is the sweet spot for F-Types (ask Clarkson!) but well, the V8 - just because .... :)

If you consider the 4-pot you'll aways have that regret ...

Best to test drive the various options and decide which best suits you, since we're all different, but share excellent taste.
 
Welcome to the forum.

I did a lot of homework checking out the F-Type cars before I got one as I was an ex Lotus owner and needed something more powerful and comfortable. I am not knocking the 2lt or the V6S cars as each to there own, but since getting the P450 V8 I could not go backwards to the smaller engines. I would advice going for the AWD spec as it pulls and holds the roads fantastically when the heavy peddle is pressed.
 
Welcome, lots of great knowledge from members here. Early (new shape) 450’s whether coupe or convertible? All look to be in the £40-£50k price range. Not many on JLR site and they are usually priced higher than independents. A number on Autotrader and a good time to buy between now and February. AWD is more expensive and spec levels/ service history/ mileage, all contributing factors to sales price. Good luck hunting 👍
 
Is it a V8 or an F-type you desire the most?
I only ask because you can also get a V8 in an F-Pace SVR and as much as I love my F-type, if I could only have one car the F-Pace SVR would be my choice.
Having said that, the F-type is definitely the car that feels more special.
I am very familiar with the 5.0 supercharged engine having had 2 XFRs from 2009 before my current pair - so 15 years of driving a V8!
There is no right or wrong answer about which car you should get - it just depends on what you want and value the most (plus how much you have to spend).
Having driven them all, apart from the 2 litre, I think the P450 2WD is a sweet spot…very balanced with good amount of power.
A pre 2018 car is best for noise and post 2021 facelift car best for technology.
Personally I wanted something rare/different so ended up buying a 2019 SVR with SVO paint rather than a newer 2022 P575.
It all depends on what you value the most.
Enjoy the search.
 
Thank you all for the welcome and the various bits of guidance.

I will certainly be taking it onboard, but I suppose it will all come down to trying various specs, if possible, and seeing which floats my boat so to speak.

I did try a local dealer yesterday who has two Jaguar branches, but they had no V8s or V6s available, had only one 4 pot in the show room I visited, and the internet shows three P300s in their other showroom. I was also told it would be unlikely they would be able to get a V8 for me either. The chap I was speaking to said they had contacted F-type owners they had previously supplied asking if they were looking to trade them in, but everyone was keeping hold of them.
In my naivety I asked if they could possibly source one from a jaguar dealer out with their own group, but that was a no, it was however suggested I should keep an eye on their web page to see what turns up, or even try Autotrader.
Perhaps I shouldn’t have turned up in the rain on my motorbike looking like an aged courier.

I emailed another Jaguar dealer asking for some clarification about the spec of a car they have on various internet platforms, unfortunately I only received a ‘we’ve got your email’ reply, but I’ll try phoning them and some others next week.

I think it’s certainly looking like it will be a case of broadening my search specifics.
 
Welcome to the forum James. Normally not one for trawling AT but your post & nursing a hangover prompted me to kill a bit of time.

There are plenty of absolute corkers out there. I’m not a massive fan of the new shape front end but there are two stunners that caught my eye. The red V8 has only 4K miles. The spec for the convertible, also only 4K miles, is exceptional with the red roof against black. Don’t think I’d ever lower the top. Also a mint V6 coupe with only 8k miles. These are not suggestions, just nice to see so many beautiful F-Types 😊

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Enjoy your search & subsequent purchase 👍
 
As someone who has bought an F Type R a month ago, I did about 3 months of looking, but it was only when I started test driving some did I know what I wanted. For me it was all about the roar and rumble so I went for an older, louder one, mines 2015, still looks mega, may not have the plush info system but I tried a newer facelift one and couldnt really hear it unless you just floored it, but I'm sure the newer one may be more reliable.
 
F type Will said:
As someone who has bought an F Type R a month ago, I did about 3 months of looking, but it was only when I started test driving some did I know what I wanted. For me it was all about the roar and rumble so I went for an older, louder one, mines 2015, still looks mega, may not have the plush info system but I tried a newer facelift one and couldnt really hear it unless you just floored it, but I'm sure the newer one may be more reliable.
Click to expand...

This is good advice, but in my case it was more about seeing the car in person - most cars can look good in photos but only close up can you accurately assess condition and get a feel for how well a car has been looked after…and going to view/test drives cars should be part of the fun.
 
I can see it is going to take me about the same sort of time frame to find an F Type, Months not weeks. I certainly want to view and test drive where possible, but if I am going to stay looking for a V8, its going to mean lots of traveling and overnight stays.
They seem to be limited in supply in the West of Scotland.
In the meantime, I’m picking up plenty of advice from your comments in what to look for when buying, and I’ve found the past posts in the Forum a goldmine of information.
 
Although I dont like the look as much I wanted the newer tech so I went for a 2020 P575. Its fully loaded and totally bonkers. After owning it for 1 week I took it to Modstock to get the exhuats done so its much louder than stock now.
 
Andrew, I feel the same regarding the styling but, like you, would like the tech, but the more I learn it seems that a good bit can be retro fitted. So while I’m looking I’m keeping my options open, but still thinking I’m leaning to the newer style.
How do you find the performance following the exhaust work, any change?
I keep thinking back to my youth and having to juggle various SU carb needles in minis with LCB’s and, shall we say, much less back pressure.

James

Still looking
 
The performance was the same but it sounds a million times better with nice pops and burbles. Its not as loud as the pre filter cars but a good comprimise.

The 575 is bonkers fast. I came from a stage 2 BMW M2 which I thought was fast but the Jag is a different level. I did drive a really nice RWD P450 which wasnt slow but it was lacking on equipment.
 
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