pirateprentice
New member
I've now had my F-Type for 3 months now so it's time to offer a few thoughts.
Background - I've had a few half-decent motors in my time, but nothing anywhere in this league. When the F-Type was launched a decade ago, I thought 'That's the car for me, and in a few years I can afford a second hand one'. Well it's taken more than a few years to get round to it, but here we are. It's the first time in my life I have owned two cars; I'm keeping the old Ford as my Lidl car.
I hadn't quite anticipated just how much I would love it. I'm regularly looking out the window at it and trying to think of excuses to go for a drive. Although it only has the 2L engine, it's friskier than anything else I've owned. Of course if I got to drive the V8 I know I'd be instantly spoiled by that.
I used to see Porsches, sporty Beemers etc. and feel a tang of desire. That doesn't happen any more. And in an era when most cars are grossly, wilfully ugly, the F-Type looks better than ever. I really don't desire anything else now. OK perhaps I would not turn down a gift of a big-engined Aston or something, but realistically this is my destination car.
The F-Type encourages spirited driving. On fast roads it is both easy and a joy to drive at pace. The big cat loves to stretch her legs. I shall confess that on a few occasions I have strayed to within a whisker of the speed limit. Yes, that's right - it is a stray cat - wild and untamable. I wonder if cars, like cats, look like their owners? Sleek, powerful, and strangely seductive. But enough about me, let's get back to the Jag.
I'm in Dynamic mode most of the time - I prefer the livelier throttle response. Sport mode for roads that suit it, but the auto is impressive and perfectly usable most of the time.
Friends admire my new car, but they can't help but raise the topic of how much the tyres cost. I see it as a sure sign of jealousy. Plus, those wide rear tyres must wear more slowly than skinny ones, right? I'm sure that's how it works. A few of them have even been crass enough to use (in jest) the 'mid-life' phrase, which I shall not utter in full here. I assure them that the C-word that follows is pretty much the least applicable word I can think of.
Complaints? Well the center screen is hard to see in bright light, and the stereo is disappointing - slightly tinny sounding which I can't fix in the controls. But such things are mere trifles compared to the fall-fat, full-sugar delight of owning and driving a proper lovely car.
There is also an aspect of celebrating the end of an era - the English gentleman driving a fast Jaguar through the countryside. I may not fit that romantic vision exactly, but I'm proud to act the role for a few brief years. You don't need to be English to do it. But it will be gone soon, and I suggest we enjoy it while we can. Drive on, me hearties.
Background - I've had a few half-decent motors in my time, but nothing anywhere in this league. When the F-Type was launched a decade ago, I thought 'That's the car for me, and in a few years I can afford a second hand one'. Well it's taken more than a few years to get round to it, but here we are. It's the first time in my life I have owned two cars; I'm keeping the old Ford as my Lidl car.
I hadn't quite anticipated just how much I would love it. I'm regularly looking out the window at it and trying to think of excuses to go for a drive. Although it only has the 2L engine, it's friskier than anything else I've owned. Of course if I got to drive the V8 I know I'd be instantly spoiled by that.
I used to see Porsches, sporty Beemers etc. and feel a tang of desire. That doesn't happen any more. And in an era when most cars are grossly, wilfully ugly, the F-Type looks better than ever. I really don't desire anything else now. OK perhaps I would not turn down a gift of a big-engined Aston or something, but realistically this is my destination car.
The F-Type encourages spirited driving. On fast roads it is both easy and a joy to drive at pace. The big cat loves to stretch her legs. I shall confess that on a few occasions I have strayed to within a whisker of the speed limit. Yes, that's right - it is a stray cat - wild and untamable. I wonder if cars, like cats, look like their owners? Sleek, powerful, and strangely seductive. But enough about me, let's get back to the Jag.
I'm in Dynamic mode most of the time - I prefer the livelier throttle response. Sport mode for roads that suit it, but the auto is impressive and perfectly usable most of the time.
Friends admire my new car, but they can't help but raise the topic of how much the tyres cost. I see it as a sure sign of jealousy. Plus, those wide rear tyres must wear more slowly than skinny ones, right? I'm sure that's how it works. A few of them have even been crass enough to use (in jest) the 'mid-life' phrase, which I shall not utter in full here. I assure them that the C-word that follows is pretty much the least applicable word I can think of.
Complaints? Well the center screen is hard to see in bright light, and the stereo is disappointing - slightly tinny sounding which I can't fix in the controls. But such things are mere trifles compared to the fall-fat, full-sugar delight of owning and driving a proper lovely car.
There is also an aspect of celebrating the end of an era - the English gentleman driving a fast Jaguar through the countryside. I may not fit that romantic vision exactly, but I'm proud to act the role for a few brief years. You don't need to be English to do it. But it will be gone soon, and I suggest we enjoy it while we can. Drive on, me hearties.