Test Car Specifications
Model tested: Jaguar F-Type S manual (pre-production prototype)
Price: £65,735
Engine: 3.0-litre supercharged V6 petrol
Transmission: rear-wheel drive, six-speed manual
Body style: two-door, two-seat coupé
CO2 emissions: 234g/km (Band L, £485 per year)
Combined economy: 28.8mpg
Top speed: 171mph
0-62mph: 5.5 seconds
Power: 380hp at 6,500rpm
Torque 460Nm at 3,500rpm
What's this?
An anachronism, yet Jaguar seems to think there is enough of an audience out there for a manual version of its F-Type so it's adding one to the price lists. A bold move; sales-wise it'll be interesting indeed to see if there are that many drivers out there single-minded enough to drop the convenience of the excellent eight-speed auto for the three pedals and six ratios of the manual transmission.
It'll almost double your road tax thanks to higher emissions, while economy takes a hammering too, but a useful £1,800 saving softens those particular blows on the rear-wheel drive, V6 models it's offered in. Not that buyers of £60,250 cars are likely to worry about such things, mind, and us purists here are rejoicing in Jaguar's decision, which goes against the convention in the marketplace.
How does it drive?
The V6 S manual doesn't fundamentally change the character of the F-Type S, but it does add another layer to the driving experience. The numbers demonstrate it's slower, adding 0.6 of a second to the 0-62mph time, but the top speed remains the same. Otherwise there's not much more to it; the linkage of that six-speeder is mechanical, and you can feel that in its directness. Jaguar's engineers have neglected to add a downshift throttle blip like you'll experience in manual Porsches (in Sport+ mode) saying they'd rather leave it to the driver to make their own soundtrack via heel-and-toeing. We honestly cannot remember the last time anyone mentioned that in a press conference and, usefully, the pedal spacing is such that it's a cinch to flare the revs of the 3.0-litre supercharged V6 engine while shifting down the gearbox.
It's a shame then that the gear shifter itself isn't better positioned. The stubby lever sits quite far back in the transmission tunnel, making for a sometimes awkward movement, particularly up-shifting, where a fair amount of arm movement is required to get behind the lever. That's manageable if you're sat at the furthest extremes of the seat's runners, but shorter drivers might find gear changing trickier. That's a disappointment, as the rest of the package is polished; the clutch weighting is good, the ratios nicely matched, and then there's the sound the engine makes, which is never anything but glorious when you're rolling your foot off the brake and blipping the accelerator.
Other revisions - introduced across the entire F-Type line-up - include the replacement of the hydraulic power steering with an electrically assisted steering rack. Jaguar insists it has only done so now it has developed an electric set-up that's better than the old system - and not just in economy gains. It's good enough that it might have got away with not mentioning it, as the steering retains its quick response and fine weighting - if perhaps lacking the tiniest nuance of feel.
Verdict
Unsurprisingly, the manual F-Type is not as easy a car to drive as its automatic relation, nor is it even a particularly easy manual to use thanks to the location of the stick. The added driver input does, however, result in a car that's more engaging, if marginally slower and less economical. It's all the more interesting as a result, though the auto makes more sense if you're using your F-Type every day and around town. But if it's an infrequent plaything then the manual makes every drive much more of occasion. And if that's not a little bit brilliant, then we don't know what is.
Exterior Design
Interior Ambience
Passenger Space
Luggage Space
Safety
Comfort
Driving Dynamics
Powertrain
