2018 Jaguar F-Type 400 Sport first drive review

First drive of the 2018 Jaguar F-Type 400 Sport

MSRP $63,000.00

“Where the V8 F-Type feels like maximum torque, the 400 Sport is a light and eager sports car.”

Avg

Fantastic performance
Comfortably
Coupe or convertible
Upgraded suspension and brakes
Amazing look

Against

It still costs almost $90,000
Available for one year only
Only three solid colors available

The Jaguar F-Type has been around since 2013 as Jaguar’s halo sports car. It’s fast, sexy, expensive and has pretty much everything you want in a performance two-seater. To keep the F-Type fresh, Jag is constantly coming up with new models and features, so there are now 24 different ways to order an F-Type. It even has a four-cylinder model coming this year.

To their credit, however, Jaguar’s new variations on the F-Type theme are real and different models, with a special edition with hard-to-find paint and decals. You can get your F-Type with a fixed roof or ragtop, with a god-fearing manual transmission or a smooth eight-speed automatic transmission. And now you can choose between four, six or eight cylinders and power ranging from 300 to 575 horsepower.

What’s up

The latest twist on the F-Type platform is the 400 Sport. This model uses an improved version of the same supercharged 3.0-liter V6 as the 340- and 380-horsepower versions, but boosted to produce 400 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque. The 400 Sport only comes with an eight-speed automatic transmission with drive modes and paddle shifters, but you have a choice of rear- or all-wheel drive.

Jeff Zurschmeide/Digital Trends

The 400 Sport package also includes upgraded brakes, which Jaguar calls “Super Performance” and a set of 20-inch wheels unique to this model. The front brakes are 380 mm, and the rear ones are barely a little less at 376 mm. On top of that, you get “Configurable Dynamics” driving modes that alter the damping, steering, throttle and gearshift behavior, so you can set the 400 Sport to pre-defined settings for a comfortable or sportier ride, or dive in and create your own custom settings.

Trim levels and features

In most cases, the GoPro will show that you’re not nearly as fast or brave as you think you are.

The 400 Sport trim offers a reasonable set of choices. You are limited to a solid color, which we find unfortunate. Black, silver or white is what you get, with yellow and gray badges and yellow top stitching in the cabin. And there’s an excellent front splitter and rear diffuser that complete the visual package.

But the more important choices are yours. You can choose coupe or convertible, and rear or all-wheel drive. Once you get into the 400 Sport and start driving, I’m guessing you won’t care about the exterior color.

Other items that come with the 400 Sport package include adaptive LED headlights, which change the shape of the beam depending on your speed, and LED taillight clusters.

Technology overview

The F-Type 400 Sport comes with Jaguar’s latest technology setup. That means a Touch Pro interface with an eight-inch touchscreen and a fast 60GB solid-state drive. You can customize your desktop in the car, and the F-Type comes with navigation. Tablet gestures are supported. The basic 10-speaker Meridian sound system is good, and of course, you can always opt for the 12-speaker surround sound upgrade.

Perhaps even more interesting to the race-day crowd is the GoPro ReRun feature. This allows you to record dash cam video with your GoPro and then overlay driving data such as throttle position, braking force, steering angle, gear selection, speed and g-forces. The footage is editable and the GoPro will give you a highlight reel. Everything is designed for easy social media posting. However, in most cases, the GoPro will show that you’re not nearly as fast or brave as you want to think you are.

Interior decoration and finishing

Jaguar has refreshed the F-Type’s interior for 2018, and it’s very comfortable. The seats have a new slim design that really works. Of course, they are adjustable in 12 directions, including lumbar support. The seats are both heated and ventilated. For all that, the new seats still weigh about 16 pounds less than the old seats. They even have magnesium frames.

As mentioned, in the 400 Sport you have yellow contrast topstitching and that looks good. The door sills and the center console are trimmed with brushed aluminum.

Driving performance and MPG

The driving experience is really what sets the 400 Sport apart from other F-Type models. First, the numbers: 0 to 60 in 4.8 seconds and a top speed of 171 mph. By comparison, the 575-horsepower SVR model accelerates from 0 to 60 in 3.5 seconds, while the current 340-horsepower V6 F-Type does it in 5.1 seconds, or 5.5 with the manual.

But what the numbers don’t tell you is that the 400 Sport is a laugh machine that’s happy to rev. The V8 F-Types are top-end torque monsters, while the 400 Sport feels like a lightweight sports car should feel. Flip the shifter into Sport mode or use the paddle shifters to hold the gear and the 400 Sport will happily scream its way to redline with all the power you want, under perfect control. This car is a dancer, not a weightlifter.

Jeff Zurschmeide/Digital Trends

At press time, the EPA hasn’t made a judgment on the 400 Sport’s fuel economy, but other V6 models get around 18-20 mpg city and 26-28 mpg highway, more or less (mostly taking) a little for a coupe or convertible, AWD and manual gearbox. But honestly, the fuel economy will be the most memorable thing about a nice day with the roof down in this Jaguar.

Conclusion

The 2018 Jaguar F-Type 400 Sport sits right in the middle of the F-Type price range. When the four-cylinder version comes out, it should have a destination price of $59,900. V6 models start at $68,000 (subscription), and the 400 Sport will set you back $89,500, plus $995 for destination and handling. By comparison, the supercharged V8 costs $121,900.

The 400 Sport is definitely a car for driving enthusiasts. It is located in the right place that experienced sports car fans know very well. It’s not the most powerful engine you can buy, but it has plenty of power and has improved brakes and suspension. It has enough luxury touches to make it comfortable, but it’s no boulevard cruiser. Finally, it’s a lot less money than a super hot rod. For that matter, if I were choosing an F-Type for daily driving, I’d go with the AWD 400 Sport convertible and never look back.

Another caveat: If you want a 400 Sport, you need to start planning. Although Jag didn’t mention production limits, the model should only be produced for one year. When they come out in 2019, there will be something else to take its place.

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Categories: GAMING
Source: newstars.edu.vn