AN EPIC CROSS-COUNTRY ADVENTURE IN JAGUAR’S F-TYPE 75

On day one, the drivers got behind the wheel of the F-TYPE 75 Convertible in Giola Green, a custom colour for the 75 editions inspired by the teal limestone waters of the Greek Islands. Anthony Crawford from CarExpert found the exterior colour beautifully complimented the exquisite tan interior, and with the lowered roof said it “simply looks divine”. John McMahon from Boss Hunting could only agree, describing the exterior finish as “drop dead gorgeous”, and combined with the interior “one of the most captivating specs I’d ever seen in the metal”.

Tackling nearly 500km of challenging mountain roads, the group began their climb into the Pyrenees. Crawford noted the “thunder under the bonnet” in the form of Jaguar’s P450 supercharged V8, tuned to deliver a solid 331kW and 580Nm to the rear axle exclusively through an eight-speed automatic transmission. He found the drive to be “fast, furious and very, very loud”, with the vehicle “unflustered by any turbulence around the car” at huge speeds. It was rock solid in the bends and the steering nicely weighted in Sport with immediate throttle response.

For McMahon, “the familiar bark of the supercharged V8 grew in ferociousness with every turn, inducing nothing but beaming ear-to-ear smiles...I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again – the F-TYPE’s exhaust note is easily the most outrageous, spine-tingling noise from a V8 on the road right now”. As the roads became more challenging, he felt most alive “and for me, few cars have triggered such a visceral, heartbeat-skipping response more frequently than the F-TYPE”.

Day two and it was time to experience the F-TYPE R75 Coupe in signature Ligurian Satin Black paint with an ebony suede interior. Crawford has never seen a satin paint with such a superb finish to it, while McMahon described it as “menacing”. Also featuring a 5.0-litre supercharged V8, it’s armed with 423kW and 700Nm through all four wheels. McMahon said the R75 was undeniably more savage and “dialled the badass scale up to 11”, making this weapon the F-TYPE to end all F-TYPEs. For Crawford it was hard not to get excited by the journey ahead with the “thought of endless fast-sweeping bends”.

Both were impressed by the breathtaking power the coupe delivered. McMahon said, “The pickup of seemingly endless power – even at high speeds – was linear and unrelenting. At no point did the 423kW of juice run out of oomph.” Crawford, meanwhile, “wasn’t expecting such a significant level of power underfoot. It’s not just the throttle response – as quick as that is – it’s more the torque shove that gets you thinking you’re driving a very quick car”. Without the outside distractions of driving the convertible, McMahon was able to fully appreciate the cabin of the F-TYPE which “is a sublime place to be. The exceptional visibility afforded by surprisingly large windows, a sunroof, and a near-perfect driving position left us with a commendable situational awareness”.