2017 Jaguar F-TYPE Road Test and Review…

As I returned to the darkened city car park where I had left the glorious Jaguar F-Type SVR, I saw a note stuck to the windscreen.

My heart sank.

Had someone crashed into this fabulously expensive car while I was in a meeting? Did they damage the paintwork? Any obvious scratches?

Nothing of the kind! It was one word only, and obviously written by a Jaguar fan.. it read “Impressive…”

And that’s what this car is. Impressive…. incredible, over the top, in your face, loud, fast, costly – especially the options… and enormous fun!

Even the wing mirrors on the test car I drove, looked fast.

They are made from the same carbon fibre that adorns the rear spoiler. Oh, and those carbon fibre flourishes will cost you thousands extra, as will the Meridian Sound system.

The 12 speakers certainly do sound good, not surprising as they will set you back $7,110, plus another $620 dollars for digital radio.

I did mention costly options didn’t I? But then the car will set you back $308,000 before on-roads, so I suppose a few extra thousand here and there wouldn’t really bother potential buyers.

The SVR is the latest incarnation of Jaguar’s F-Type, first unveiled in 2012.

The roadster was the Big Cat’s first new sports car in decades, receiving rave reviews.

This one is a 2 door convertible, strictly a two-seater, powered by a supercharged intercooled 5.0 litre 8 cylinder motor, with sequential Manual Auto-single Clutch transmission.

Boiled down, this allows incredible performance, and delivers breath-taking power to the 20″ alloys.

You will probably be satisfied with the 423kW of power with an astonishing 700Nm of torque.

Acceleration is claimed at 0-100km/h in 3.7 seconds, with combined fuel consumption of 11.3L/100km Premium ULP. Ok but I managed nowhere near that.

All this calls for good brakes. The optional ceramic brake kit, with its striking yellow calipers, will stop you on a penny, although it costs a little more than a penny; actually just over $20,000!

Still it is a supercar, and believe it or not, those yellow calipers actually drew a crowd, this time in a supermarket car park.

I found a group of 5 tourists taking selfies in front of the wheels. The wheels! I kid you not. They enthused about everything to do with the F-Type, especially the brakes!

With that beautiful profile and nice design, plus a long list of options, there is only one thing missing.. extra space.

The cabin is snug, and so is the boot.

If you are heading off on a driving holiday, maybe just pack pyjamas, a change of clothes, and an extra pair of socks it they’ll fit.

Hire the golf clubs when you arrive. Yes it’s somewhat impractical, but you will forget all that on the open road, and anyway, buyers in this market will presumably have other vehicles to call on.

You might have noticed lately that diamond quilted upholstery is all the rage.

Perhaps it’s the motor industry’s subtle way of letting buyers know they are getting top-of-the-range luxury.

Yes it’s there too in the F-Type SVR, along with suede cloth covered steering wheel and leather trimmed dash.

It is beautiful and stylish, fast and fun. Whether it’s a mysterious note left on the windscreen or tourists taking selfies, people just can’t ignore it.

The dazzling good looks, stunning performance and of course, the dramatic exhaust note (adjustable of course) are guaranteed to turn heads.

The 2017 Jaguar F-Type convertible, a super-fast, super-sleek supercar. It is wildly expensive, and for most of us, something to only dream about.

But whichever way you look at it, this car really is impressive.

NUTS and BOLTS – 2017 Jaguar F-TYPE SVR

Engine: 5.0 litre supercharged V8 developing 423kW and 700Nm

Transmission: Sequential Manual Auto-Single Clutch with 4X4 On Demand

Warranty: 3yrs/100,000km

Safety: Five stars

Origin: United Kingdom

Price: from $309,500