DRIVE ALIVE: 2016 JAGUAR F-TYPE TO OFFER 6-SPEED MANUAL AND AWD

Jaguar is giving F-TYPE customers exactly what they have been asking for - manual transmission and all-wheel drive. Tim Philippo, Product Manager, Jaguar Sports Cars runs through the key 2016 model year changes.
 

Give us the highlights of the 2016 model year Jaguar F-TYPE.

The big news is that we’re offering a brand new six-speed manual transmission on V6-powered rear-drive models. We also have a new Instinctive All Wheel Drive® system* that will be optional on F-TYPE S automatic and standard on F-TYPE R models. We’re also replacing the previous F-TYPE V8 S Convertible with a sensational new F-TYPE R Convertible with 550 horsepower and all-wheel drive. With no fewer than 13 models to choose from, there really is going to be a Jaguar F-TYPE for every driving desire.
 

Enthusiasts rejoice, there’s now a manual-transmission F-TYPE. How big is the demand?

No feature has been more requested by customers and the media alike than a manual transmission. Ever since the unveiling of the F-TYPE at the Paris Auto Show in 2012, customers have been telling me they love the car, but wouldn’t place an order until there was a manual. Yes, manual transmission cars are a diminishing part of the premium sports car market these days, but the people who ask for it are our most passionate, most enthusiastic customers who rightly feel a manual is the purest connection between driver and car.
 

Fewer and fewer sports car makers are offering manual transmissions. Why is Jaguar?

It really is what the Jaguar brand is all about. So much of our messaging these days is about being “alive”. Many of our customers feel a manual transmission enhances that feeling of the car being more alive. They are not looking for the ultimate in performance - an F-TYPE with an eight-speed QuickShift automatic, against the stopwatch is definitely quicker. They get a completely different kind of joy from executing the perfect heel and toe downshift, and feel an even closer connection with the car by “rowing their own”.
 

On which Jaguar models will the new six-speed manual be available?

We’ll offer it on rear-wheel drive F-TYPE Coupe and Convertible models powered by either the 340-horsepower or 380-horsepower supercharged V6 engines. We’re not offering it with all-wheel drive, or the 550-horsepower R models which, for 2016 will be equipped with all-wheel drive as standard.
 

How will all-wheel drive enhance the F-TYPE driving experience?

It will simply transform the F-TYPE into a true all-year-round, all-season sports car. We know that many of our owners like to use their F-TYPE vehicles as daily drivers. They’re forced to think twice before they head out when there’s snow in the forecast. Even customers who buy an F-TYPE just for weekend fun will tend to keep it in the garage during winter months. What Instinctive All Wheel Drive® does is let them enjoy the car a full 12 months of the year.
 

Is there a risk that all-wheel drive will make the F-TYPE feel less alive?

A remarkable feature of the Jaguar Instinctive All Wheel Drive® system is Intelligent Driveline Dynamics (IDD) technology*. What it does is make the F-TYPE drive just like a rear-wheel drive car. In standard driving, 100 percent of the engine’s power goes to the rear wheels. However, if traction is lost at the rear, a central clutch closes and up to 50 percent of the power can be diverted to the front wheels. IDD can also detect and counter oversteer or understeer for a heightened feeling of safety and security. For our owners in Chicago, New York, Boston and all points north, all-wheel drive will help make sure they’ll pretty much always be able to get home.
 

Tell us about the awesome new flagship for the F-TYPE Convertible range.

We’re replacing the previous 495-horsepower, rear-drive V8 S model with a new 550-horsepower R Convertible with standard all-wheel drive. With the top down, few other convertibles on the planet will sound quite like this. It truly has to be heard to be believed. For the 2016 model year, we’re making the Convertible line-up symmetrical with the Coupe.
 

How long will we have to wait to see this 2016MY line-up?

We are still working on firm dates but we will unveil the new range at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week, then the plan is for a staggered launch with the all-wheel drive models arriving in late spring 2015 followed by the manual transmission models in early summer. They can’t come soon enough.

*This feature is not a substitute for safe and attentive driving, nor can it overcome all extreme circumstances. Please consult the owner’s manual or your local authorized Jaguar Retailer for more details.