WHY I BOUGHT MY F-TYPE R COUPE

Al Prieto, a leading Manhattan-based executive search consultant who drives a 900-hp track car for fun, explains why he had to have a new Jaguar F-TYPE R Coupe.

What made you want to buy an F-TYPE R Coupe?
I’m a car guy in the purist sense of the term. I’m big into performance and an avid track day enthusiast - I have a ’09 Nissan GTR track car that I had uprated to 900 horsepower. I was looking for a car with a lot of performance, which is why the 550 horsepower of the F-TYPE Coupe R caught my attention. I also wanted a daily driver to commute from home in New Jersey into Manhattan every day, so it had to be comfortable.

Have you owned Jaguar cars before?
I’ve always admired Jaguar cars, but no, I’ve never owned one. I started reading all the reviews of the F-TYPE Coupe and was impressed with what I read. Jaguar was smart in doing all the initial media drives on the track, which for me, showed a confidence in the car’s capability and performance. So, back in February, I went along to my local retailer, Madison Jaguar, to talk about the car. As the Coupe wasn’t out then, they let me try an F-TYPE V8 S Convertible. I was sold and soon ordered an F-TYPE R Coupe in Polaris white with a red interior.

You took delivery of your F-TYPE Coupe a few weeks ago. How are you enjoying it so far?
I hate to sound like a Jaguar advertisement, but this is truly a remarkable car. It’s way beyond my expectations. From a performance and handling perspective, Jaguar has taken it to a new level. The chassis is incredibly well sorted, the steering is just so precise and responsive, and of course the exhaust sound is crazy, but for me, what sets it apart is that the performance is combined with refinement and incredible style.

Design-wise, do you prefer Coupe or Convertible?
I guess I’m more of a purist, so for me coupes will always be associated more with harder-core performance. I absolutely love the design of the F-TYPE Coupe, especially the R, but what I wasn’t expecting is how special the car makes you feel when you’re driving it. It’s just so aesthetically beautiful.

How have you been using your new F-TYPE Coupe?
Naturally, one of the first things I did was take it out on the track. I’m a member of New Jersey Motorsports Park and do anywhere from 20 to 30 track days a year. For a production car, it feels right at home at the road course. It has terrific performance, the grip, the handling and the brakes just deliver. But what really surprised me was the reaction from the other guys at the track with their Corvette sports cars and Porsche race cars. They absolutely drooled over the F-TYPE Coupe. They’re telling me that they think Jaguar got it totally right with this Coupe, and I couldn’t agree more.