The Jaguar F-Type gains more weight and grip with all-wheel drive
Jaguar’s bringing a new F-Type to Los Angeles this year, but it isn’t exactly new on the outside or under the skin, since the F-Type is still relatively new altogether. Instead, the F-Type is equipped with all-wheel drive as an option now.
Rumors in the past suggested Jaguar to be adding four-wheel grip the F-Type, but nobody was certain. But now, the F-Type Coupe can send power to its front wheels in tandem with the rear and the result, at least for the F-Type R Coupe test mule, is a 0-60 time of just 3.9 seconds, making it 0.1 seconds faster than the rear-wheel drive model, most likely thanks to a faster launch with less wheel spin.
This is an interesting result since the F-Type isn’t exactly a lightweight and the addition of all-wheel drive would only make the car heavier. Jaguar didn’t say how much weight is added just yet, but Jaguar did say that it’ll be revealed to the world in the flesh at LA in just a few weeks. Other additions to the F-Type lineup should occur over the next year, incorporating a manual gearbox and a lineup of new four-cylinder Ingenium engines for the entry level side of the lineup.
Check out the press release after the jump.
Jaguar Debuts 2016 F-TYPE R Coupe Featuring Instinctive All-Wheel-Drive
Wednesday, November 05, 2014
- Jaguar transforms the F-TYPE R Coupe with the addition of standard All-Wheel-Drive
- Full details of the 2016 F-TYPE model range will be announced at the 2014 Los Angeles International Auto Show on November 19
- AWD reveal marks the start of a Jaguar partnership with Bloodhound SSC, a British Land Speed Record team aiming to exceed 1,000 mph
(SOUTH AFRICA) – November 5, 2014 – Today, in the South African desert on Hakskeen Pan, Jaguar unveiled the new 2016 F-TYPE R Coupe featuring all-wheel-drive technology, a first for the F-TYPE line-up. Expanding its dynamic capability of reaching 60 mph in 3.9 seconds with a limited top-speed of 186 mph1, standard Instinctive All-Wheel-Drive® and Intelligent Driveline Dynamics will provide F-TYPE R drivers with improved traction and confidence in a variety of road conditions2.
The addition of all-wheel-drive is one of a number of performance enhancements to the award-winning Jaguar F-TYPE model range which will grow from six to 12 derivatives in the 2016 model year – the full model range will debut at the 2014 Los Angeles International Auto Show on November 19.
“Our target with engineering the all-wheel-drive F-TYPE was to maintain the engaging rear-drive character that’s so important to Jaguar sports cars, yet offer even greater dynamic capability.” – Ian Hoban, Vehicle Line Director, Jaguar
The reveal also marks the start of a technical partnership between Jaguar and Bloodhound SSC. With the ultimate aim of raising the world land speed record to above 1,000 mph, Jaguar assisted the Bloodhound SSC team in successfully completing a vital communications test at the Hakskeen Pan in the Northern Cape of South Africa.
On the relatively soft surface of the Hakskeen Pan, the stability of the F-TYPE R AWD Coupe was demonstrated as it was driven flat-out by Bloodhound SSC chairman and former world land speed record holder, Richard Noble.
Fitted with the same radio equipment as the Bloodhound SSC, the F-TYPE was driven at top speed towards a jet flown at 500 mph and just above 50-ft above the ground. The combined closing speed of almost 700 mph enabled the successful test of the system that will allow communications between the ground crew and Andy Green in the Bloodhound SSC, which will run for the first time on the Hakskeen Pan just twelve months from now. Andy Green currently holds the supersonic land speed record of 763.035 mph which he set in the Thrust SSC in 1997 in the U.S.
Full details of the new 2016 model year F-TYPE model range will be announced at the 2014 Los Angeles International Auto Show on November 19. The Jaguar Land Rover press conference will take place at 2:40 pm PST (22:40 GMT). Andy Green will be available at the press conference to confirm the full extent of the technical collaboration between Jaguar and the Bloodhound SSC program.
1 Always follow local speed limits
2 These features are not a substitute for driving safely with due care and attention and will not function under all circumstances, speeds, weather and road conditions, etc. Driver should not assume that these features will correct errors of judgment in driving. Please consult the owner’s manual or your local authorized Jaguar Retailer for more details.
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