Jaguar F-type review – performance and 0-60
All F-types make good progress, but for 911-levels of performance, you’ll need the top-tier 567bhp R
The F-type R’s headline figures are good for a 0-62mph in 3.7sec and a top whack of 186mph. A thunderous exhaust note is once again one of the F-type R’s party tricks, though it’s no longer quite so thunderous when you start it up each morning, thanks to a default quiet start function. This can be overridden by pressing the exhaust button before you start, or setting the car in Dynamic mode.
P450s do the sprint to 62mph in a more leisurely 4.6sec regardless of whether power goes to two or four wheels, while the P300 takes a yawning 5.7sec. Performance from the P450 reflects its laid back nature, it doesn't actually feel that 'fast', but always feels under-stressed and relaxed – the torquey power delivery doubles down on this.
The P300 is more problematic, as it feels like the Ingenium four-pot is working quite hard to give you menial performance. That slick rubber-band feeling we've become accustomed to in VW 300bhp-odd turbo four-cylinder hot hatchbacks like the Golf R is not present here.
The issue isn't actually outright speed, though, rather the way the speed is delt, in having a similar lethargic response that is familiar from other JLR products that share this 296bhp-spec four-cylinder engine. Turbo lag can be an issue, but there also seems to be a hesitation to gain or drop revs, making the engine feel like it’s lubricated with golden syrup, rather than engine oil.
This is exacerbated by the short gear ratios that exaggerate the engine’s unresponsiveness, making the gearbox feel almost CVT-like as the engine only barely feels like it engages a gear properly before the next upshift. Flick it into manual mode and there is a more natural feel to its acceleration, but it still lacks the crisp throttle response we expect from four-cylinder engines found in most hot hatchbacks, let alone £55k sports cars.
