2020 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe

Pricing for the 2020 Jaguar F-Type R coupe starts at the considerable sum of $101,800, before a delivery and destination charge of $1,025. Fully loaded with almost $39,000 worth of options, we specced an R in the online configurator to the final price of $141,669.

Although not as crazy as the top SVR model, the "entry-level" V8 F-Type is still a pretty hardcore machine. Despite adaptive dampers, the R's focus is an emphasis on agility and handling prowess, with suspension that minimizes body roll at the expense of comfort. The large brakes are also highly capable, but a touch too grabby at lower speeds. If you really want to pull the make-up and lash extensions off your partner's face, carbon ceramics are available too. In terms of steering, you get that direct and sharp turn-in ability that you'd expect from a true sports car, but since its electrically-assisted and hasn't been perfected yet, the wheel lacks true feel. Essentially, the F-Type R coupe is a much more visceral and focused vehicle than you'd expect from something so pretty, but while this has its downsides from a daily-driving point of view, the result is an incredibly grippy sports car that clings to the tarmac with dogged determination, and only the most ridiculously ham-fisted driving or lack of interest in seeing the dawn of a new day will see an F-Type owner get the R to understeer. Thanks to a rear bias on the all-wheel-drive system, you can also feel strong propulsion out of corners and a level of agility that the car's weight belies. Daily-drivable? Probably not. Fun? Definitely.

The F-Type R is a monstrous, rabid machine of raw power, noise, and breathtaking acceleration. Its brakes are strong enough to stop world wars and its suspension is stiff enough to remind you of the days when you were young and virile. Unfortunately, if you can afford a car like this, chances are that you've been through enough in your lifetime - possibly a world war or scurvy. If that's the case, the last thing you want from your sports car is to contort your body into shapes that it was not created for, just to fit in it, and once seated you don't want to have to drive directly to your nearest chiropractor or be so close to your passenger that you can taste the flavor of their chewing gum. The R is a fine machine for the track-day enthusiast, but if you attempt to use it for anything else, it'll provide more irritation and unpleasant discomfort than any top speed claim is worth. Rather get a Porsche. You may struggle to stand out, but at least after driving one, you'll be able to stand in the first place.

The Jag F-Type R comes in a single variant, so your choices will be limited to what options you choose to add. We would definitely recommend Climate Package 1 for its heated steering wheel and dual-zone climate control, and we'd also think that opting for heated and ventilated seats would be a smart choice. We would also highly recommend the affordable options of park assist and blind-spot monitoring, as rearward visibility in the F-Type coupe is rather poor.

The SVR is the R's hardcore sibling. As if it were possible to consider the R Coupe as soft, the SVR turns the discomfort and noise up even further. With 575 hp and 516 lb-ft of torque, the SVR's upgraded engine allows it to take further advantage of that all-wheel-drive system, resulting in a sprint from 0-60 of just three and a half seconds. Top speed is improved too, with this model capable of 200 mph. In supercar territory, the SVR has an appropriate price that is over $123,000. For this extra cost, you get numerous carbon-fiber add-ons including a large rear wing, but you also get quilted leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel as standard and even better handling ability. If you really want to decimate lap times, the SVR is perfect, but if you intend to risk some daily driving discomfort, the regular R will be marginally easier to live with.

Thanks to its price and performance, one of the F-Type R's chief rivals is the Porsche 911 Carrera. Although Porsche is infamous for an extensive and expensive options list, it's worth noting that the base model starts at under $100,000. With a twin-turbo flat-six producing 379 hp and 331 lb-ft of torque, the 911 doesn't automatically outdo the Brit, but as any Porsche nut will tell you, the figures only tell half the story. The way this thing takes corners, and even more critically, the way it feels when doing so is what has made the German sports car an icon. Its interior is also far more modern and luxurious, thanks in part to a redesign for 2020 that has made every aspect of the 911 even better. The fact that you have four seats, usable trunk space, and a supple suspension setup further cements the 911's place above just about any other sports car. Sorry, Jaguar, but hopefully 2021's F-Type will be better.