Jaguar F Type Convertible If You Have An Extra $100,000

Whisper it but our cars are quietly getting .

With engine cylinders and cubic capacity being reduced plus turbo chargers becoming the norm, this was bound to happen to a certain extent.

The advent of silent electric cars also seems to have won over some fans and affected the rest of the market.

Then there are synthetic engine noises pumped through the speakers but they are no substitute. It’s the difference between watching Muse live at a concert or listening through headphones. It is just not the same

Even the a BMW M5 packing a 4.4 litre V8 we tested recently with the optional Sports exhaust and hardly set the hairs of the back of the neck upright.

Ditto an Aston Martin DB11 4.0 V8.

Thank heavens for Jaguar still showing how it can and should be done.

This week’s review car the F-TYPE R Convertible is transformed from a good car into a great car thanks to an engine that could wake the dead.

Similar to the M5 and DB11 it packs a V8 petrol engine, but a 5.0 litre unit, and the aural dynamics and excitement are night and day.

In its most aggressive settings a quick dab and lift off the gas, in an underground car park it will set off car alarms.

The volley of bangs on the after burn are so loud with the roof down they will make passengers jump. Think a machine gun combined with a jackhammer to get an idea.

This is a sports car with an unapologetic attitude to noise pollution, and it will win over an army of fans.

Sure there will be some who bemoan this attack on the senses – they seem to be pushing to make proper sounding cars socially unacceptable.

It is a struggle to think of another car costing less six figures that sound as good as this F-TYPE.

However with an on the road price of £96,345 is needs a few aces up its sleeve to justify being almost double the cost of a base model.

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There are now five power outputs available in your F-TYPE and there is not a lot visually to differentiate them.

The sprightly 2.0-litre four-cylinder has a healthy 395bhp and a single tail pipe. Followed by a 3.0-litre V6 in three states of supercharged tune giving 335bhp, 375bhp or 395bhp. All get dual centrally mounted tubes.

Our R and the range-topping SVR push out 542bhp and 567bhp through quad pipes.

That will see the R crack the zero to sixty sprint in 3.9 seconds and on to a top speed of 186 mph.

It does without the SVR’s large fixed rear wing and gets rear spoiler that rises and falls according to speed.

Despite being launched in 2013 the rakish lines of the F-TYPE still turns heads.

A smattering of split scarlet lime roundels with ‘R’ denote this Jag is packing something special.

The V8 F-TYPES come with all-wheel drive as standard but it still has that classic rear wheel and front engined feel.

Along with Goldilocks handling – it it neither too hard or too soft. Firm enough to place and keep the car on a line but no so much it shakes fillings loose.

Torque vectoring by braking individual wheels also helps keep things safe and stable.

Lopping the roof off has done little to effect the structure of the car, and obvioulsly enables more of that gloroious noise to enter the cabin.

When the canvas hood is in place there is still a gap for engine roar to reach through to the driver and passenger.

But there is no button to lower the black mesh wind protector, which would have been nice.

Along with a blind spot monitoring system as views over the shoulder either side are heavily restricted by the solid roof panels. But that problem is common to all two seater convertibles.

Shifting a button on the centre console will put it into Dynamic mode, giving the dials a red tinge. But it also sharpens up the gear changes and throttle responses and increases the exhaust volume.

Being supercharged off a belt instead of blown by a turbo shortens any lag. The tacho needle needle zips round the rev counter like a fruit machine reel.

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With eight gears to play with through the auto box, there is also the option of using the steering wheel paddles to take more control.

With deeply cowed binnacles aimed toward the driver, and a low but not ground skimming seating position, it feels like a sports car before turning a wheel.

Huge swathes of leather on the dash, double stitching and metal engraved ‘R’ treadplates lift the interior.

But without the option of Apple Carplay the infotainment system could do with a refresh to catch up with German rivals.

Standard equipment includes the powered 12 way Performance seats, pop out door handle keyless entry, sat-nav, DAB radio, Bluetooth and a 380-watt Meridian sound system.

Storage space inside is limited to a few cubby holes. Under the rear boot lid there is enough space for a couple of squishy bags. But think more in terms of a weekend away rather than weeks. And that is if you take out the spare wheel and rely on a can of foam instead.

But since when has practicality and fun ever gone hand-in-hand. The F-TYPE R is a proper fun sports car with a huge shot of adrenaline.

Find a tunnel and enjoy it while you can.

Jaguar F-TYPE R Convertible AWD