Jaguar F-Type Coupe Debuts as One Badass Brit

Much more than a closed cabin version of its new sports car, the F-Type coupe just debuted ahead of the 2013 L.A. Auto Show with a long list of upgrades.

As with the soft top, there are two version powered by a blown V6 and one with a more raucous eight. V6 models are priced $4,000 below their open air counterparts, but that isn’t true for the V8 and for good reason. Rather than sticking with the “V8 S” model, Jaguar is offering buyers a new F-Type R Coupe with the 550-hp version of its blown 5.0-liter badboy mill.

2013 LA Auto Show Coverage

It starts at $99,000 before delivery fees. It also comes with a long list of performance enhancements to help cope with the ferocious output, which is enough to reach 60 mph in four seconds.

Jaguar re-calibrated the adaptive suspension system specifically for the new R model. There’s also Jaguar’s second-generation electronic active differential that works with a torque vectoring system to improve tire grip. There still isn’t a manual transmission, but the eight-speed automatic has been tweaked to better handle the added power.

An active exhaust system uses electronically controlled bypass valves to reduce back pressure and create a visceral roar. In top trim, 20-inch wheels are part of the standard equipment list. Inside those wheels, customers can opt to pay extra for “carbon ceramic matrix” brakes. The optional stopping equipment consists of a mix between carbon fiber and ceramic.

The roof panel can either be made of aluminum or glass, both of which are bonded to the body structure. Jaguar says structural rigidity remains the same between the two materials.

Of course, there are also the V6 and V6 S coupes that start at $65,000 and $77,000 respectively. The F-Type is already an impressive performance machine. For example, even with its traditional automatic transmission, it was only 0.77 seconds slower around the AutoGuide test track than the 2014 Porsche Cayman S equipped with a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. If the added stiffness and serious performance boost in the R model have anything to say about it, the F-Type Coupe is shaping up to be one of 2014’s biggest sports car highlights.