"Viggen" (viggen37)
05/09/2014 at 16:45 • Filed to: None
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"Viggen" (viggen37)
05/09/2014 at 16:45 • Filed to: None | 1
| 8 |
Note, this rant may not make sense at times, because rant. F-Type for your time.
So, the McLaren P1 and the Jaguar F-Type, perhaps the most highly praised cars to come from Britain in the past couple years. I should be excited by both. As a Porsche fan (possibly fanatic), the aspect of competition against the 918 and 911 respectively should be exciting. But, in the case of one of these cars it isn't.
Which is why I start this rant with the car that is exciting competition to a Porsche. The McLaren P1. The battle for lap times and world praise between these two cars is great. But, and it isn't the lust for the 918 talking here, I don't like the P1 at all. Perhaps my reasoning is unjust, but here it is. Growing up in the 1990s and early 2000s, the P1's predecessor, the McLaren F1 was the ultimate car. To some, myself perhaps included, it still is. In the Need for Speed games of the era, every kid's goal was the F1 and when included, the F1 LM, my favorite version. Maybe it's nostalgia, but I have a feeling it's more just an uneasy realization that the F1 is history now. At least I've been able to see an F1 in person. Chassis 14 specifically, the white one with the down force kit and New York plates.
Now let's move on to the Jaguar F-Type, a beautiful, shouting slice of Heaven...or sex. It's one of three or four cars I am realilistically looking at getting when my military service term ends (Thank goodness for Jaguar depreciation!). Convertible, coupe, V6 or V8 it doesn't matter, I love this car and have since the C-X16 was shown off in 2011. Despite my usual trepidation towards convertibles*, I wasn't thrown off by the initial lack of the sexcar that is the F-Type Coupe. I want an F-Type in my life, to blast through curvy back roads in New England and then drive to Boston and deafen people with a V8 roar all in a weekend.
Enough F-Type lust (I WANT) it's time to rant. All this talk of it being a "911 fighter." Why the hell does it have to compete with the 911? Just because it's a rear-wheel drive sports car in a similar price bracket? I'm sorry I just can't see the two competing with each other. And !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! Regardless if isn't an option is just going to make what's already a sadly heavy car heavier. The successor to the E-Type does not need AWD. All it needs to do is slide through every corner and require new tires every time you drive it.
!!! UNKNOWN CONTENT TYPE !!!
*When I was a toddler, my dad's Fox Mustang Convertible had all sorts of problems with the roof. Guess this has stuck with me. But the concept of Miata Life, a Boxster, or an F-Type are the exceptions to my rule of no convertibles.
I know both of the cars I ranted about in this are highly praised by opponauts and jalops alike, so I anticipate hostility in the comments.
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Viggen
> Viggen
05/09/2014 at 16:46 |
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This rant made a lot more sense in my head...
KirkyV
> Viggen
05/09/2014 at 16:53 |
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I don't understand why everyone's so up in arms about the all wheel drive. I mean, it's an option. A thing you can choose. And another, far more important option was introduced alongside it.
Mosqvich
> Viggen
05/09/2014 at 17:09 |
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I drove one, a coupe. It was intoxicating. I was considering a used 911 or a new Cayman, but I'm hooked on the F-Type. My mil retirement will be buying it. Here's a link to my post:
http://oppositelock.jalopnik.com/the-2014-jagua…
Saracen
> Viggen
05/09/2014 at 17:31 |
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It's called the 911 fighter because the 911 is the yardstick for that segment. If you want to be competitive for sales in that segment, you have to be competitive with the yardstick.
Just like a midsize luxury sports sedan is always called the 3-series fighter.
I have to agree though....AWD in an F-Type is unnecessary.
Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
> KirkyV
05/09/2014 at 17:49 |
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And there's a whole segment of buyers who want a gorgeous, fast, great-sounding coupe that WON'T try and kill them every time they look at the throttle. None of them round here, I know :-) , but why shouldn't Jag satisfy them? As long as its only an option and they don't add 100kg to the RWD version to achieve it, I'm fine with that.
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KirkyV
> Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
05/09/2014 at 17:51 |
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Exactly. More to the point, and I feel like this really does deserve a greater share of the conversation than it's been getting, it comes WITH A MANUAL OH MY GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD *sploosh*
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Viggen
> Mosqvich
05/09/2014 at 18:03 |
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I envy you. Sadly there's little chance I'll see an F-Type in Kansas. Either four and a half years or a warrant officer packet will allow me to buy one.
djmt1
> Viggen
05/11/2014 at 17:09 |
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I was expecting more when it came to the P1 'rant' as it is my personal favourite of the 3 and was getting ready for good old round of internet fisticuffs but it turns out it is just a case of I don't like a particular car which despite what the internet says is perfectly okay.
On the F-Type, I agree, it shouldn't be seen as a direct competitor to the 911 but I understand why people make this comparison. The reason is because of the price range, basically people who could afford the Jag could also afford the 911. However the person who buys the Jag probably isn't the same who buys the 911, in other words the 911 owner has a P.A. The Jag owner is most likely banging his P.A on the side.