Just when we thought Jaguar had knocked it out of the park with the F-Type Roadster, comes this F-Type Coupe. Swinging deeper into the baseball analogies, Jaguar is driving this 2-seat fastback deep into the gap of their lineup making it a perfect 2-for-2, and upping their batting average with another high performance hit. In the process, going from wild card hopeful to a division leader. So let’s look at the highlights.  

You might think the 2015 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe is the more practical version of the wonderful F-type V8 S Roadster. Wrong! We think it’s really more like its evil twin.

If there’s such a thing as a go-against-the-grain British muscle car, this is it.

Now, engine choices are the same as the Roadster, with one slight difference. The supercharged V6 offerings carry over at 340 and 380-horsepower. 

As for the V8, the supercharged 5.0-liter in the F-type V8 S was by no means underpowered, but Jag felt the Coupe could use more ponies, so it now rates 550-horsepower and 502 lb-ft. of torque. That’s a very healthy increase of 55-horsepower and 42 lb-ft.

Jag claims that’s enough to be the fastest Jaguar ever. And, with its all-aluminum structure, it is also the stiffest “cat” yet.

As for that practicality we mentioned, the cargo area is good for 11 cubic-ft., almost half again the roadster’s.  

The aluminum body that hides the cargo space is beautifully executed. The front end is virtually the same as the Roadster, but the sweeping lines at the rear are as dynamic as anything on the road. A fixed-panel glass roof is an option. 

That stiffer structure called for a stiffer suspension to be bolted to it. Add in Adaptive Dynamics, an active rear differential, and brake Torque Vectoring, and you’ve got a sweet handling 2-seater that’s a joy to behold and drive.

Even in relaxed cruising the Coupe feels tossable; ready to be a willing companion for any length adventure. All of our crew had high praise for its effortless performance, sharp handling, and the wonderful sounds that it makes; though some found the loud and aggressive exhaust note to have a fake aura to it, like it was trying a bit too hard. 

The 8-speed Quickshift automatic transmission is the same as in the Roadster, but has updated software, helping it feel a whole lot more direct. 

At our test track, it’s hard to say which experience we enjoyed more, listening to this cat growl at the line, or feeling it pounce off of it. 

If all of the stars align just right and you find decent traction, you can hit 60 in 4.0-seconds, or perhaps less. And you can clear the quarter mile in 12.0 at 122 miles-per-hour. 

Steering is very quick and the chassis super nimble, but with this many ponies punching the rears into action, oversteer is always in the wings; though the electronic differential tries its best to keep it hidden. 

Push harder and it begs for more. You needle together corners like a bead stringer hopped up on Red Bull. Like any true performance car, higher speeds is where this F-Type Coupe feels most at home. Electronic intervention seeps in fairly quickly, but it does so almost seamlessly, helping more than holding you back. 

The Coupe R’s standard Super Performance Braking System brought our car to a halt in just 110-feet from 60. You can upgrade to carbon ceramics, but we doubt they’ll provide the extra 12-grand’s worth of results.  

Whether on track or road, the Coupe just feels better than the Roadster, but not so much so that it feels like an entirely different car; just a better version, even if it’s not the quietest car on the street. We knew the coupe was coming from the F-type’s beginnings, but it was hard for us to imagine that it would turn out this great. 

Praises were not quite as high for the interior; beautiful to look at, but not the most intuitive to use, and things get cramped if you’re gifted with much height over 6-feet. Oh, well, nothing is perfect.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 16-City, 23-Highway, and 18-Combined. Our average of 22.8 miles-per-gallon of Premium exceeded expectations. 

The base Coupe is actually $4,000 less than the Convertible at $65,925. However our R Coupe is at the top of the heap starting at $99,925.

So, if the F-type Roadster was a home run, than the 2015 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe is truly a grand slam! We can easily see the Coupe quickly outselling the Roadster. It’s amazing what a small company can do with a bunch of cash for development, designers with a true sense of history, and engineers with an open mind. Jaguar is certainly aiming to please, and this one is way outta the park!

There was substantial grip and good balance, steering was light and it provided a respectable amount of feedback.