Jaguar revs up excitement with its F-Type R

Low-slung, sleek and sexy, this supercharged V-8 coupe looks like a designer’s dream, handles like a track car and isn’t made in Germany or Italy.

On the flats it goes from zero to 60 in 3.9 seconds, producing intoxicating, full-throated muffler music. On the back roads it dashes through the curves and dives into the corners, hugging the apex like something out of Stuttgart or Maranello.

But it’s a Jaguar, made in England, and it’s one of the most exciting cars of the year. A worthy competitor for the Porsche 911 or Boxster, Audi R8, BMW 6 Series and Mercedes AMG GT, it’s also the first Jaguar in a long while that lives up to the legendary nameplate.

Founded in England in 1922 as a motorcycle sidecar manufacturer, Jaguar went on to build some of the most beautiful cars in history, among them the elegant Mark-series of saloon cars, the race-winning XK-120 roadsters and the iconic E-Type sports cars.

But Jaguar has also been an automotive foster child. Parceled out and passed around like luncheon leftovers by a handful of British entities, Jaguar was in modern times bought and sold by Ford Motor Co., merged with fellow historic English marque Land Rover, and, most recently, taken over by Indian conglomerate Tata Motors.

Tata, so far, appears quite serious about rebuilding the brand.

The F-Type R, avowedly designed to be the stylistic heir to the 1960s E-Type, is a finely-calibrated two-seat rocket, pushed by a 5-liter power plant that pumps out 550 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque.

Docile around town, it purrs gently on the freeway, running barely above 1,500 revolutions per minute at 70 miles per hour — leaving plenty of tachometer space to accommodate the car’s top speed of 186 miles per hour.

But north of the city, on a deserted stretch of two-lane blacktop, this Jaguar is one agile cat. The first F-type to be fitted with all-wheel drive, the R delivers tremendous feel and feedback, canyon-carving with scalpel-like precision.

Electronically-assisted steering and Jaguar’s Intelligent Driveline Dynamics help. Correcting for understeer or oversteer, they made me feel like a better driver than I am. The huge carbon ceramic brakes, an option on the R, combine with torque vectoring to slow and stop the vehicle as if a pro were behind the wheel.

Helping the R keep the rubber on the road are a front splitter and retractable rear spoiler. Aerodynamics are assisted by the sloping carbon fiber roof — the R is also available in a convertible version — and door handles that sink into the body once the car is underway.

The driving is intuitive and satisfying right out of the gate. Although a lot of performance cars produce real enjoyment when they’re shifted out of automatic transmission and into paddle shift mode, the R’s eight-speed Quickshift system is smooth and seamless, even under extreme acceleration.

With the paddles engaged, the F-Type R is even more dramatic. Downshifts produce automatic rev-matching. With the sound-enhancing Active Sport Exhaust selected, the engine percolation is thrilling.

It gets more so when the Dynamic driving mode is engaged. This sharpens the throttle, stiffens the suspension and brings out the best in this subtle beast.

In keeping with its name and provenance, the R is beautiful from any angle. It has more muscular shoulders and haunches, and a wider face, than its E-Type ancestor. But it maintains that vehicle’s slim elegance. In creamy white, against the carbon fiber roof, this might be the best-looking two-door sports car on the market.

The fit and finish are superb. The interior appointments are understated but plush. The hatchback trunk opens and closes pneumatically with the push of a button. The doors swing shut with a satisfying thunk. The hood opens backwards, like a classic English roadster.

But no manufacturer makes the perfect car, ideal for every driver and every kind of driving. And the F-Type R isn’t an all-rounder.

It’s a real sports car. So the driver’s cockpit sits low and tight, requiring a climb down and a climb back up. Despite the 14-way adjustable front seats, I never found an entirely comfortable position. Jaguar research says the average F-type customer is male and 55 years old. They’d better be pretty limber.

The stiff suspension that makes the handling so precise also means the ride around town isn’t cozy, or quiet. On anything but perfectly smooth road, the R rumbles and the cabin noise obviates the need for a fine sound system — just as that elegant sloping roof eliminates most of the cargo space. Going away for the weekend? Pack light.

The R is also missing some elements that have become almost standard on similar vehicles. The infotainment setup is minimal. There is no adaptive cruise control. The backup camera and blind-spot detectors in the rear-view mirrors are welcome, but there is no lane-keeping technology here. Heated seats are available as an option. Cooled seats are not.

Even without those extras, the R type comes at a price.

An entry-level F-Type coupe — with a smaller motor and fewer performance perks — can be had for as little as $65,000. But the F-Type R starts at about $107,000. With ceramic brakes, carbon fiber roof and a few more ups, the model I drove came to $131,895.

But the question I found myself asking wasn’t whether I could afford it, but how I would stay off the radar gun, and out of traffic court, if I owned one.

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