Jaguar Unleashes Supercharged F-Type Coupes in L.A.

LOS ANGELES – Jaguar Land Rover gives the world a quadruple first glimpse of its highly anticipated F-Type Coupe as four of the supercharged hardtops roar through a cavernous movie sound stage hours before the car’s unveiling at the Los Angeles auto show.

"Creating a sports coupe is the purest of design tasks, and also the most challenging,” Ian Callum, Jaguar’s director of design, announces during the sneak-peek event. “Get it right and aesthetically the result will be as dynamic as the car should be rewarding to drive. In the F-Type Coupe, I believe we've got it right.”

The F-Type will be available in three versions, starting with the F-Type R Coupe, powered by a 550-hp 5.0L supercharged V-8 engine that will reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.0 seconds and has an electronically-limited top speed of 186 mph (300 km/h).

The model comes with performance seats with inflatable bolsters for support during high-G cornering, as well as a 770-watt surround-sound system by Meridian.

The F-Type S Coupe and F-Type Coupe both are powered by 3.0L supercharged V-6 engines that kick out 380 hp and 340 hp, respectively, or, put another way,  0-60 mph in 4.8/5.1 seconds and top speeds of 171/161 mph (275/260 km/h).

Pricing is expected to start at $65,895, including an $895 destination charge, when it goes on sale next spring. The midrange ’15 S Coupe will begin at $77,895, including shipping, while the top-of-the-line R Coupe will have a $99,895 price tag, including shipping.

The F-Type Coupe is based on the automaker’s C-X16 concept, introduced at the 2011 Frankfurt auto show. Built on an all-aluminum platform, the model also takes many of its cues from the Jaguar F-Type Convertible.

The coupe features dual "shark-gill" openings on its grille, LED taillights and a hidden rear spoiler that deploys at 70 mph (113 km/h) and rises as the car accelerates, reducing lift by up to 264 lbs. (120 kg). The spoiler lowers again when the speed drops below 50 mph (80 km/h)

Buyers can choose between aluminum or panoramic glass roof panels. A carbon-ceramic-matrix braking system will be an option, as will a power-assisted tailgate.

"With the F-Type Coupe, the Jaguar engineering team has exceeded our considerable target of building a car that delivers even more driver reward than the acclaimed F-Type Convertible,” Ian Hoban, vehicle line director, says in a statement. “The F-Type Coupe is the most dynamically capable and involving Jaguar we've ever built."