Jaguar prepared a nice little surprise for us for this year’s Los Angeles Auto Show. We all knew Jag was going to unveil the coupe version of the recently launched F-Type, but the company decided to also offer a more powerful R version for those customers interested in a little bit more than just the base sports coupe. The new F-Type R Coupe is offered as almost the coupe equivalent to the F-Type V8 S Roadster, but with a more powerful engine, a more aggressive look, an updated suspension, high-performance brakes and a revised interior. Jaguar has distinguished the new F-Type R Coupe from the rest of the lineup by adding more aggressive bodywork, lots of carbon fiber, and "R" logos placed on the grille and the back end. Under the hood, you’ll find a 5.0-liter V-8 that delivers an awesome 550 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque, but the downside is that there is no manual transmission available.

With a starting price below $100,000, the New F-Type R is certainly a strong competitor in a segment where a model like the Nissan GT-R is continuously trying to take a more dominant chunk of the pie. The new F-Type R went on sale in early 2014 as a 2015 model, but does it stack up well against the GT-R or Audi’s R8 V10? Well, check out our full review below to find out for yourself. We have lots of pictures and plenty to talk about.

Click past the jump to read more about the Jaguar F-Type R Coupe.

2014 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2014 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe
  • Engine/Motor: V8
  • Horsepower: 550 @ 6500
  • Torque: 502 @ 2500
  • Transmission: ZF Eight-speed Quickshift
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array
Pros
Cons

Exterior

When compared to the rest of the F-Type Coupe lineup, the new F-Type R features an even more aggressive aerodynamic bodywork that includes gloss-black front vanes beneath the shark gills and matte side-sill extensions. The window finishes and the frames of the side glass are made in bright anodized aluminum, while the grille surround and side air vents are coated in bright chrome.

Jaguar also offers an optional Black Pack for the F-Type R Coupe, which adds gloss blacked out trim. Also optional are multiple carbon-fiber add-ons, including the front air splitter, side vents, door mirror covers, hood vents and engine cover.

2014 Jaguar F-Type R Coupe - Exterior Dimensions

Length (inches)

176

Width excl. mirrors (inches)

75.7

Height (inches)

52.0

Wheelbase (inches)

103.2

Front track (inches)

62.4

Rear track (inches)

64.1

Trunk Capacity (cubic feet)

11

Fuel tank capacity (US gallons)

19

Curb Weight (lb)

3671


Interior

The interior of the new F-Type R Coupe is also further differentiated by the rest of the lineup by a sportier look and feel. As standard, Jaguar offers performance seats wrapped in premium leather, featuring an "R" logo embossed on the headrest. These seats also include inflatable bolsters to hold you snugly in the corners.

To help keep you warm during the cooler months, Jaguar also includes heated seats and a heated steering wheel as standard on the new R model.

Jag offers an optional 'Jet' black interior trim combines with three contrast-stitching options -- Ivory, Red or Firesand -- on the instrument panel, door panels, grab-handle highlight and console. The standard interior trims allow you to choose between Ivory, Camel or Red.

Audiophiles take notice, as the new F-Type R Coupe comes standard with a 770-watt surround sound audio system by Meridian.

Drivetrain

The new F-Type R Coupe is powered by a 5-liter, supercharged V-8 engine that delivers a total of 550 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque. It goes from 0 to 60 mph in just 4 seconds and up to an electronically limited top speed of 186 mph. Giving this engine its throaty note is an Active Sports Exhaust system with quad, outboard-mounted tailpipes.

This V-8 engine includes technological advancements, like the spray-guided direct injection (SGDI) and dual independent variable cam timing (DIVCT), and it features high-pressure die-cast, lightweight aluminum block stiffened with cast-iron liners and cross-bolted main-bearing caps.

The engine is mated to a recalibrated eight-speed 'Quickshift' transmission that distributes the 550 ponies to the rear wheels via an Electronic Active Differential with Torque Vectoring. The EAD systemmakes split-second adjustments to the torque distribution by opening and closing the differential in under 200 milliseconds.

F-Type R Coupe

Engine capacity

5000

Cylinders

8

Transmission

ZF Eight-speed 'Quickshift'

0-60mph (sec)

4.0

50-75mph (sec)

2.4

Top speed - electronically limited (mph)

186

Power (HP @ RPM)

550 @ 6,500

Torque (LB-FT @ RPM)

502 @ 2,500 - 5,500


Suspension and Brakes

The new F-Type R Coupe rides on 20-inch 'Gyrodyne' style wheels in silver finish offered as standard, or dark grey and diamond-turned versions offered as an option. The new F-Type R Coupe also comes standard with a new Adaptive Dynamics system that actively controls vertical body movement, roll and pitch rates, by continuously monitoring driver inputs and the attitude of the car on the road, and adjusting damper rates accordingly up to 500 times a second to optimize stability.

Standard Engaging Dynamic mode offers firmer damping rates, increased steering weight, faster gear changes and sharper throttle response.

The model will also be equipped with a standard Jaguar Super Performance braking system, which features 15-inch front and 14.8-inch rear discs and red painted calipers. As an upgrade, Jaguar also offers Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) brakes that feature vivid yellow monoblock calipers -- six-piston up front and four-piston on the rear -- that bite onto 15.7-inch front and 15-inch rear brake discs made from a matrix of carbon fiber and ceramic.

Competition

Nissan GT-R

With its incredible amount of power the new F-Type R Coupe will have no problem standing face to face with high-performance sports cars, like the Nissan GT-R for example.

They deliver the same amount of power and are priced about the same. We know they deliver different performance figures, as the GT-R goes from 0 to 60 mph in just 3 seconds and up to a top speed of 196 mph, but we're pretty sure Jaguar has some goodies left in its pocket for a future R-S version.

The 2015 GT-R is powered by a 3.8-liter, twin-turbo V-6 engine that delivers a total of 545 horsepower and 463 pound-feet of torque and is mated to a paddle-shifted, six-speed, dual-clutch transmission.

Prices will start in the $100k area.

Audi R8 V10

For a very long time, the Audi R8 V10 was one of our favorite sports coupe on the market, thanks to its elegant look, its powerful engine and its fun-to-drive character.

Well, with the new F-Type R Coupe hitting the market, the R8 V10 has lost its top spot.

The R8 V10 is powered by a 5.2-liter, V-10 engine that delivers a total of 525 horsepower at 8,000 rpm and 390 pound-feet of twist at 6,500 rpm. It sprints from 0 to 60 mph in about 3.6 seconds and goes up to a top speed of 196 mph.

As you can see the R8 is also a little bit faster than the F-Type R Coupe, but it is also considerably more expensive: $151,200.

Conclusion

The new Jaguar F-Type Coupe R is a nice kick for the sports coupe segment. It is powerful, great looking and very cheap considering its performance. Most cars that look as sexy as the F-Type R Coupe and have this kind of power cost nearly $300k, but the F-Type R Coupe is rather affordable for the type of numbers it lays down.