The Jaguar F-Type Coupe line-up closely follows that of the longer established convertible in that customers have a choice of three engines. There are two three-litre V6s of varying power outputs along with a five-litre V8 for those who want the maximum available performance and are pepared to pay for it.In a previous review of the V6 S convertible I suggested that it was preferable to, if less exciting than, the V8 because it was friendlier and could be driven more sportily in a wider range of conditions. You'll understand that I was expecting to have much the same opinion of the Coupe.Well, no. With this body style the positions are almost reversed. The V6, in its stronger 375bhp form as tested here, is still nowhere near as powerful as the V8, but it still gives the chassis a lot of work to do, and you have to be careful how you use it.And I mean careful even in situations where an unusual amount of care might not seem necessary. My most attention-grabbing moment during this test came shortly after I'd left a roundabout leading on to a dual-carriageway. There was a downhill right-hand bend, and I wasn't pushing at all hard (because I'd done quite a lot of that already and was now just heading towards my destination). Maybe half-throttle, if even that. The road was dry, and I don't recall seeing signs of a diesel spill or anything like that.The eight-speed automatic gearbox, realising that hard acceleration wasn't being asked for, shifted up from third gear to fourth. The rear of the car jumped to the left and I had to apply opposite lock on the steering. My palms, I blush to admit, were not as dry as they had been a few seconds before.I know there are journalists who love this sort of thing, and there may be people who would buy an F-Type hoping that it will happen to them. Personally, I prefer to feel that I'm driving the car, not that it's driving me.In fairness, the V6 S gives what might be described as fair warning, whether by accident or design. It's actually noisier than the V8 when driven gently, even if you resist the temptation to press the button that makes the exhaust growl more fiercely.Why its behaviour, and not the convertible's, should so easily become wayward is something of a puzzle. Perhaps, with this chassis, 375bhp is enough to make the handling tricky when the body structure is stiff but not when it's compromised by the removal of the roof. (The V8, in contrast, offers a wild ride either way.)It's also worth pointing out that the test car was fitted with optional 20" wheels and tyres of lower profile than the ones used on the standard 19s. That could have been significant, though it would be surprising if such a small difference completely altered the car's handling. Yet another possible issue is that the V6 S has a limited slip differential which may possibly have been set too tight.For me, as you'll have noticed by now, the driving dynamics dominate the whole experience, but if you're interested in other matters there's no doubt that the F-Type is a dramatic-looking, if perhaps not entirely elegant, sports car with, as is the way of Jaguars, a very special interior.There's a lot of equipment, as there damn well should be in a car costing just over £60,000. DAB digital radio, cruise control, satellite navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, a reversing camera and, for the sake of pedestrian protection, an active bonnet are all standard.More can be specified, but it's not cheap. The larger wheels mentioned above add £2000 to the price, and you can have extra leather for £1850, a Meridian surround sound audio with twelve speakers rather than the usual six for £1700, a sunroof (described as "panoramic", but how panoramic can one of these things be in a two-seater?) for £1250, a powered bootlid for £450 and, offering considerable loveliness at a relatively low price, a heated steering wheel for £250. Engine 2995cc, 6 cylinders Power 375bhp Transmission 8-speed automatic Fuel/CO2 32.1mpg / 213g/km Acceleration 0-62mph: 4.9 seconds Top speed 171mph Price £60,235 Details correct at publication date
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