LuxuryCarMagazine En Luxury Car Review and News
It was a red letter day at the LA Auto Show.
(Los Angeles, CA) Not because of the massive Audi Prologue Concept. Not because of the reveal of the Shelby GT350 Mustang; those were very cool launches—very cool—but for enthusiasts, the news that Jaguar was going to be adding a manual transmission option to the F-Type should take the cake.
Already an enthusiast’s car in its own right, the addition of the manual transmission is yet another suggestion that no matter how fuel efficient or smart auto transmissions are getting, there’s still room in today’s tech-above-all car market for some decidedly low-tech—yet awesome—stuff.
Then again, it may not have been as long as you think since Jag had a manual transmission available in North America—you could have it on the base X-Type throughout the 2000s–so it’s not like Jag doesn’t know how to make a manual.
Having said that we haven’t seen a proper sporting Jag with one since the early ‘90s, so there you go.
It will only be made available with the six-cylinder models; Jaguar says the big torque made by the V8 is too much for the manual, but it also makes sense becuase a big part of having a manual transmission is the weight savings it provides. In that light, it fits the sporting-above-all ethos of V6 Jags quite well. It also does well to further connect the F-Type with its E-Type ancestor, from a time when the manual transmission ruled.
For those who love the V8 R model and are worried they’ll see no significant changes for 2016, fear not; Jaguar has given that car a comprehensive chassis boost, where it can only be had with an all-wheel drive system. That’s optional on V6 models, and only with the current car’s 8-speed automatic transmission. Oh, and they’ve also replaced the V8 S Roaster with a V8 R variant. So now, it will be even louder when you mash the accelerator with the top down in your favorite tunnel.
Unfortunately, it’s not all roses for 2016; after using a hydraulic power steering system, Jaguar will be switching to an electronic set-up for ’16. They can say all they want about economy and how much easier it is to tune an EPAS system and so forth, but you know that it’s going to be down on feel. Which is too bad, because the F-Type had one of the few remaining great steering racks available today.
Expect to see the new F-Type by the end of summer ’15.
