1970 Jaguar E Type Roadster Series Ii on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2020 Jaguar F-Type loses manual option, costs more money

When Jaguar showed off its 2020 F-Type Checkered Flag Edition in October 2018, we wrote, "Somewhat surprisingly, the Checkered Flag upgrades will only be applied to four- and six-cylinder models paired with the eight-speed automatic." At the time, we didn't understand why buyers weren't offered the manual transmission. Now we know: Along with applying slight price bumps to the F-Type for the 2020 model year, Jaguar has eliminated the manual gearbox. The F-Type is only available with an eight-speed auto now, and our list of cars with manual options has shortened again. That blow exposes the recurring flaw with every "Save the Manuals!" campaign; row-your-owners can't buy enough manual-equipped cars to repay the favor. Car and Driver said that since the F-Type's introduction for the 2013 model year, four percent of buyers have chosen the stick. On a sports car. There's a good chance that a greater number of people have bought unicorn hunting licenses from Lake Superior State University. In kinder news, the Front Parking Aid and Smartphone Pack, which enables Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, come standard, and Eiger Gray and Portofino Blue join the paint palette. Starting from the bottom, the base, rear-wheel-drive F-Type coupe with the 296-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder costs $62,625 after the $1,025 for destination fee. The convertible costs $65,725 after destination. Both prices represent an $850 increase over 2019. A RWD coupe with the 340-hp, 3.0-liter supercharged V6 costs $72,225, a $1,050 increase, the roadster asking $75,225, a $925 bump. The F-Type Checkered Flag Edition, based on the F-Type R-Dynamic trim, runs $72,925 for the coupe, $75,325 for the convertible in 300-hp, four-cylinder, RWD guise. Move to the 380-hp, supercharged six-cylinder, AWD model, and that'll be $95,525 for the coupe, $97,925 for the convertible. In between them, the regular F-Type R-Dynamic runs a price range from $85,325 as a RWD coupe to $91,425 as an AWD convertible, all prices rising by $950. From there on up it's all AWD and high horsepower. The F-Type R with the 5.0-liter supercharged V8 in 550-hp trim runs $102,825 as a hardtop, $105,925 as a droptop, a $1,050 premium over 2019. Ring the bell with that V8 in 575-hp SVR fettle, and pay $124,625 as a coupe, $127,725 as a convertible, reflecting an $850 increase. The 2020 F-Type is at dealers now.

2013 Jaguar XF 3.0 Supercharged

Generally speaking, I don't get too upset about the growing need to replace displacement in modern cars. Sure, there are exceptions (don't you touch my 6.2-liter AMG V8), but honestly, the industry's new forced induction powertrains are all lovely, and their gains in fuel economy - when they actually make good on them - can make up for the ever-so-slight losses in performance or driving character.
But I'm having a hard time keeping my chin up with this Jaguar XF. For the 2013 model year, Jaguar has killed off the naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 and fitted a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 with an eight-speed automatic in its place (and even offers a turbocharged four-cylinder engine below that). That all sounds perfectly well and good, but a week behind the wheel of this British Racing Green sedan just left me missing that V8. And then some.
Driving Notes

The best cars we drove this year

Six hundred and fifty. That's roughly how many cars pass through the hands of Autoblog editors every year, from the vehicles we test here at home, to the cars we drive on new product launches, testing roundups, long-term cars, and so on. Of course, our individual numbers vary due to several reasons, but at the end of the day, our team's repertoire of automotive experience is indeed vast. But let's be honest, some cars certainly stand out more than others. So as the year's about to turn, and as we're readying brand-new daily cat calendars for our cubicles, our editors are all taking time to reflect on the machinery that made this year so special, with one simple, open-ended question as the guide – a question that we're asked quite frequently, from friends, family, colleagues, and more. "What's the best car you drove this year?" Lamborghini Huracan When I review the list of everything I drove in 2014, picking an absolute favorite becomes almost impossible. I mean, how does one delineate between the joy offered by cars as different as the Alfa Romeo 4C, Volkswagen Golf R, Mercedes-AMG GT S and even the humble-yet-wonderful Chevy Colorado? Okay fine, I'll just pick the Lamborghini. I drove the Lamborghini Huracan LP 610-4 on a racetrack, in the mountains, and along southern coast of Spain. It felt like the king of the car jungle in all of those places, sucking the eyeballs of observers nearly out of their heads as it drove by, and almost melting my brain with its cocktail of speed and grip and intense communication. It feels a little easy to say that the one new supercar I drove this year was also my favorite, but the fact is that the Huracan is one of the finest cars I've driven during my career, let alone 2014. Judge me if you must. – Seyth Miersma Senior Editor Rolls-Royce Wraith There are a couple of ways to look at the question, "What's the best car you drove this year?" In terms of what was so good I'd go out and buy one tomorrow, that'd be my all-time sweetheart, the Volkswagen GTI. Or if I'm just talking about sheer cool-factor, maybe something like the Galpin GTR1, BMW i8, or Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG. But instead, I'm going to write about the sheer opulence of being the best of the best. The hand-crafted, holier-than-thou, shut-your-mouth-when-I'm-talking-to-you supremacy. I'm picking the Rolls-Royce Wraith. I drove the Wraith for a week in April, and was really, really impressed. This car does everything, perfectly.