Celebrate Speed: Sharp’s Sports Car Special
Jaguar F-Type (Manual): A Touch of Romance
Manual transmissions are like vinyl records these days. They’re not the most convenient, but there’s just something romantic about them.
A modern eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox with paddle shifters—as is the norm on all Jaguar F-Types—will get you from 0-100 km/h faster than the new six-speed manual being offered as an option for 2016. Not only can a computer shift gears faster than a human, it can do so more efficiently, eeking out more mileage from a tank of gas. Take your car to the racetrack, and you’ll post a faster lap time with an auto ‘box. No doubt about it.
But the manual gearbox is the one to get on an F-Type. It’s not the kind of sports car built for lap times and efficiency. No, the F-Type was built to deliver fun, pure and simple. It too is romantic: that sound, those looks. An old-school three-pedal manual suits the F-Type.
So, hats off to the Jaguar for offering it as an option. The F-Type is in very rare company. If it wasn’t before, it’s now certainly among the most desirable driver’s cars on the planet.
