The brand new Jaguar F-Type isn't the second coming of the legendary E-Type -- but it is Jaguar's first true sports car in 40 years. Though it remains underlaid by the refinement and sophistication true to the leaping cat brand, the F-Type departs from the svelte and elegant E-Type, instead taking the form of a compact powerhouse that isn't afraid to bear its high-performance teeth. Serious power numbers and a positively arresting Ian Callum design combine to make a modern icon that deserves attention, adoration and a certain amount of petrol-driven fear.
Eschewing the typical long and lean profile found in the current Jaguar lineup, the F-Type is muscular and aggressive, openly displaying its sporting character like a big cat that flashes its canines before making a kill. Yes, the F-type beats a different tune than the well-recognized Jaguar luxury drum. This one sounds for driving. The two available 3.0-liter V6 engines in the base F-Type and the F-Type S boast a healthy 340 and 380 horsepower, respectively, while the top-end V8 delivers a raucous 495 horses to place it in supercar territory for power and performance. All three engines utilize direct injection, variable valve timing and Eaton supercharging. The sonorous brap from the tailpipes signals that the F-Type means business; even barely toeing the throttle delivers the aural goods. A sporty 8-speed ZF automatic transmission rips through rapid gear changes initiated by either the shift lever or the attention-grabbing copper paddle shifters mounted on the steering wheel. The body structure of the potent roadster is as stiff as Gibraltar is solid, and the suspension is tuned to extract the most out of the car under hard driving.
Should you search for the standard Jaguar acres of burled wood trim inside, you'll instead find a cockpit that's gleefully driver-centric. Solidly bolstered driving seats inspired by the XKR-S sedan hold you firmly in place when you nail the twisty backroads, and the double-stitched leather lends a sporty decor. The big twin gauges stare at you through a perfectly thick-rimmed steering wheel, and your passenger gets to hold on to a well-placed grab bar while you throw the F-Type around at the track, where it's just as at home as it is on the daily drive. And though it's decked out with a full touchscreen infotainment and nav system, you just might find yourself far too busy driving to even notice. The Jaguar F-type is simply that scintillating. It's the sophisticated sports car the world has been waiting for.
Excellence, innovation, craftsmanship, and an unwavering desire to challenge expectations -- these are the constants that have captivated our attention since Gear Patrol's inception in 2007. This year we're proud to announce the next step in our role as a champion of quality in product design and execution: welcome to the GP100. Our inaugural product awards are dedicated to honoring the 100 best consumer products released during the calendar year by companies of all sizes and scope.
The GP100 is not a ranking or a contest. These selections represent the collective expertise of our entire editorial staff, who have scoured every corner of the vast product universe -- from automotive and electronics, to men's style essentials, home goods, spirits and outdoors -- to find the inspiring and the practical, the ground-breaking and the traditional, the priceless and the accessible. In short: products that define or defy their respective categories to better the life of the modern man.
The GP100 is not a contest influenced by marketers or brands, nor is it a ranking by specifications as determined by uniform tests. Instead, it starts with a comprehensive list of nominees released in the calendar year, researched and compiled by our editorial team of obsessed experts across all of Gear Patrol's major areas of interest including Motoring, Technology, Style, Home, Spirits, Outdoor and Watches. Brands are not part of the selection process. Nominees are then debated in context of the past, present and future of their respective fields. Which selections stand as significant innovations, category busters or faithful monuments to the icons of history? Do they adhere to Gear Patrol's core tenets of excellence, design, utility and the spirit of adventure? Distilled to the following 100 items, the GP100 represents the best products on earth released in 2013 -- easily inspiring consumers and creators alike during their search for guideposts of excellence in a vast world of products.
Motoring Watches Style Technology Sports Outdoors Home Spirits
Jeremy BergerBen Bowers