Mohsin Haider Darwish LLC, the exclusive distributer of Jaguar cars in the Sultanate of Oman, has unveiled Jaguar’s most dynamically capable, performance focused, production vehicle, the F-TYPE Coupé.
Immediately recognisable, the vehicle was built on the design of the stunning C-X16 concept sports Coupé and the F-TYPE Convertible – winner of the 2013 World Car Design of the Year award. The model line-up is headlined by the F-TYPE R Coupé with its 550PS/680Nm 5.0-litre V8 supercharged engine enabling acceleration from 0-100km/h in 4.2-seconds (0-60mph in 4.1-seconds), and a top speed of 300km/h (186mph) (limited).
The launch of the Jaguar F-TYPE Coupé in the Sultanate of Oman took place during an exclusive evening event held at the Muscat showroom of Mohsin Haider Darwish LLC’s automotive division. The event was hosted by key officials from the regional office of Jaguar Land Rover and attended by VIPs, media and loyal Jaguar customers. The 3.0 V6 340PS Jaguar F-TYPE Coupe was showcased at the event, giving guests a closer look at the range-topping vehicle.
Speaking at the launch, David Aziz, CEO, Automotive Products, MHD LLC, said:”It has been an exciting year for Jaguar in the Sultanate of Oman, particularly since the launch of the Jaguar F-TYPE Convertible late last year. The car has done exceptionally well here in terms of sales and has also won ‘Best Debut 2013’ from Oman magazine Automan. We have similar aspirations for the Jaguar F-TYPE Coupe, and anticipate even stronger demand from our customer base for the coming year.
Justin Weaving, Sales Director, Jaguar Land Rover MENAP region added: “Complimenting the award-winning Jaguar F-TYPE model line-up, the F-TYPE Coupé range is built to be engaging, precise, intuitive and alive and I am thrilled to be here to launch the latest addition to the Jaguar family in the Sultanate of Oman”.
The F-TYPE Coupé visual message is defined by three key ‘heartlines’, that visual message beginning with the formidable grille. It is from the twin ‘shark gill’ openings that sit either side of the grille that the essential first heartline – which mirrors the design of the F-TYPE Convertible – flows and begins to take shape. Running up through the headlamp, and accentuated by the LED ‘J blade’ daylight running lamps, the line then arcs up over the front wheelarch before dropping elegantly as it runs through the door, washing out into the muscular rear haunch.
The Coupé’s second heartline, also shared with the Convertible, begins at the rear edge of the door, swelling outwards and upwards to create a visually strong wheelarch, emphasising the car’s rear-wheel drive layout, before dropping vertically through the tail lamp.
The third heartline forms the Coupé’s dramatic, cabin-rearward, sweeping roof profile. Providing an unbroken silhouette, it highlights the visual drama of the tapered cabin nestled between the powerful rear haunches. The distinctive side window graphic, finished as standard in bright aluminium, accentuates both the compactness of the car and the roof profile.
Jaguar’s expertise in aluminium vehicle architecture has been essential in enabling both the F-TYPE Coupé’s uncompromised design aesthetic, while delivering the fundamental dynamic attributes – essential to any sports car – of low mass and an extremely rigid body. Measuring 33,000 Nm/degree, the F-TYPE Coupé is the most torsionally rigid production car Jaguar has ever built.
A fundamental requirement for excellent dynamic attributes, delivering that rigidity figure required some innovate engineering solutions in order to maximise strength without impacting on the design vision. Due to the lack of B-pillars, Jaguar’s engineers were presented with the challenge of keeping the design’s sleek, pillarless, low roofline – combined with the need to create the optimum amount of interior space – while still achieving the necessary rigidity and strength targets. The solution was a high-strength, hydro-formed aluminium alloy beam which runs from the front of the A-pillar through to the back of the D-pillar, through the door opening line and back to the rear quarter window.
The F-TYPE Coupé is available with either aluminium or panoramic glass roof panels that are bonded into the main roof structure – torsional rigidity is identical regardless of which roof is fitted.
The F-TYPE Coupé’s dramatic body sides are single-piece aluminium pressings – probably the most extreme cold-formed aluminium body side outer panels in the automotive industry. These exceptionally deep-draw aluminium pressings have totally eliminated the requirement for joints in the panel surface. The body side panel is fabricated from high-strength and formable AC600 aluminium, which has also been used for structural reinforcement – both engineering firsts for Jaguar. The use of AC300 T61 aluminium in the body structure of the car provides additional strength thanks to its energy absorbing properties, ensuring maximum occupant protection.
In order to achieve the required aesthetic at the rear of the car, the F-TYPE Coupé features a hidden rear spoiler that sits within the tapered shut-line of the tailgate, and rises at speed in order to balance front and rear lift. The spoiler automatically rises at 70mph and lowers when the speed drops below 50mph, reducing lift by up to 120kg.
The width of the tail is emphasised by the slim, full-LED lamps that wrap all the way around the wings almost to the trailing edge of the rear wheelarches. These lamps feature hidden-until-lit technology, appearing solid until one of their functions is activated. The F-TYPE Coupé also features a ‘ribbon of light’ LED high-mounted stop light, which is hidden at the top of the beautifully engineered tailgate. The tailgate, available with powered open/close functionality, is made from composite materials, the boot-volume itself being up to 407-litres*.
Aluminium forms a significant part of Jaguar’s commitment to sustainability with up to half the content of the body coming from recycled metal. In addition, the F-TYPE Coupé’s structure is exclusively riveted and bonded – this manufacturing process emits up to 80% less CO2 compared to that from welding a comparable steel structure.
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