2016 Jaguar F-variety Manual and AWD 1st Drive: Manuals Saved, RWD In Jeopardy

First Drive Assessment

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Manuals: saved. Rear-wheel drive: in jeopardy.

1 of these days our Save the Manuals campaign will arrive at its inevitable end. Even if the ol’ stick shift wins a battle every now and then, newer, smoother, and faster transmission technology is dominating the war. We’ll be devastated to concede victory, but our operate as the enthusiasts’ advocate won’t finish with manual transmissions. That’s due to the fact there’s yet another just cause waiting in the wings. We’d contact it our Save Rear-Wheel Drive Movement. As energy escalates to obscene levels, carmakers are sending torque to all 4 wheels to get that grunt to the ground. Going quick is fantastic, but all-wheel-drive systems also add weight and compromise handling.

Which brings us to the 2016 Jaguar F-variety coupe and convertible, automobiles that simultaneously fight the good fight and force all-wheel drive onto a sublime rear-drive sports vehicle. 2 years right after the F-sort debuted, a 6-speed manual is optional with some engines even though other powertrains are now mated with all-wheel drive as regular gear.

Behavior Modification Therapy

We’ll hedge the undesirable news with some excellent: For 2016, the F-sort V-8 S convertible is now an F-kind R convertible, meaning it gets a power enhance to match the coupe, going from 495 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque to 550 and 502. The downside is that all-wheel drive is now regular on all 8-cylinder F-sorts, both coupes and convertibles, regardless of whether or not they’re sold in Vermont or Florida. (Rear-drive Rs nonetheless will be accessible elsewhere in the world.)

Jaguar believes you require 4 driven wheels to handle the fury of the 5.-liter supercharged V-8, and frankly, they’re not completely incorrect. But the F-kind derives a specific amount of charm from its tail-satisfied attitude and slightly juvenile inability to put the power to the ground. Besides, there will constantly be faster ways than an F-sort to get to 60 mph or to lap a track for $ 25,000 (such as the absolutely-not-all-wheel-drive Chevrolet Corvette Z06). And at 176 pounds, the all-wheel-drive hardware does practically nothing to assist the F-type’s critical weight dilemma. When we get our hands on a single for testing, count on this 2-passenger aluminum coupe to weigh in excess of 4000 pounds.

The all-wheel-drive technique, which is also an choice on the 380-hp supercharged V-6 S model, can deliver up to 50 percent of the torque to the front wheels via an electronically controlled clutch pack or decouple the prop shaft fully to drive only the rear wheels in low-load, straight-ahead conditions. Although the 4-wheel-drive F-type will nevertheless swish its tail about, breaking the rear finish loose requires a concerted effort. The true benefit, of course, is the capability to drive out of corners with a lot more throttle—and to apply it earlier.

We lapped Portugal’s Estoril circuit in an F-variety R and a low-speed handling course with a V-6 S coupe in a parking lot saturated by garden sprinklers. In the wet or dry, the all-wheel-drive F-sort is far a lot more stable and less difficult to drive at corner exit. There’s even adequate traction to do a full-throttle launch in the wet with no proof of wheelspin. For these who treat driving rapidly as a point-and-shoot physical exercise, an all-wheel-drive F-kind R will almost certainly save a couple of insurance coverage claims. To us, though, it seems a bit stifling for Jaguar to foist all-wheel-drive on Sun Belt purchasers and 3-season drivers in the north.

Electric Revolution

All 2016 F-sorts switch from hydraulic power steering to electric power steering, and the outcome is far better than we could have anticipated. Although it is not fairly as perfectly weighted as the setup in the sublime 2017 Jaguar XE, the F-type’s steering is precise, sharp on-center, and complete of feedback. The effort is a touch light for our tastes, but that doesn’t avoid Jaguar from joining the rarefied organization of automakers that have improved their steering with the switch to electric help.

Six-Speed Salvation

Whilst the V-8 models are losing some of their driver’s-car appeal, the V-6 models obtain credibility by way of an optional 6-speed manual transmission. The stick shift is accessible on both the 340- and 380-hp V-6 models, but exclusively with rear-wheel drive. For the privilege of operating the clutch pedal, purchasers can expect a discount of about $ 1500 and a savings of 22 pounds compared with the 8-speed automatic.

A light clutch pedal doesn’t supply much feedback as to where the friction point starts or how the clutch engages, and the shifter’s throws are on the extended side, with a slightly elastic resistance to each movement. It’s all a bit reminiscent of a BMW shifter, which is to be expected thinking about that each Jag and BMW supply their manual transmissions from supplier ZF. Overall, we’d get in touch with the gearbox action very good but not Honda-great. Then again, something with 3 pedals is fairly excellent, and there are couple of luxuries greater than choice. So thinking about the F-kind R’s switch to all-wheel drive, all the time, we say the V-6 S is the F-type to acquire for now.

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2016 Jaguar F-variety Manual and AWD 1st Drive: Manuals Saved, RWD In Jeopardy

BMW USA Chief Ludwig Willisch on Diesels, Manuals, and Body-Style Proliferation

BMW is generating a substantial push to expand its diesel sales in the U.S., possessing added an oil-burner choice to the 3-series, 5-series, and, most recently, the 7-series and X3. But it appears as although BMW’s efforts are not paying off in the vehicle models—at least not yet. The automaker’s U.S. CEO, Ludwig Willisch, is less than impressed by sales of the diesel-powered 3-series and 5-series, and told us so in a current interview.

According to Willisch, “The 328d is promoting so-so, the 5-series is a bit disappointing.” He added: “These are nevertheless early days, and low fuel costs haven’t helped diesel technologies.”

The executive is much more upbeat about BMW’s diesel-powered SUVs, saying that he is satisfied with the diesel take rate in the X5 lineup and is “quite positive that the X3 diesel will do effectively.” He is referring, of course, to the new-for-2015 X3 xDrive28d, which boasts an attractive—for a luxury crossover—34-mpg EPA highway rating. In our testing, the diesel-powered X3 returned 28 mpg, a substantial 5 mpg better than we recorded in a 2013 X3 with the base gas-fed turbocharged 2.-liter 4 we tested last year.

Moving on to the subject of the proliferation of new BMW models and body variations, Willisch denied the automaker’s lineup is becoming confusing. Speaking to a single distinct instance, the 3-series sedan–aping 4-series Gran Coupe, Willisch said: “We will be genuinely happy to have the 4-series Gran Coupe since it will attract consumers that so far have have not looked at sedans.” That may possibly be correct, but then who is the 3-series Gran Turismo for?

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As for manual transmissions, Willisch is not ready however to speak about the future of the stick in the M5 and M6. These models’ U.S. consumers have really championed the retention of the manual option, even though the rest of the globe is content material with automatics. Willisch’s only comment: “They nevertheless have a life cycle of yet another 4 years.” On the flip side of the identical coin, manual transmissions are deemed an integral element of the M3 and M4 heritage everywhere. But apart from the M models, the manual take price in standard 3- and 4-series cars is low, “in the low a single digits,” Willisch revealed.

We’re not quite very good at hiding our support of diesels and manual transmissions—don’t overlook to save ‘em!—but for now it seems BMW is backing both. That said, it in the end is on the client to make a decision the fate of the diesel and the manual, so let’s hope they make the appropriate choice.

BMW USA Chief Ludwig Willisch on Diesels, Manuals, and Body-Style Proliferation