What drives change in the auto industry? Is it market research, or does customer demand simply take profit away from those who are out of the loop? Is VW's no frills approach to design and focus on engineering right, or are the Schreyer-led Koreans going to take over the world? I think there are a number of factors that toil away at the statue of change year after year, but once in a while a big sledgehammer comes along and changes everything. That's a car, one car, a single model that changes everything in a single year.
The Model T, the Beetle, the Golf, Citroen DS, Jeep, Corvette and BMW X5 are all that. After their arrival, things changed. I believe the Jaguar F-Type is another game-changer, and I'm going to tell you why. You see, at first glance it's way too expensive to make a mark in the life of an average guy like me or you. But you're wrong.
You see, the way these game-changers work is using the trickle down effect. Be it affordability, technology, fun or practicality, the stuff we like in cars we can't have trickles down into ones we can. Think of it this way: if BMW hadn't made the first-generation X5, maybe we wouldn't have the Opel Mokka or VW Tiguan today, or even the Renault Captur. It's not like the Bimmer is related to these crossovers, but the things it offered way back in 2000 gives people a different grasp of what they want.
I hope this doesn't sound perverted here, but whatever that Jag has go, I definitely want it to trickle down into a car I'll own one day. About a week ago, I jumped in behind the wheel of the F-Type S, the V6 model and what I found contradicted everything I believed up until that point.
When I first read about the F-Type, it looked like Jaguar did a bad job. The V6 S was supposedly built using aluminum and is powered by a supercharged V6 yet its weight is almost exactly the same as an XK, which has a bigger V8, two extra seats and is built using Victorian railway girders. It also seemed expensive and while the design was cool, I didn't belie
But when we drove it, everything felt just right. The leather was supple, the button perfectly finished. Instead of a stupid rotor, you put it in drive using a rifle-sharp stick and changed gears using orange paddles. Suddenly, I stopped caring about how much quicker a Porsche would be around a track or how much better the fuel economy on a BMW 6 Series would be. The F-TYPE is THE best car for special occasions, the occasional car.
Now, you and I both know there are people in the world who are off drinking coffee on the high-street every day, while you are at work. The F-Type is meant for them, a roadster to be seen in, maybe even on a daily basis.
I can't overstate the importance of these things enough: the engine sound, the quality of the things you touch and the design are all things that are perfect on this car, fitting for an occasion car. We don't even like that any more these days. We like numbers and photos and speed charts charts.
By no means am I trying to say the F-Type is good because it's more old fashioned. The steering on the car is very light, as is the gas pedal. It's also trying too hard in the looks department. Older buyers hate that, don't they, but I love a good exaggerated, a design made for the sake of design. The 911 is almost as new as the Jag and yet it suffers from generic design, like the people who made it hate gold watches and designer sunglasses.This British machine, which was supposed to pay tribute to the past, actually refuses to do that and points towards the future.
Using the trickle down theory, I'm hoping what I've seen on my short encounter will affect the next Miata, the next Nissan Z and the MINI. Hopefully, you guys will agree with me that we do want to pay €1,000 for a really pleasant exhaust instead of €2,000 for a computer system that recreates engine noise through some speakers. Don't underestimate the bad changes that have taken place, and ignore the "this is the way of the future, there's no turning back to gas guzzlers" people. They don't want you to be happy, but the F-Type does.
You see, the way these game-changers work is using the trickle down effect. Be it affordability, technology, fun or practicality, the stuff we like in cars we can't have trickles down into ones we can. Think of it this way: if BMW hadn't made the first-generation X5, maybe we wouldn't have the Opel Mokka or VW Tiguan today, or even the Renault Captur. It's not like the Bimmer is related to these crossovers, but the things it offered way back in 2000 gives people a different grasp of what they want.
I hope this doesn't sound perverted here, but whatever that Jag has go, I definitely want it to trickle down into a car I'll own one day. About a week ago, I jumped in behind the wheel of the F-Type S, the V6 model and what I found contradicted everything I believed up until that point.
When I first read about the F-Type, it looked like Jaguar did a bad job. The V6 S was supposedly built using aluminum and is powered by a supercharged V6 yet its weight is almost exactly the same as an XK, which has a bigger V8, two extra seats and is built using Victorian railway girders. It also seemed expensive and while the design was cool, I didn't belie
But when we drove it, everything felt just right. The leather was supple, the button perfectly finished. Instead of a stupid rotor, you put it in drive using a rifle-sharp stick and changed gears using orange paddles. Suddenly, I stopped caring about how much quicker a Porsche would be around a track or how much better the fuel economy on a BMW 6 Series would be. The F-TYPE is THE best car for special occasions, the occasional car.
Now, you and I both know there are people in the world who are off drinking coffee on the high-street every day, while you are at work. The F-Type is meant for them, a roadster to be seen in, maybe even on a daily basis.
I can't overstate the importance of these things enough: the engine sound, the quality of the things you touch and the design are all things that are perfect on this car, fitting for an occasion car. We don't even like that any more these days. We like numbers and photos and speed charts charts.
By no means am I trying to say the F-Type is good because it's more old fashioned. The steering on the car is very light, as is the gas pedal. It's also trying too hard in the looks department. Older buyers hate that, don't they, but I love a good exaggerated, a design made for the sake of design. The 911 is almost as new as the Jag and yet it suffers from generic design, like the people who made it hate gold watches and designer sunglasses.This British machine, which was supposed to pay tribute to the past, actually refuses to do that and points towards the future.
Using the trickle down theory, I'm hoping what I've seen on my short encounter will affect the next Miata, the next Nissan Z and the MINI. Hopefully, you guys will agree with me that we do want to pay €1,000 for a really pleasant exhaust instead of €2,000 for a computer system that recreates engine noise through some speakers. Don't underestimate the bad changes that have taken place, and ignore the "this is the way of the future, there's no turning back to gas guzzlers" people. They don't want you to be happy, but the F-Type does.
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