Cover (Photo: Jaguar)
(Photo: Jaguar)
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Motoring journalist, Atty. Karen Jimeno, regales us with her firsthand experience driving the Jaguar F-TYPE Coupe P300
As we entered the Year of the Tiger this February (with COVID-19 restrictions finally easing up), I thought of ways to live my life more fully like a Tiger ready to pounce on life. Because the pandemic restricted us from doing a lot of things, I felt like the past two years have been more of a “getting by” kind of living. I didn’t want to be the type of person who lives passively, settling with “getting by life” without even realizing it.
Because it’s the things we do every day that make up our whole life (and most of my days involve travelling to work or by road), my thoughts turned to a car that can define the life I want to have.
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Named after one of the largest cat species in the world, the Jaguar brand is the epitome of excitement and agility on the road. Feeling burned-out from working, I decided to turn a mundane Thursday into an exciting day by driving out with a Jaguar.
Walking into the Jaguar Greenhills Showroom, I was suddenly transported into a world of British beauties (Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles) forgetting that I was just a few feet away from the busy EDSA highway. If the cars weren’t British enough, I was warmly greeted by a Brit gentleman Chris Ward, President of Coventry Motors Corporation. With decades of experience in the automotive industry that includes handling other prestigious luxury brands, Chris’ presence spoke a lot about the prestige of the Jaguar brand. His knowledge of the Jaguar vehicles and the brand itself is unparalleled. Chris’ style of leadership also reflected on Jaguar’s sales executives, who weren’t trying to “sell” but rather educate me about the Jaguar cars. They were intimately familiar with the models on display, having experienced driving the Jaguar cars themselves. After seeing the models in the showroom, I left driving the F-TYPE Coupe P300.
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The F-TYPE is Jaguar design in its most beautiful form. Lean, elegant, and athletic, the F-TYPE is striking; yet its clamshell bonnet, elongated hood, and curved boot have a classic, familiar look. The F-TYPE’s timeless good looks were inherited from the E-TYPE’s DNA, an iconic design that has appeared in movies with British stars like James Bond and Austin Powers. Yet true to its British heritage, the F-TYPE is classy and sophisticated without being too flashy. Owning a Jaguar says a lot about a person. It gives a sense of stature and can draw attention, without bordering on tackiness.
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I felt immersed in my own cocoon of luxury as soon as I sat on the leather sports seat. I was able to adjust the steering wheel and the 6-way electrically adjustable front seats to suit my own posture and comfort. The Interactive Driver Display (TFT virtual instrument cluster) was intuitive and easy to understand. At the centre is a 10-inch Touch Pro Infotainment Screen that is easily connected to my phone. I was in my own little world of luxury as I drove around the city. Unlike typical sports cars, the engine was quiet (which made sitting in traffic not annoying) and I enjoyed listening to music through the Meridian sound system.
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Things got really exciting as I drove through the winding roads of Antipolo. I switched to a dynamic setting, and this simple switch of a button heightened my whole driving experience. Truth be told I initially preferred to drive the 575PS V8 variant, but the F-TYPE's 2.0 litre 300 PS 4-cylinder Petrol Engine delivered exceptional power that I probably would have mistaken it for a V6 or V8 had I not known what was under the hood. This again reminded me of how appropriate its namesake was. The Jaguar has the strongest bite of any big cat relative to its size. The F-TYPE P300 can go from zero to 100km in less than six seconds and can reach top speeds of 250 km/h.
From feeling very laidback in the city, I suddenly felt the thrill of driving a sports car as I felt the roar of the F-TYPE. From a quiet purr, the F-TYPE shifts to the beautiful rumble of a race car when it is on dynamic setting. I also enabled the manual mode and switched gears with the paddle shifters. The feeling of the F-TYPE being in tune with my emotions and needs was more real than imagined. Sensors are mounted on each wheel and the steering wheel, which feedback into the control module. The F-TYPE is also programmed with algorithms to sense what the driver wants. Based on how I step on the accelerator, the F-TYPE can sense how much speed is asked for and how quick that should be delivered.
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Despite my speed, I felt safe knowing that the F-TYPE has airbags around me (not just in the front as typical of most cars, but even to my sides based on my seat adjustment). The F-TYPE can also detect significant changes, and determines how to assist and compensate my driving handicaps including reducing understeer. Its body is made of aluminium, including boron steel used for spacecrafts.
I could sense heads turning when I parked the F-TYPE to grab brunch. While I enjoyed eating with a view of the mountains, I was eager to get back on the road to drive the F-TYPE again. I realised this is what life should be like. Having something that makes you eager to go out there and feel alive.
I smiled as I looked at the logo in the centre of the F-TYPE, the roaring jaguar that is one of the dual personalities of Jaguar vehicles (the other being the leaping jaguar animal). Driving the F-TYPE back to the city, I felt alive, eager, and excited. The F-TYPE set the tone for how I want to move forward—leaping and roaring into life this year and beyond.
Credits
Photography: Ian Santos
Production: Nick Valera
