EVEN though I asked Santa really nicely, I still only got to keep the magnificent Jaguar F-type coupe for a mere seven days.

But what fun that week was. This car is a real head-turner and the most dynamically capable, performance-focused Jaguar ever made.

I drove the F-type S Coupé, powered by Jaguar’s 3.0-litre V6 supercharged petrol engine, in 340PS/450Nm tune. All engines drive the rear wheels through an eight-speed 'Quickshift' transmission with manual control via steering wheel-mounted paddles or the central SportShift lever.

Simply switching on the engine and hearing it roar is a moment to be savoured. Sadly, I didn’t get the chance to test the top speed of 171mph (limited), but I certainly got from 0 to 60mph in what felt like no time at all, but is in fact just under five seconds.

Quite rightly, visual appeal is fundamental to Jaguar, starting with the formidable grille and the curvaceous shoulder line. The glass roof allows natural light to flood the cabin and a deployable rear spoiler sits within the tapered shut-line of the car, while wraparound LED lamps flank a beautifully engineered tailgate, with powered open/close functionality.

The spoiler automatically rises at 70mph and lowers when the speed drops below 50mph.

It features Active Sports exhaust, Jaguar’s High Performance Braking system with black calipers and a mechanical limited-slip differential. It is also fitted with 19-inch propeller wheels and leather sports seats.

Sports suspension with Adaptive Dynamics damping and Configurable Dynamic Mode further enhance the car’s immediacy of response, providing an exhilarating driving experience.

The coupé comes with either aluminium or panoramic glass roof panels that are bonded into the main roof structure.

The F-type Coupé model range is available with three audio systems, two of which come from British experts Meridian. These offer either 10 or 12 loudspeakers with outputs of 380W and 770W respectively. The Meridian systems benefit from the company’s experience in digital signal processing to create audio reproduction that is second to none.

The boot space is not really worth mentioning, but you can fit a few bits and pieces in there – maybe enough for a weekend away. But who cares? This is an incredibly powerful, good-looking, two-seater sports car and one that you’ll spend just as long ogling over at as you will driving.

Factfile
Car:
Jaguar F-type coupe
On the road: £60,250
Top speed: 171mph
0-60mph: 4.8 seconds
Fuel: 32.1mpg
CO2 emissions: 209g/km