Something went wrong, ordered a Mustang, yet ended up in a British hotrod, I blame OcUK!

[Gibbo]

I think he’s in Vegas!

Was am now in Santa Maria enjoying the beach life, yes in California it’s really 20c in January boy they don’t know how lucky they are.

Driven from Vegas to Bakersfield via Death Valley, went down to Santa Barbera and returned by highway Schuma which I nicknamed Schumacher as a totally incredible road and now relaxing in Pismo Beach for a night and hitting PCH tomorrow and will catch a plane back home from San Francisco later this week.

Oh and went to dark side got a Camaro SS V8 8 speed for the week and gotta admit that 6.2l motor is nice.

 

[Gibbo]

@Gibbo Your next car?

No.
The Mustang is a better overall car. Yes the torque of the 6.2l is nice but the new Mustang pretty much does everything better and feels a smaller car to drive.

If I got a Camaro for myself it would have to be the ZL1 but in fairness the SVR is far better than both.

 

[Gibbo]

I think he meant the 700+HP Mustang in the link.

Ah maybe but doubt it will come RHD and to be honest in a daily UK car it would also need to be AWD and have a proper DCT style gear box really for me though the A10 or a ZF8 would be acceptable.

It is rumoured it might get the Ford GT’s DCT gearbox but AWD is an unknown.

What cars do GM still put the 7.0l in if any as that engine in the Z06 Corvette I drove was a true masterpiece.

Really loving the 6.2l in the Camaro a truly fantastic motor and I’d say it’s better than the 5.0 in Mustang as it’s just got a more useable power band due to the torque and the chassis is more balanced. Of course Mustang responds to modding better and is also cheaper to buy and modify. Against a fully kitted out 2018 Mustabg however I’d say the Mustang will have it, maybe even on torque side too due to the A10 but really need to drive an 18 GT A10.

Stock for stock id say the Camaro is a better car except the interior and how it feels a big a car are only downsides.

So hello Corvette, if they made one RHD think I would be sold especially if they did one with the 7.0l in it.

 

[Gibbo]

Hi there


Not a lot to report, but I spotted one of the carbon vents seem to not be flush, upon closer inspection the retaining clip was missing and the plastic tabs broken. I reported this and at first Jaguar were not so interested, so I went back to the dealer I purchased from and said look it was like this at collection because the photos you sent me it can be seen:

Drivers side vent is sitting a touch high, very hard to see, but once I knew it was there, needed resolving.


Drove to Landrover Chester today, who fitted a new vent, put my plate on also.

Happy that is fixed, retail price is £815 +VAT per vent, crazy, obviously they do not cost Jaguar that, but it is to prevent in short people buying the parts to make a regular F-type look like an SVR.

 

[Gibbo]

Although they are available on the non-SVR as an option (Carbon Pack).

I think they are different style to be fair though Jonny would know for sure.

 

[Gibbo]

Drove past me today, seemed a little quiet?

Its only loud when I want it to be.

 

[Gibbo]

Sounds like an SVR Tax, anyone wanting those can probably get them on ebay for £5.

A 5 second search on eBay- £70 for genuine parts
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JAGUAR-F-TYPE-SVR-2017-BONNET-AIR-VENTS-GENUINE-HX5M-16C629-ACW/173072642103?_trkparms=aid=222007&algo=SIM.MBE&ao=1&asc=20160908110712&meid=c622da5870844502956d55eba115e31c&pid=100677&rk=1&rkt=3&sd=173106850756&_trksid=p2385738.c100677.m4598

They are red, no wonder so cheap, find a carbon set, cheapest I found was £380 which promptly sold.

 

[Gibbo]

How does it compare to the remapped Golf R? 0-60 wise?

I suppose the Jag makes you feel great whereas the Golf was just a Golf.

I wouldn't want to chuck the Jag around though or park it anywhere.

I think "the timed" 0-60 is not hugely different. By timed I mean by from the point the car moves and hits 60.
The problem with most automatics and the DSG was when you floored it there was like what felt like a second delay before the car moved, in reality this is no doubt milliseconds but of course will always feel much longer. The SVR however has no such delay the moment you hit the go pedal whether a little or hard the car shoots off the line, it has no self preparation.

Now on the flip side the Golf had launch control which eliminated this delay somewhat, but of course it is rare you use launch control on the road as you feel like a prat sitting at lights with the engine bouncing on the limiter. I would say here the Golf would be essentially identical as using LC on a stage 2 they are in the 3.0-3.3s range and the SVR has being timed as quick as 2.9s and as slow as 3.5s.

The SVR has no launch control, you just mash the pedal and off it goes and its sub 3.5s without fail. Golf without LC I'd estimate as in the 3.5-3.9s range and of course you have that delay so the SVR will be moving before the DSG has even made its mind up. So unless you use LC in the Golf the SVR is a lot more responsive and quicker.

On a roll I'd say Golf would keep it honest upto 100mph, but then would just be left.

Handling wise, hard to judge as Golf had PS4 and SVR is on Pzero. But in this cold wet weather I could drive the Golf faster, more confidence and more grip and easier on the limit due to the FWD Haldex AWD nature. The SVR is very much RWD and as such slides around. PS4S go on the SVR tomorrow so will be fairer to compare then. On the one day I drove the SVR in the dry it was quicker for sure.

Yes the Jag makes you grin like a kid as throttle response is immediate and savage, plus the noise is something else under heavy throttle and then you have the over run shennagins which are just naughty.

 

[Gibbo]

which handles better the Jag or Mustang ?

The Jag.

 

[Gibbo]

Better than the M3? What about the Pork?

To really evaluate it against those I need more seat time. The Mustang was a poor to average car in wet conditions, on Pzero it could be frightening, fitting MPSS improved it a lot but it was shall we say always a handful in the wet and to drive it quick took real skill, something I do not have. The 911 and M3 on MPSS are absolutely incredible in the wet even without AWD and right now better than the Jag, but in the defence of the Jag it is running Pzero a tyre I find not very confidence inspiring.

I've had very little dry time in the Jag, I think one day so far that was very cold but dry but needless to say the SVR had huge ability.

I'd say out of all the cars, if you want a car that inspires huge confidence in cold wet weather, well not much will keep up with a Golf R on PS4 or PS4s, it really was pretty fantastic due to its grip and on the limit handling, of course its handling balance was not that of an M3 but to say it was boring is not true, it was just different but on a cold wet British B road, the Golf R really was something exceptionally good. As weather warms then the 911 and M3 in the wet are also hugely capable.

Right now with the SVR on corner exit I have to be gentle with power inputs otherwise the rear steps out, I am putting this down to the Pzero and of couse 600HP nearly and huge torque with cable like throttle response.

The PS4S go on tomorrow, they may not be statistically any better than Pzero, but myself as a driver every car I have owned I am way more confident on Michelin rubber than Pirelli, particular in wet conditions. In coming weeks I can give a better conclusion on how it compares to other cars, of course the SVR's weakness like the Mustang is its weight as they both weigh 1700kg area. Whereas the M3 and 911 are around 300kg lighter and you can really feel that.

The 911 used to be my best wet handling car, but once the M3 went caged and onto square 255/40/18 MPSS setup it became the new wet king in handling and grip in the twisty stuff. Shall be interesting how the SVR compares once on the PS4S but where the SVR is king is you can put all the power down to the road from a stand still no matter what the conditions, it just grips and goes which I find very impressive.

You can see from the video how sure footed and well behaved the car is in the dry.

You can see from this video how the car will move around in the wet and oversteer if to much throttle.

 

[Gibbo]

This is one of the better videos, gets it proper sideways quite early on the video, but it has a lot of bad swearing so do not watch if frequent swearing annoys you:

Here you can see how the Jag has two obeep handles for passenger to hold on too.

 

[Gibbo]

I prefer the first vid a) no silly head cam and b) he's far smoother. The other vid looks like it was recorded in the 80's

Here is good smooth wet video:

 

[Gibbo]

Hi there

So jobs done today:
- New wheels fitted and ceramic coated for protection
- PS4S tyres fitted in stock sizes (305/30/20 rear & 265/35/20 front)
- Rear Jaguar caliper plates fitted to cover brake pads
- Front wing adjusted to perfect alignment
- Thorough inspection of underside, no leaks, zero issues and signs of rust or corrosion.
- British flag valve caps added, it is the small touches.


Some pictures, car is not particular clean and tyres have the white gunk all over them, need to get some soap and give the tyres a good wash and then get some meguiars tyre black on the go, which is about the only tyre gel that seems to work on PS4S due to the fuzzy sidewalls they have.

Jobs to do:
- Fit 5mm spacers all round just to push wheels out a touch, very minor.
- Fit black wheel nuts, will go better with grey wheels than chrome.
- Alignment check and adjust.
- The rear caliper plates stand out like a sore thumb due to them being brand new so glossy red and the rest of the caliper in desperate need of a refurb. All the calipers shall be re-painted in the future, either in red or yellow with black jaguar writing on fronts and black SVR logos on the rear plates, at which point it will all blend nicely.


Just me adding my little touches to the car, very minor details as the car does not need for much as Jaguar pretty much nailed it out the factory.

No needback on PS4S, need to scrub them in first.

 

[Gibbo]

that's strange your car looks similar in shape to the E-Type.............just miles more modern, similar flare to the body side as well.
yes your wheels need moving out esp at the rear, but not by much

The F-type is the successor to the E-type.

They had a V12 E-type in their, very nice, he said couple of months ago they had four E-types and had to increase their insurance limit due to the value of the cars on the premises.

Yes as I don't wish to fit longer studs or use adaptor type spaces the thickest I can safely slip on and get the correct amount of full turns from the lug nuts is 6mm, so a set of 5mm all round from ebay cost me £12,00, same make as I ran on Mustang which were fine and are a close colour match to the wheels also. The Michelins though same size are a touch chunkier too.

Once calipers are painted it will have my personal touch, already had a couple of owners message me on f-type forums about where I got caliper covers from and how easy they were to fit. Jaguar part and though not specifically made for the F-type fit using the same principle of just drill and thread couple of holes, then screw them on with supplied screws. They look a bit meh now as the covers are fresh paint and the caliper finish has faded and badly chipped. Once all re-sprayed they will blend and look factory fit.

Though the PS4S are running in, the Pzero always slipped a little when pulling off the work car park and then slid again when pulling onto the main road, seems a Pzero trait when they are cold. Yet these slippery PS4S (release agent) had no slip at all, I even went to provoke a little on the main road and they just gripped. It is quite amazing how superior the Michelin rubber is compared to Pirelli, even pushed it a little and they do feel much better even with the release agent in them.

The Pzero were 5-6mm on rear and fitted last June so its not like they were worn out or old tyres, just Pzero are junk, well not junk as there are far worse tyres, but Michelins are in another league.

Shame my TPMS is not working though, got system failure and seems cannot be reset in car.

 

[Gibbo]

The blue is beautiful and whats best about it even when it is dirty it still looks freaking amazing, not many car colours can do that.

Oh and though I said I would not, I could not resist, very wet roads today, the PS4S were egging me on and to put it simply they are absolutely freaking amazing, how a tyre can transform a car so much is amazing.

 

[Gibbo]

needs a yellow roof and mirrors now

Carbon>yellow.

 

[Gibbo]

you need these

Found a set for £5500, but then discovered it needs a different wheel to clear and a whole load of other parts and also potentially some re-coding, end total cost is £10,000, simply not worth it, but from a looks perspective the Alcon calipers are far nicer looking. Ceramics are fantastic but the cost of ownership can be expensive, cost me a few thousand on the 911 to replace the disc and Jaguar want £900 just for a pair of pads.

It is a shame that on such a high-end car Jaguar fitted average calipers and did not use Brembo for the steels like most other manufacturers do on their performance cars.

In fact I think the Alcon calipers Jaguar use are very similar to the Alcon setup on my M3.

 

[Gibbo]

If you get the calipers done yellow, you need to do something with the centre caps too IMO. Can you get black/silver ones?

Already made my mind up.

Calipers going orange!

Ordered these from Jaguar today:

 

[Gibbo]

seems odd that it had red wheel centres

They all have red, even the ceramic equipped cars. You could argue it clashes with yellow though in honesty I think its minor.

But of course the black/chrome ones just look cleaner, less going on as no branding, just a cats face.
The dealership parts guy did say these are much nicer than what comes with the cars and that they really sell very little of them, think he said you can get them with a dark green background too. Then the other design is same as red with Jaguar writing, smaller face and available in red, blue, green and black.

Once calipers painted, these are on and I've got black lugs too, car looks much cleaner, less going on. My mate said I should do orange sills and a stripe over bonnet like Project 7 or a centre stripe to get even more attention, I was like it gets enough.

What I have noticed people seem to hate you overtaking them in this, even on dual carriage ways, I fly past and I get a frenzy of flashing lights, must be scaring the living daylights out of people, all I can say is I am doing my bit to wake people up on the roads, I should not be a surprise to them if they are checking their mirrors.

 

[Gibbo]

For mere mortals though, even when they are diligently checking their mirrors, the majority will not recognise an SVR is coming up behind them, they will just see a car behind about to overtake.

And that does not in any way whatsoever, prepare you for the sheer volume and onslaught of noises and sound effects, that appear as if from no where, as one passes you


So to be fair I am not in the least surprised about the frenzy you receive

I personally reckon the countdown has begun to when you pass some old biddy, and not just wake them up, but give them a fatal heart attack on the spot ............

True, inside the car its loud but not menacingly loud, upto 5000rpm you hear exhaust and over that your hear SC whine. I did post previously in this thread about an RAC guy who pulled next to me and said jesus you nearly gave me a heart attack, but oh my it sounds amazing.
Of course whenever I join a dual carriage way (NSL) of a round about I open the taps and unleash hell, I guess what might alert other road users is the fact its extremely wet and they just don't understand why it can accelerate like that in such conditions.