SPEED DREAMS – THE FASTEST PLACE ON EARTH

Speed Dreams – The Fastest Place on Earth is a wonderful BBC documentary about a few small teams of British Bonneville enthusiasts who spend years in their shed working on a motorcycle, before shipping it to Utah and unleashing it on the salt in the hopes of taking home a world record.

It’s a humbling look behind the scenes at some genuinely talented, amateur engineers and their (sort of) understanding wives, it’s also a great look at what victims of salt fever – one of the most expensive psychological disorders in existence.

Playing truant with the 550HP Jaguar F-type R Coupé

Working in front of a screen during these hot summer months can be a drag. Hence we asked the doctor for a sick note – a severe case of 'summer flu', in case you were wondering – and headed off into the Bavarian mountains with the new Jaguar F-type R Coupé…

With which sports car would Ferris Bueller enjoy a day off school in the summer of 2014?

With which sports car would Ferris Bueller enjoy a thoroughly undeserved day off school today, in the summer of 2014? The new Ferrari California T would, of course, be the ideal and fitting choice, but unfortunately it doesn’t arrive until much later in the summer. How about theJaguar F-type R Coupé? A curveball, we know, but hear us out. With ample luggage space, a five-litre supercharged V8 delivering a socking great 550HP and a roof, not only good for protection from the harsh summer sun, but also from the prying eyes of over-zealous colleagues, the R Coupé is the perfect getaway for a long weekend, without the need for a trench coat, hat and sunglasses.

Hellish crackle

The R Coupé’s 550HP surpasses both the entry-level car’s 340 and the S version’s 380 by some margin and, combined with the punchy 680Nm of torque, the sprint from 0-62mph takes a mere 4.2 seconds with max speed arriving at an impressive 186mph. Tempting numbers but, as you know, a rash radar photo can bring an abrupt halt to proceedings; particularly worrying if you’re supposed to be at work. A steady 70mph it is then, as we cruise in the direction of the Bavarian Alps. But with its deep, burnt orange paintwork and an eight-cylinder engine that crackles and pops incessantly, as though uncooked popcorn is being dropped into Hell, the R Coupé is anything but understated. 

Throttle, brake, downshift, steer

At the weekend, mobile homes typically clog up the serpentine roads around Walchensee but today, a weekday, I’m largely alone, settling into a comfortable rhythm around the seemingly endless bends. Balance often flicks noticeably rearward mid-corner, and the car slides easily, but the closed F-type is impressively agile and direct. It’s also comfortable – the R’s adaptive suspension constantly monitors and changes the springs and dampers and an electronically controlled differential helps translate all that torque efficiently onto the road. 

But the real surprise is just how stiff the car is in the sharper bends. It’s a long way from the big Jag barges of old, and even compared with the F-type Roadster, the Coupé has gained 80% more rigidity despite tipping the scales at a very similar 1665kg. As a compact sports car priced at slightly over €100,000, the R Coupé is a revelation; and a hard-edged, noisy one at that. 

The all-important question

As the car cools down beside the lake, paintwork shimmering in the sunlight, several stones are skimmed across the water while we ponder the all-important question. Is the tin-top F-type a better choice than its roadster counterpart for a cheeky workday excursion? If you’d rather not have to explain to your boss that a golden tan is in fact a primary symptom of ‘summer flu’, we think the question has answered itself.

Photos: Jan Baedeker

You can find numerous classic and modern Jaguars for sale in the Classic Driver Market 

Men's File Issue 10 interview with Nick Clements

Nick from Men's File briefly explains the contents of Issue 10 of Men's File.
Filmed during Wheels & Waves racing event, we captured some exciting bikes and a car, just like the ones that we see inside of Men's File Magazine.

Men's File Issue 10 interview with Nick Clements from Helmstyle on Vimeo.

JAGUAR E-TYPE ‘EVOLUTION’ ROADSTER

There’s not a lot that can be written about the Jaguar E-Type that hasn’t already been said a thousand times by a thousand different motoring journalists. Originally released in 1961 the E-Type would enjoy a 14 year production run, since it was first shown to the public it’s graced the top spot in innumerable lists of “the world’s most beautiful cars” and in the mid-60s even Enzo Ferrari referred to the E-Type as “The most beautiful car ever made”.

The E-Type you see here is an ‘Evolution’ Roadster built to modern specifications for British motoring legend John Coombs, sadly Coombs passed away in his Monaco home before taking delivery of the car but the fact that it was built to order for him gives it a remarkable pedigree.

John Coombs was a successful British racing driver inn the 1950s and 1960s, among his many achievements was the first ever Formula 1 win for Lotus. Coombs had a deep love for motor racing and he switched from driving to preparing cars on behalf of Jaguar for drivers like Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart and Bruce McLaren – he also prepared E-Types for racing, making many of the same modifications that have been made to the car you see here.

As John was a resident of Monaco he specified that the car should be switched from right hand drive back to its original left, he had the suspension lowered by an inch and the fenders slightly widened. The engine has been rebuilt to “fast road” specification which included 10:1 compression flat-top pistons, high-lift D-Type profile camshafts, a gas-flowed cylinder head with 1⅞” diameter inlet valves, a 6-branch exhaust manifold and a lightened/balanced flywheel. The transmission is a high-performance 5-speed unit with a lightweight alloy casing supplied by Guy Broad.

The brakes have been upgraded at the front with 4-pot callipers and vented discs. Other noteworthy features include 7″ wide Turrino wire wheels with alloy rims, a stainless steel exhaust system, modern electric power assisted steering and a a full leather interior by Moto Trim.

If you’re in the market for a well-sorted E-Type and you have somewhere in the £70,000 range to spend on a car, you might want to click here to register for The Goodwood Festival of Speed Sale. It’s due to take place on the 27th of June 2014 and will be held by Bonhams.

via Silodrome