The Jaguar F-Type’s only real niggle is the aggressively high pricing scheme; that and the fact that it can melt into a blob if it catches fire… Joking aside, reviews were already praising the drop-top model for its looks, its historic significance and experience behind the wheel, but none called it particularly sharp or sporty.

Now, with the addition of a rigidity-bestowing fixed metal roof, XCAR says that it’s even better. Firstly, the looks of the coupe will probably be more attractive to more people, though the convertible will still garner a loyal (albeit different) following – both are undeniably sexy, but suit very different drivers/needs/styles; think of who buys convertible, automatic Porsche 911s versus those who want the coupe with a manual gearbox…

Secondly, the handling is also an improvement, so if that’s what you’re looking for in your upcoming two-door fun machine, there’s really no contest between the two versions.

If we were to make a poll asking which you’d have, most votes would definitely go for the hardtop as it’s a better, more practical all-rounder.

With the promise of much improved overall body stiffness over the convertible, the new Jaguar F-Type Coupe is so far shaping up to be a much more incisive track machine. Engineers say it’s 80 percent stiffer, and all the impressions we’ve heard of it so far do seem to confirm that this has had the desired effect on the car’s character and handling.

Now, the second video review that has popped up, the one by EVO not only confirms what we’ve heard about the car so far, but also gives us an excuse to look it some more (this time finished in white) and hear the F-Type R's V8.

The car looks to be quite tail-happy with the electronic aids turned off, and one can imagine what one of those Japanese drift kings could do behind the wheel of one of these. No, scratch that, make that two Japanese drift kings side by side!

The snarling Jaguar sports car that debuted roughly six months ago in L.A. will hit dealers in a little over a month.

Globally, F-Type coupe deliveries are expected to begin next month. U.S. customers, on the other hand, will wind up waiting a little bit longer to buy the newest British badboy sports car. Just like the convertible model that marked Jaguar’s re-entry into the sports car segment, the hardtop will offer a range of supercharged engines, but for thousands less in all but the range-topping R model.

The base and mid-range powetrains still rely on supercharged six-cylinder engines making 340 hp in the base car and 380 in the tuned-up S model starting at $65,000 and $77,000 respectively. But the V8 version is where things really get interesting. Jaguar took the R model – only offered as a coupe – a step further by packaging it with the 550 hp version of its supercharged eight cylinder engine. That version of the car starts at $99,000, which is a price increase over the most expensive convertible.

Jaguar’s all-new F-Type Coupe is almost ready for its market launch, and given its combination of performance, stunning looks and luxury, we bet that it will be one of the hottest sellers this summer. Like its convertible alternative, the F-Type Coupe gets its power from a pair of supercharged V-6 engines and a supercharged V-8, but it gets a little extra spring in its step with the V-8.

The car starts at a very reasonable $65,000, with that level of pricing getting you a base F-Type powered by a 340-horsepower supercharged 3.0-liter V-6. But as British journo Chris Harris points out in his test of the car done for YouTube channel /DRIVE, the F-Type R is the model you want. It’s the one powered by Jaguar’s supercharged 5.0-liter V-8, which rates at 550 horsepower.

It’s not all praise from Harris. He has some complaints about the interior, and he also takes issue with the car’s weight, which comes in at just over 3,600 pounds. But he concedes that it's hard to complain when the car looks and sounds so good. It also steers extremely well and its eight-speed ZF gearbox is simply brilliant--on the road and the track.

Motor Authority is driving the F-Type Coupe this week so look out for our own impressions soon. In the meantime, enjoy the vid.

0-100 km/h in less than 3.5s

A new report indicates Jaguar is planning a significantly lighter version of the F-Type called "Club Sport".

Jaguar's fastest current production car is the F-Type R Coupe with a 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) run in 4 seconds and a limited top speed of 186 mph (300 km/h). That could all change in the near future as the British company is allegedly working on a Club Sport variant that will do the sprint in less than 3.5 seconds.

While the F-Type R Coupe tips the scales at 1,665 kg (3,670 lbs), the Club Sport plans on losing 200 kg (441 lbs) through the use of various lightweight materials. The model is also going to wear a more aggressive body and a stripped out cabin to shave off the excess weight. To achieve the 1,465 kg (3,185 lbs) mark Jaguar plans on installing race-style carbon fiber seats as well as carbon fiber body panels.

Power will likely come from the F-Type R Coupe's supercharged V8 5.0-liter engine which generates 550 HP (404 kW) and 680 Nm (501 lb-ft). A decision regarding engine choice has not been finalized but most likely this will be it since in the R it comes with the option of carbon ceramic brakes which are 21 kg (46 lbs) lighter than their steel counterparts.

F-Type's program director Russ Varney told Motoring such a model would see the light of production day only if built in a series of at least 500 units per year. Moreover, let's not forget the firm's design director Ian Callum already confirmed more powerful versions of the model sitting on top of the "R" version are planned.

Jaguar F-Type Club Sport

Sometimes, it's better to leave tradition behind and look into the future, which is precisely what Jaguar and its team of designers did with the brand's XF, XJ and F-Type models. However, if you insist on dwelling in the past, Arden has resurrected the leaping Jaguar hood ornament for the F-Type Coupe and Roadster sports cars.

Available in chrome and if you're more adventurous, in body color or gold-plated, the ornament starts from €329 (US$ 444.54 or £287.84 – including 19% tax/VAT).

The German tuning firm also offers several other goodies for the F-Type series, including alloy wheels with or without spacers, a sports suspension kit, LED ambient lighting for the interior, and new software available for all engines that boosts output by 39hp (40PS) and peak torque by 50Nm, priced at €5,831 (US$7,878.85 or £5,101.54).

The Jaguar F-Type already added a coupe model, but an even hotter version is on the agenda.

AutoGuide‘s spy photographers recently caught a prototype F-Type model testing, based on the Roadster but sporting a much larger front and rear spoiler. We know that the British automaker plans to bring two hotter variants to market, the F-Type RS and RS-GT and the vehicle our photographers captured is definitely one of those two.

Unfortunately we don’t know which one, but it’s more likely that it’s the F-Type RS. Either way, expect power to remain almost the same on both models, but each will sport less weight and more aggressive aerodynamics to enhance handling and acceleration.

Karma strikes again

Following a similar recent incident, yet another driver of an expensive car found some big problems after trying to bypass traffic in a construction zone. This time it is an owner of a red-brown Jaguar F-Type V8 S who got stuck in wet concrete.

A photo of the accident was posted on Twitter from @Pursuitist yesterday. The picture description says it all:

“Brand new Jaguar driver believes he's too important to sit in traffic. Insta-karma smack down.”

So far, we associate the shape of the F-Type with the evocative warble of the supercharged V6 that harks back to the old E-Type’s straight-six, as well as the common Jaguar V8 bark in the top spec version.

However, it would seem that the manufacturer might be looking to go even smaller than the currently available V6, and the video you see below suggests that they are testing something different.

Does it sound like a four-cylinder, like the TouriClips video description suggests? I'm not sure it does, though it’s definitely not as loud as the aforementioned six-pot shot in the same way, around the same track.

Those who commented on the video seem to agree that it’s not a forgone conclusion based only on this video, though the uploader is adamant that “Jaguar was testing a V6 F-type the same day, and it was considerably louder than the one in the video above.”

Have a listen and have your say too.