Jaguar F-Type SVR 2017 first drive

It may not seem it at first glance, but this is the revised 2018-model-year Jaguar F-Type SVR. Up front are new LED headlights with indicators incorporated into the daytime running lights and a new bumper. There are updated LED rear lights, too.

Inside, there's a pair of lightweight magnesium-framed seats that are more than 8kg lighter than those of the current car. There are also new trim pieces and Jaguar’s InControl Touch Pro infotainment system with increased functionality and sharper graphics.

If you fancy yourself as a track day warrior, there’s even an app you can download that overlays your speed, revs, g-force loadings and other information over footage taken with a compatible GoPro camera. Perfect ammunition for bragging to your mates down the pub.

With no mechanical changes, there’s nothing new to the driving experience. Jaguar Unlike the lairy Jaguar all-wheel drive F-Type R, the all-paw SVR finds impressive traction despite having a potentially scary 567bhp and 516Ib ft of torque. Even pinning the throttle out of a low-speed hairpin fails to upset its balance.

Don’t think that makes it boring, though: even with the electronic assists still on, you can feel the tail edging wide before the SVR is reined back in again. Interventions are well judged and subtle, helping you carry serious speed around a track. You might trouble the electronic stability control (ESC) a little less if it wasn’t for a throttle response that’s a little too sharp for these feet.

But despite giant carbon-ceramic brake rotors (£8570 extra, with forged 20in wheels) that are able slow the SVR with ease, the track isn’t the best place for it. Even with everything set to Dynamic mode, you still get a sense of the car’s mass as you fling it into bends. Its hefty kerbweight means an enthusiastically driven track day would be rather expensive, too.

No, it’s on the road where the SVR feels most at home. There, you can appreciate the feedback filtering up from the front wheels as you precisely place the nose of the car and enjoy the more supple suspension settings. While there may be a little too much body roll for the track, Sport mode for the suspension treads a fine line between body control and comfort. Yes, it’s firm, but never enough make you wince.

We also suspect the outrageously loud and theatrical exhaust might break more than a few track day noise limits. With no such trouble on the road, we’d recommend finding the nearest tunnel, switching the exhaust to loud and enjoying the NASCAR-esque noise until your ears bleed.