Grippy kitty: Jaguar confirms all-wheel drive F-TYPE R Coupe for 2014 LA Auto Show

By Stephen Edelstein Published November 6, 2014

Jaguar is serious about making its F-TYPE into a Porsche 911 competitor, and that means dialing up the number of variants, starting with the addition of all-wheel drive to the lineup.

The company revealed its first all-wheel drive F-TYPE ahead of a planned formal debut at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show. It’s just one of several upgrades the F-TYPE will get for the 2016 model year, Jaguar says.

Jaguar is showing the top F-TYPE R Coupe first, but all-wheel drive will probably be available on other models as well. The only external difference appears to be an “AWD” badge on the trunk lid.

The specifics of what Jaguar calls its “Instinctive All-Wheel Drive” system will be revealed in L.A., but the carmaker did say that the extra traction knocks the R Coupe’s 0 to 60 mph time down from 4.0 seconds to 3.9. The electronically-limited top speed is unchanged at 186 mph.

Related: 2015 Jaguar F-TYPE Coupe first drive

Carmakers often choose out-of-the-way locations to reveal their all-wheel drive vehicles, and Jaguar was no different. For the preview, the all-wheel drive F-TYPE was brought to South Africa’s Hakskeen Pan, where the Bloodhound SSC team hope to break the world land speed record.

Jaguar is partnering with Bloodhound, which hopes to build the first car to travel 1,000 mph. That car will be driven by Royal Air Force pilot Andy Green, who holds the current land speed record of 763.03 mph.

The F-TYPE isn’t that fast, but it was driven across the Pan’s soft surface while using radio equipment from the Bloodhound to communicate with a jet flying overhead. So it should be able to handle a snowy parking lot.

Topics

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Cars

Hyundai teases Ioniq 9 electric SUV’s interior ahead of expected launch

hyundai ioniq 9 teaser launch 63892 image1hyundaimotorpresentsfirstlookationiq9embarkingonaneweraofspaciousevdesign

The Ioniq 9, the much anticipated three-row, electric SUV from Hyundai, will be officially unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show next week.

Selected by Newsweek as one of America’s most anticipated new vehicles of 2025, the Ioniq 9 recently had its name changed from the Ioniq 7, which would have numerically followed the popular Ioniq 6, to signal the SUV as Hyundai’s new flagship EV model.

Cars

Kia EV5: everything we know so far

Kia EV9 front exterior

Kia is expanding its EV lineup in a big way. The company is currently in the middle of rolling out the EV3, which is now available in Europe and is likely to come to the U.S. next year. Not only that, but it's also prepping the EV4, which it will likely announce more widely in 2025. And it's not stopping there either -- the Kia EV5 is a slightly scaled-back version of the much-loved EV9 SUV, and not only is it a vehicle we're excited about, but it's one that has already launched in Australia.

If the EV5 is anything like the EV9 -- only cheaper -- it'll be an instant success. Curious about whether the EV5 could be your next car? Here's everything we know about the EV5.
Design
Despite the lower number, the Kia EV5 is actually larger than the EV6 crossover — but not quite as large as the EV9 SUV. Kia calls it a “compact SUV” that offersa boxy design that’s similar to the EV9, but with only two rows of seats instead of three.

Cars

Trump administration prepares to end Biden’s EV tax incentive, report says

president biden drives 2022 ford f 150 lightning electric pickup truck prototype visits rouge vehicle center

If you’re looking to buy or lease an electric vehicle (EV) and benefit from the Biden administration’s $7,500 tax incentive, you’d better act soon.

The transition team of the incoming Trump administration is already planning to end the credit, according to a report from Reuters citing sources with direct knowledge of the matter.