THE JAGUAR F-TYPE JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER WITH THE ADDITION OF A MANUAL TRANSMISSION AND AWD

A carmaker putting a manual transmission in a sports car probably doesn’t sound like a big deal, not even in 2014. But Jaguar didn’t just bring any old manual to the L.A. Auto Show.The new six-speed unit, developed in conjunction with ZF, has a semi-dry sump lubrication system. This reduces the need for a large oil capacity, thereby reducing the overall size and weight of the unit. Definitely good things for a sports car.An all-wheel-drive system is also now being offered as an option, and Jaguar reports that, when fitted to the F-Type R, it trims 0.2 seconds off of the car’s 0-60 time, bringing it under the 4-second mark to 3.9.In order not to take away from the experience of the car, the AWD system sends all of the power to the rear wheels during normal operation, but is capable of a 50/50 split when conditions require it. Also maintaining the “purity” of the car, Jaguar decided against offering rev matching for the manual transmission. It’s a bold move, but we strongly approve.