Boston Common - Niche Media - A side of Boston that's anything but common.
Issue link: http://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/259813
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KIT NOBLE T wo letters sum up my passion for cars: A to B. But that wasn't always the case. There was a time when the smell of Armor All wipes would make my mouth water. In fact, I couldn't wait to get my license—literally. When I was 13 I was arrested for driving underage with a car full of girls on a midnight joy- ride. Community service followed. These days I drive slowly, use my blinkers, and I've never received a speeding ticket. Why am I bringing this up now as I slide behind the wheel of Jaguar's newest sports car, the $92 ,000 (at a mini- mum) F-Type V8 S? I believe that on that night of youthful indiscretion I lost my love for cars, and I'm wondering if the F-Type can help me find it again. The convertible is the color of molten glass being spun in a kiln, and it looks just as hot and smooth. I press the ignition, and the Jag doesn't so much roar to life as snarl. Pent-up power pulses through the gas pedal like the hormones of a teenage boy fumbling with a bra strap. This beast wants to run, but where? Where can I let the Jag's 495 horses out to stud? I've been allotted 500 miles to get a "feel for the car," and I intend to use every last one of them. North, the Jag purrs, go north. The F-Type turns heads on Newbury Street like a scantily clad swimsuit model, and there I am, the sap on the model's arm, grinning like a fool. I chalk up the attention as one of the intangibles this car delivers. The F-Type doesn't drive down the street; it peacocks. Newbury Street turns into 93 North with- out me noticing. When hitting the gas, the acceleration is instantaneous, and the Jag lets out a guttural growl as it races from zero to 60 in four heartbeats. It switches lanes and passes with the agility of Sugar Ray, and punches the straightaways with the ferocity of Tyson. This Jag is all at once muscle and sophistication—a bodybuilder wearing a perfectly tailored tuxedo. Before I know it, I'm pulling into Woodstock, Vermont, where I decide to get a room at the regal Woodstock Inn & Resort. The innkeepers rush out to greet me, the "peacock factor" clearly still intact this far up north, and I slide out of the car buzzing and wondering how I got here. Therein lies the true beauty of the Jaguar F-Type. Yes, it's just a car. Yes, it will take you from A to B. But between where you've been and where you're going, the thrill of the ride will wash away your past and lock you in drive. Indeed, the F-Type restored my love for cars and left me licking my chops for more. Jaguar Sudbury, 83 Boston Post Road, Sudbury, 888-842-5337; jaguarsudbury.com BC Catlike Reflexes JAGUAR'S NEWEST SPORTS CAR POUNCES ONTO NEW ENGLAND ROADS WITH A VENGEANCE. BY R.S. COOK 120 BOSTONCOMMON-MAGAZINE.COM CARNOISSEUR 120_BC_BOB_Carnoisseur_Spring14.indd 120 2/6/14 4:26 PM