Great article

[JonGreen]

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-dri ... view/43525

Having driven them, I agree.

[JonGreen]

Although I must admit I'm booked in for a engine and gearbox remap...

[NCE 61]

I would agree as well, had mine for nearly seven years now and there’s nothing currently I would replace it with.

[MajorTom]

Nice one! The 2.0 is not for me but I can appreciate its qualities and I think this article summarises them really nicely.

[Taggy's Lad]

Yep, nice to see some love for the P300.
As a pretty practical (for my purposes) daily drive, I have no complaints after 8 months. I'm likely to reach MY limititations before I reach the car's, so will probably get more out of this one than I would a V8. I doubt I'll ever know for sure- I'm a very lucky lad as it is!
Going to spend a few winter evenings planning some European touring to flex the envelope a little!

[Sandytim]

I don’t hate the p300 but I fail to see how the benefits outweigh the negatives.
The f type is a compromised car. Small cabin space, smallish boot, wide for U.K. roads, difficult to park, and quite hard to get I and out of.
Yet with the V8/V6 you have an engine so nice that overrides these problems.
So with the P300 you keep the negatives without the positives of a real power plant.
The weight advantage is just a red herring because it’s not lightweight in the sports car world and a when a RWD V8 comes at 1650kg then the difference is not worth a jot.
The fuel consumption on a P300 is also pretty disappointing.
So the only reson to buy a P300 is just for the looks. And that for me is not enough.

[Millwheel]

I did a three day performance driving course (two days at Millbrook, one on public roads) in my P300 and soon realised that the car’s capabilities greatly exceeded my own. At no time did I find the car’s limits, even with the vocal encouragement of my coach; timidity, perhaps, but I was certainly going far, far faster than I had ever gone before. . I had a V6 previously and even as a rank amateur I notice the finesse the P300 displays in the twisty bits, which I feel in the real driving world more than makes up for the lessened grunt. A tidy segue at a busy junction around the folk still trying to find a gear (or notice the lights have changed as they stare into their phone) is as satisfying as a bend on a winding moorland road and far more accessible. Jaguar reckon it works best on the 18” wheels (and it would handle our dreadful road surfaces with more aplomb) but I’m too aware of the impact on the resale value to dump the current 20” set. I’m not flamboyant enough to worry about the lack of exhaust reverb, a degree of stealth is no bad thing in the times we live in. There is no shame in driving a car in part because it looks beautiful so long as it is useful as well (shades of William Morris). I firmly agree with the comment about fuel consumption; it is surprisingly poor compared to peers. Why, I wonder?

[Kev]

There's always something pleasing about an 'underpowered' car being driven well by a competent driver against something more powerful, and driven by a 'normal' person. Almost all cars on the road today will exceed the owners driving talent, mine included even though I've done advanced driving etc. As Millwheel alluded to, being aware of your surroundings allows you to make progress smoothly and quickly, keeping the 'bubble' around you, and driving around nincompoops

Many a time I've been overtaken on a dual carriageway as I'm sat there around 65-70mph, me in the knowledge that come the twisty bits in a few miles time after the point and squirt roundabouts, I'll be showing them a clean pair of heels with a smile on my face. Anyone can drive fast in a straight line but to do so on the twisty bits takes more than a heavy right foot

There's a lot to be said for a lightweight car with 250-300bhp which allows you to use the full rev range as we don't often get the chance to do so these days, unless you want to be walking or riding your bicycle everywhere

In a nutshell, it's not what you drive but how you drive. I did consider an Alpine A110 but the lure of the Jaaaag is just too strong for me

[cj10jeeper]

I don’t hate the p300 but I fail to see how the benefits outweigh the negatives.
The f type is a compromised car. Small cabin space, smallish boot, wide for U.K. roads, difficult to park, and quite hard to get I and out of.
Yet with the V8/V6 you have an engine so nice that overrides these problems.
So with the P300 you keep the negatives without the positives of a real power plant.
The weight advantage is just a red herring because it’s not lightweight in the sports car world and a when a RWD V8 comes at 1650kg then the difference is not worth a jot.
The fuel consumption on a P300 is also pretty disappointing.
So the only reson to buy a P300 is just for the looks. And that for me is not enough.

Totally agree with your comments here and I certainly also don't hate P300's, rather it's not for me with all the advantages of the larger engines (noise, power, smoothness, supercharger, etc.:

Weight difference from 1525kg is tiny at 52kg Vs the V6 at 1577kg. If you wanted a lightweight sports and really cared then a Cayman at 1360 kg (165 kg less than F Type) & mid-engined is so much better or a Lotus (I'd never buy either though )
Fuel economy is no better based on comments made
Engine is a relatively nasty raspy 2.0 turbo that's much more stressed at 150 bhp per litre Vs the alternatives at a c110, needs revving to perform (relative to a V6 or V8)
I can however see why to buy for BIK, insurance costs, purchase price, etc.

[ianp]

I am considering doing the map re-vamp but does it affect insurance etc?