Jaguar has launched a special one-off F-type coupé which will take part as a support vehicle in an upcoming stage of the Tour de France. The car, which has been created by JLR's new Special Vehicle Operations division, will support Team Sky riders in the penultimate stage of the race, which is run as an individual time trial event.
The support car is a fettled version of the F-type R coupé, with power coming from a stock 542bhp 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine. It gains a roof rack with space to carry two spare bikes, and is finished in the familiar blue-on-blue Team Sky livery. Another major modification is a separate electric supply in the boot that provides power to the radios, amplifiers, microphones, horns and televisions, which allows team officials in the car to communicate with Tour officials and race directors.
Usually, support cars are spacious estates, such as Team Sky’s own usual Jaguar XF Sportbrake, with large roof racks carrying spare bikes for all riders – up to nine – for the team. They follow behind the riders in a stage race, where team officials inside offer tactical advice, support, and can quickly hand over spare bikes in the event of a crash.
However, in an individual time trial such as the upcoming stage 20 – which takes place this weekend – riders go off one-by-one on their own, competing against the clock. This means the support car only need carry a couple of spare bikes for each individual rider when undertaking the short 34-mile stage from Bergerac to Périgueux in south-west France, rather than spares for all riders as normal.
Consequently, Jaguar has ditched the XF Sportbrake for one stage only, creating this special F-type R coupé in its place. The firm says it has no plans to offer this special version for series production.
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