DRIVE, THEY SAID

When Jaguar North America needed to deliver a fleet of 14 all‑new Jaguar F‑TYPE roadsters the 1,850 miles from N.J. to its key retailer launch in Austin, Texas, there was only one solution: Drive them.

Jeff Jennings, Director of Training and Development for Jaguar Land Rover North America (right) and Walter Dethier, Jaguar Instructor, with the 2014 F‑TYPE at Jaguar Land Rover North America's Headquarters in Mahwah, N.J. on March 28, 2013, where the convoy of F‑TYPE vehicles departed for their trip to Austin, Texas.

Why have you decided to drive the vehicles and not just put the cars on transporters?

Putting the cars on transporters would have been the sensible choice, but we really wanted the instructors who will be showcasing the cars on the Circuit of the Americas – Home of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, to get as much seat time as possible in the cars before our dealer event kicks off on April 7. What better way to experience the thrill of driving the F‑TYPE than three days and almost 1,900 miles behind the wheel?

What route did the convoy take?

The 14‑car convoy left Jaguar Land Rover headquarters in Mahwah, N.J. at 7 a.m. sharp last Friday (March 29). The first overnight was in Charlotte, N.C., after a 657‑mile leg. The second leg was a 572‑mile cruise from Charlotte, N.C. to Mobile, Ala. and the last leg covered 621 miles from Mobile, Ala. to Austin, Texas. The entire group arrived late Sunday (March 31) night.

What is the plan for the dealer launch on April 7?

Everything is centered around the amazing new 3.4‑mile, 20‑turn Circuit of the Americas – Home of the Formula 1 United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. On April 7, we’ll present the new Jaguar F‑TYPE to over 200 people from the Jaguar retail side. The following day will be a deep‑dive immersion into the car with design and technical presentations, followed by a lot of driving with all of the different variants ‑ the 340‑hp and 380‑hp supercharged six‑cylinder models, plus the 495‑hp supercharged V8.  We’ve also set up a couple of autocross courses, some wet skid pan areas and a lot of high‑speed handling sections of the race track.

Is the program just for retailers?

No, a lot of dealer sales professionals, service advisors and managers will be coming in for special training on the Jaguar F‑TYPE. Then, there will be the winner of our #CaptureAJag contest where we invited people to submit their Instagram images of a Jaguar vehicle that best shows the spirit of the brand. We also have invited over 30 winners of the #YOURTURN sweepstakes, which Jaguar launched on March 22 to provide brand enthusiast and customers a chance to be among the first to get behind the wheel of the 2014 F‑TYPE. In total, between April 7 and 26, we’ll have over 1,500 people go through the program. Follow JaguarUSA on Twitter and Instagram to see live tweets and photos as we reveal the all‑new F‑TYPE to our retailers on April 7.

So when does the new Jaguar F‑TYPE go on sale in the U.S?

Mark your calendars now; the all‑new Jaguar F‑TYPE will go on sale this May. This will be the biggest launch in Jaguar’s history as the new Jaguar F‑TYPE really sets the stage for many new vehicles coming down the pipeline for the brand. This truly is a very exciting time to be part of Jaguar Land Rover.