When you think of British coupés two marques of car immediately spring to mind: Jaguar and Aston Martin. Little wonder then that this driving session will see you getting behind the wheel of an E-Type Jaguar and an Aston Martin DB9. Both fabulous coupés that are truly an honour to drive.
Former RAF base Upper Hayford is where this friendly Aston Martin vs Jaguar duel takes place. One is a modern day masterpiece of automotive design style and build whilst the other is an absolute classic that always features in ‘best car ever’ type lists. Both epitomise the best of the British car industry and more specifically British sports cars.
The Jaguar E-Type was in production during the late 1960s and early 1970s the heyday of the true coupé car. Technically to be a coupé it has to be a fixed-roof car with just two doors and two seats. No room for passengers or loads of luggage these cars were all about sportiness and speed. So as you can see the E-Type is a proper British coupé in the very purest sense of the word. That huge long bonnet those smooth body curves the distinctive ‘mouth’ grill at the front…unmistakably a Jaguar.
The Aston Martin on the other hand reflects the modern motoring industry’s take on what is a coupé. Apparently now you can have four door coupés which means ‘2+2’ seating as they call it. The rear seats are really just a nod to family life and passengers as they are teeny tiny. You could say it’s still very much the spirit of these models that makes these cars coupés. For the Aston it’s all about the inimitable British understated styling the low rear roof and the overall perception of luxury and sporting prowess that denotes a coupé.
But enough of the discussion as to what makes a coupé. You will be driving two British shining stars of the motoring world on this experience. The Grand Tourer glamour of the DB9 coupé from the Aston Martin stable versus the gleaming series 2 Jaguar E-Type classic coupé. You’ll be at the helm for 12 laps in total so it’s going to be a case of six of one and half a dozen of the other. And believe us despite the age gap these two British Coupés are a match made in heaven.
