Patrons of the arts should love the Jaguar F-Type Coupe as much as auto enthusiasts. As sculpture, it’s as much Rodin as road machine, with undulating aluminum panels draped over a bonded and riveted aluminum platform. Originally shown as the C-X16 concept drawn up by Ian Callum, the production version remains remarkable true to his vision. F-Type R is the performance artist in the family. Its 5.0-liter supercharged V8 provides the rear wheels with 550 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque. The symphonic sound is Tchaikovsky in the distance, Wagner in the cabin (or Joy Division for a more modern British analogy). Want to know what Snap, Crackle, and Pop sound like when gargling nitroglycerin? Fire this cat up. Lesser F-Types growl with a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 that pumps out either 340 or 380 horsepower. The 8-speed automatic transmission gets paddle shifters. Of course. Suspension, throttle, gearbox, exhaust note, and steering weight can be altered. AWD will be standard on R models in the spring of 2015. A manual transmission is due then too. Only for V6 models though. Jaguar claims F-Type R leaps to 60 miles an hour in four seconds flat. It feels faster. An electronic leash limits velocity to 186 miles an hour. If this disappoints in any way, I suggest counseling. Heroic binders vanquish speed, an extra 12 grand buys carbon ceramic brakes. F-Type demands attention while in motion, ruts in the road transmit through to the steering wheel. This cat talks to drivers, there’s lots of feedback. An electronic active differential and torque vectoring system have your back on challenging twisties. I suspect a professional driver could lap the Nürburgring quicker in a Porsche 911 or Corvette, but on civilian roads it’s tough to explore the lofty limits of the Jag. At speeds I will not admit to, the firm adaptive suspension gives F-Type a stable confident quality. A V6 F-Type Coupe starts at 65 grand, the top shelf R model begins at $99,000. As tested with a panoramic glass roof, it’s $103,975. Prospective buyers won’t be concerned with the 17 mile per gallon fuel economy average I’m seeing with specified premium gas. The official E.P.A. numbers are 16 city, 23 highway. With seating for two the cockpit, or cocoon really, is oriented toward the driver. Slathered in leather and underscored with red stitching, dropping into the cabin is like settling into a giant Ettinger satchel. The flat bottom wheel is a joy to hold. Like a good piano teacher, the deeply bolstered seats are firm but supportive. Normally I’d rave about the Meridian sound system, but it was demoed briefly to understand its awesomeness then switched off to savor the lusty V8. Not many places for stashing small stuff. Buy a minivan if that’s what you’re after. Looking for any kind of practicality with your British heritage? Go with a Land Rover. Even with the rigid security panel removed, the boot is on the smaller side, swallowing a mere three packs of the 2-ply. That’s enough room for a couple and their road trip luggage though. No need to visit art museums, there’s plenty for the eye to appreciate in the Jag. And leave the Beethoven (or Rolling Stones for that matter) out of the CD player. F-Type R Coupe provides its own live soundtrack.