What's the news?
Jaguar have taken its elegant flagship and given it some serious performance treatment. The XJR is set to combine supercar performance with typical Jaguar refinements. Squeezed into the engine bay is a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine, as seen in other performance Jags, but it is now producing 550hp, which propels the XJR to 62mph in just 4.6 seconds.
Exterior
The XJR is not so discreet about its performance pedigree either. The front end is dominated by a new splitter while the bonnet wears unique 'R' louvers. Aerodynamically optimised sills combined with an additional rear spoiler make the most of the airflow over the XJR's body, as well as giving it a much more assertive look. Quad tailpipes and unique 20-inch forged alloy wheels finish off what must be the most purposeful looking Jaguar saloon for years.
Interior
As with most high performance saloons on the market, buyers will expect the luxury to match the performance and so Jaguar's design team has introduced a number of unique 'colourways' specific to the XJR. The front seats are embossed with the 'R' logo while buyers can also choose to have the standard 'Suedecloth' headlining finished in Jet leather to complement the rest of the XJR's interior. And should one tire of listening to that supercharged V8 up front, the standard 380W, 12-speaker sound system can be upgraded to an 825W Meridian Trifield System that puts each occupant in the car at the centre of their own perfectly focused surround-sound arena.
Mechanicals
The headline act is of course that 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine, which enables the XJR to reach an electronically limited top speed of 174mph. An eight-speed automatic transmission helps the four-door saloon maximise its acceleration and it can be controlled via the steering wheel-mounted gearshift paddles.
In addition to giving the XJR a heap of power the engineers have also fitted huge 380mm brake discs up front and 376mm discs at the rear. Those 20-inch alloy wheels are shod in a specially developed Pirelli tyre too. The suspension was honed in Jaguar's test centres in Rockingham and the Nürburgring and has apparently been carefully tuned to deliver an agile and responsive ride whilst still retaining a level of comfort expected by customers.
Anything else?
Despite being the most powerful XJ ever made, the XJR does still has a stop-start system, which stops the engine when the car comes to a halt and the brakes are applied. As soon as the brake pedal is released the system can restart the engine in less time than it takes for the driver to move their foot across to the accelerator pedal. All of which helps, as Jaguar claims the combined fuel 'economy' is a slightly hefty 24.3mpg.
Dave Humphreys - 26 Mar 2013
