Better than the R models
Until now the R models have represented the cutting edge of Jaguar automotive engineering. The XFR and the XKR were both powered by 5 litre eight-cylinder motors with compressor. With their 510 horsepower they were up with the seriously well performing cars. But in their leadership will be challenged. The new Jaguar flagship is the XKR-S and is, as its name indicates, a further development of the XKR. The front skirt and the rear spoiler are new. Under the bonnet is the same motorization as in the R models, but this has been given the performance enhancement treatment. Where once there lurked 510 horsepower the V8 in the XKR-S sends 550 to power the rear wheels. The torque has been upped to a mighty 680 Newton metres. Compared with the R models the XKR-S accelerates 0.4 of a second faster and reaches a hundred in 4.4 seconds. Previously the top speed was limited to 250 kilometres an hour, only the SpeedTrack variant got up to 280. But the new XKR-S can go over 300 kilometres an hour and thus entitles the Jaguar marque to claim membership of the elite ‘Club 300’.
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- Under the bonnet is the same motorization as in the R models, but this has been given the performance enhancement treatment. Where once there lurked 510 horsepower the V8 in the XKR-S sends 550 to power the rear wheels.
Targeting a new buyer
Jaguar found its inspiration for the XKR-S in motor racing. The newly programmed adaptive suspension system means that the upper limit of performance is no longer a problem. And the sports exhaust system produces a credible race track sound. But power and good dynamics are not all the XKR-S has to offer. According to the car maker the new model is the only car in its class with a CO2 output of under 300 grams per kilometre. And this is paired with a fuel consumption of just under 13 litres per hundred kilometres driven. And if the XKR-S has ‘only’ 40 horsepower more Jaguar hope to attract new buyers, buyers seeking the luxury of a British sports car but for whom performance and driving dynamics are the central concern.
