Jaguar XKR-S Every time we cover an auto show, the experience turns into a training camp for our brains, with the left hemisphere shouting at our photographers to move on to the next car once the job is done and the right one being amazed at the beauty/complexity of different four-wheeled creatures. This year’s Geneva event was no exception to this and there is one battle that we particularly remember.
There was even a time when the weak and stupid British Leyland management thought seriously about renaming Jaguar the Large Car Division. Hmm. I can see that someone might buy a piece of farm equipment from the People’s Tractor Factory, but that’s mostly because they’d starve or be shot if they bought something else. I cannot see, however, why anyone would want to drive round in a Large Car Division XJ12 when they could have a, er, Bavarian Motor Works 735i instead.
Eventually, though, Jaguar’s management was sent off to live on plastic inconti-armchairs on the south coast, the workforce was given a clip round the ear by Mrs T and the company
The XKR is already a pretty wonderous piece to drive and look at, and this Metallic Smurf example looks nothing if not more imposing, thanks largely to the additional vents feeding the supercharged V8. Jaguar notes that this is the most powerful and fastest production sports car it's ever offered – and yes, it's headed for showrooms – with an 0-60 mph time of 4.2 seconds and a Vmax bumped out to 186 mph.
In addition to the engine and aero tweaks, the XKR-S' suspension has been reworked, there are new 16-way power sport seats with 'carbon-fibre effect' leather (we're pretty sure you're going to need to see this in person to appreciate it), and the whole shebang will be capped off with a price tag of around £97,000 on-the-road. That's around $158,000 U.S., but if it comes to the States, we'd expect it to be significantly less costly. Check out our live gallery below to check the XKR-S out in detail, then venture over to the jump to see Jaguar's full press release.
Jaguar XKR-S Specifications
Engine
Engine Type 32V Supercharged V8
Displacement 4,196 cc
Horsepower 420 bhp @ 6250 rpm
Torque 413 lb-ft. @ 4000 rpm
Compression Ratio 9:1
Bore X Stroke 86 x 90.3
Exterior
Curb Weight 2,080 kg
Ground Clearance 110 mm
Length 4791 mm
Width 1892 mm
Height 1312 mm
Wheelbase 2752 mm
Tires (F) Pirelli PZERO 255/35 ZR20
Tires (R) Pirelli PZERO 295/30 ZR20
Wheels (F) 9.0J x 20
Wheels (R) 10.5J x 20
