Jaguar calls the XKR-S the company�s �most responsive, powerful, agile, and driver-focused production car.� It�s also the quickest ever. Yes, it�s quicker and more potent than even the 1992�94 ?XJ220 supercar.
Stout claim, but the numbers back it up. The twin-turbo 3.5-liter V-6 in the XJ220 we tested 18 years ago [November 1993] �generated 542 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque.
The supercharged and direct-injected 5.0-liter AJ V-8 propelling the XKR-S huffs up 550 horsepower at 6500 rpm and 502 pound-feet of torque between 2500 and 5500 rpm. Throttle response is instantaneous and linear, and the aural accompaniment is habit-forming.
Like the other XKs, the XKR-S employs a responsive six-speed automatic (with paddle shifters for manual operation). Jaguar expects the car to reach a mile per minute in 4.2 seconds (the XJ220 did 4.4), with a governed top speed of 186 mph.
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Equally impressive, the S achieves the same EPA ratings as the XKR�15 mpg city and 22 highway�just above the gas-guzzler threshold.
After a day herding this quickest of all cats over mountain roads, we�re inclined to doubt Jaguar�s performance claims. Unless something goes terribly wrong, the XKR-S will be much quicker to 60 than the company forecasts. Hell, last time we tested an XKR, it did the deed in 4.0.
Thanks largely to revised exhaust plumbing�which allowed attendant tweaks to the fuel mapping�the S version of the engine tops the XKR�s output by 40 ponies. Applying the old dollars-per-horsepower formula, the XKR-S price premium may look a little steep. The 2012 XKR coupe will start at $97,500; the XKR-S coupe (a convertible may come along later) will be $132,875 when it reaches showrooms in October.
That�s about $884 per additional filly. But there�s much more to the package than mere muscle.
Let�s start with the functional. The suspension features new aluminum knuckles, stiffer springs (by 28 percent, front; 32 percent, rear), active dampers, revised rear geometry, and an active (read: torque-vectoring) differential. The active diff allowed the chassis team to raise the stability-control threshold.
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Static ride height is 10 mm (0.4 inch) lower, and the S rolls on 20-inch forged aluminum wheels wearing a set of Pirelli P Zeros (255/35 front, 295/30 rear). Remarkably, its ride quality is supple. Grip is barnacle-like, and when the driver exceeds the car�s limits�which requires determination�he�ll feel the diff helping to keep the front of the vehicle ahead of the stern.
Aerodynamics are another stability enhancer. Besides reduced ride height, the S sports a new carbon-fiber front splitter and rear wing, rocker-panel extensions, and a rear diffuser. The aero doodads reduce high-speed lift by 26 percent, says the company.
Interior furnishings are distinguished by a pair of supportive leather-clad bucket seats, more aggressively bolstered than their XKR counterparts; elegant needlework; pewter-anodized aluminum trim (nary a splinter of wood); and the expected infotainment electronics, including premium audio and a somewhat finicky nav system.
Color choices include two that supposedly celebrate Jaguar�s racing heritage�Italian red, and French racing blue. No BRG? What�s up with that? Never mind. This is the most satisfying XK yet�handsome, comfortable, and meticulously assembled, as well as seriously fast. The luxury GT game has a compelling new player.
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