Making its debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the Jaguar XKR-S is the most extreme expression yet of Jaguar's passion for building beautiful, fast cars. For the first time with a series production car, Jaguar gains entry to the exclusive '300kph club' thanks to the effortless performance of the supercharged 5.0-litre AJ-V8 engine. A revised fuelling map means the direct-injection powerplant now produces 550PS and 680Nm of torque. Extensive recalibration has ensured that power delivery and performance are seamless, contributing to a 0-60mph time of 4.2 seconds. The Performance active exhaust encourages and rewards the enthusiastic driver with dramatic, motorsport-inspired aural feedback.
The Jaguar XKR-S is not merely the quickest Jaguar ever but also the most agile, responsive and driver-focused. The pinnacle of the XK range builds on feedback gathered from the supercharged XKR and has been developed to extend the performance parameters of the car. This new harder-edged character allows the enthusiastic driver to explore the outer limits of the car's dynamics without losing the refinement and usability for which Jaguar is famous. The structural integrity of the lightweight aluminium platform allowed the suspension to be reworked with bespoke components for increased stiffness without a commensurate loss in either refinement or Jaguar's legendary ride comfort. A reworked aluminium front suspension knuckle and revised rear geometry are allied to stiffer springs and dampers, lightweight forged alloy wheels and recalibrated steering effort to minimise any response delays and produce a more connected and agile driving experience.
The performance of the Jaguar XKR-S is reflected in both its interior and exterior styling, which feature exclusive new paint colours that reflect Jaguar's racing heritage. The Jaguar XKR-S also required aerodynamic modifications to achieve its 300kph top speed in the unruffled manner expected of a Jaguar and has been designed solely with an eye for purity of line and singularity of purpose. As the XKR-S approaches its top speed, there is a requirement to channel air cleanly over, around and under the car in order to maintain stability and ensure balanced downforce front and rear. An overall reduction in lift of 26 per cent has been achieved.
The assertive new appearance of the Jaguar XKR-S is subtly highlighted by some carefully chosen details exclusive to this model. Exterior trim is finished in gloss black, complemented by 20-inch Vulcan lightweight forged alloys in a dark technical finish. The XKR-S is available in a range of five paint colours, two of which evoke Jaguar's competition heritage: Italian Racing Red and French Racing Blue. Like the lining of a bespoke suit, the finishing touch is provided by the brake calipers, available in either red or gunmetal and emblazoned with the 'Jaguar' name.
A new leather-wrapped, multi-function steering wheel has also been added, providing a beautiful, tactile interface between car and driver as do the bright, Jaguar-embossed, stainless steel pedals. Exclusive to the Jaguar XKR-S are the new Performance front seats with an integrated head restraints and increased lateral and squab support to hold driver and passenger securely and comfortably in place during the high speed cornering of which this car is capable.
The AJ-V8 joined this illustrious list from the moment the first one was fired into life but in the Jaguar XKR-S it is presented in its most potent form to date. Now in its third generation and with the addition of supercharging, the all-aluminium quad-cam powerplant delivers not only extreme performance but also tremendous efficiency thanks to the technologies incorporated into it, including spray-guided direct injection (SGDI) and dual independent variable cam timing (DIVCT).
Fuel is delivered directly to the centre of the combustion chambers at a pressure of up to 150bar by the centrally-mounted six-hole spray-guided injection system in order to maximise fuel-air mixing and improve responsiveness, particularly at low speeds. It has also allowed an increase in compression ratio from 9.1:1 to 9.5:1 to improve fuel economy while multiple injections reduce the warm up phase to increase catalyst efficiency and reduce emissions.
The surfeit of power produced by this system meant that it was a relatively simple matter to liberate an extra 40PS and 55Nm over the standard XKR. Remapping the engine's fuelling characteristics and increasing exhaust gas flow through the use of an active exhaust system has lifted total output of the 5.0-litre V8 is now 550PS and 680Nm, making it the most powerful Jaguar road engine ever made and allowing the Jaguar XKR-S to hit 60mph in 4.2 seconds and breach the magical 300kph barrier with ease.
The Performance active exhaust system that helps provide such spirited performance also produces a thrilling motorsport-inspired soundtrack to aurally reward the enthusiastic driver.
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