Jaguar S-Type R

Though To Some The Idea Of A Hot S-TYPE Is About As Fitting As That Of Inspector Morse On A Micro Scooter, Jaguar Have Unleashed A Potent Performer. Andy Enright Reports

Even if the most powerful Jaguar saloon ever tagline fails to pique your interest dont stop reading now. After all, the Jaguar S-TYPE R model is a good deal more than just mere horsepower figures, although with 400bhp at its disposal, it attracts column inches almost as readily as Max Clifford on time and a half.

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To put that into perspective, thats a whopping 67bhp clear of the mighty six-litre V12 Jaguar XJR-S that once strode like a Colossus through the ranks of early nineties GT cars. The S-TYPE Rs 408lb/ft of torque also betters its antecedents 365lb/ft showing and even delivers a sound leathering to contemporary rivals. At £45,090 the Jaguar also undercuts the super saloon competition.

"When the S-TYPE Rs engine really gets its trousers on it cranks out figures that full-on exotica like the Ferrari Testarossa would find impossible to match."

Nevertheless, its probably the Browns Lane offering that packs the most overt visual punch. A blade-edged rear spoiler arcs across the bootlid and 18-inch five-spoke wheels remove any doubt that this is a serious performance tool. In the latest facelift, many established R styling cues were filtered down to the rest of the range. The S-TYPE Rs performance credentials are underlined by the quality of the standard equipment.

Massive Brembo brakes haul the heavyweight Jaguar from its 155mph electronically limited top speed with retina-detaching efficacy. Sports suspension beefs the ride up, but not to an unacceptable level, and then theres CATS, an acronym that was just looking for a home at Jaguar. Computer Active Technology Suspension weve seen before on performance Jaguar models, but the S-TYPE revises things yet further. In this instance, CATS uses uprated springs to prevent body roll and electronically controlled two-stage adaptive dampers for ride refinement.

This means that when entering a low speed corner, CATS automatically adjusts the rear dampers slightly before the front dampers to cut understeer so that your turn into the corner feels sharp and darty, but at high speed it reverses this trick to prevent those heart-in-mouth high velocity oversteer scenarios thus giving a reassuringly stable feel. CATS will also stiffen the front suspension under braking to prevent dive and do the same to the rear under hard acceleration to reduce tail squat. A sure sign of progress is in the ZF automatic gearbox. Whereas 1992s Jaguar XJR-S was fitted with a three-speed auto, the 2002 S-TYPE R gets a six-speed box with intelligent features such as the ability to hold a ratio throughout a corner.

This prevents that unsettling moment suffered by automatic cars of yore when youd be powering through a corner only for the gearbox to lurch upwards onto the next cog, leaving you with armfuls of impotent understeer to contend with. As you will have realised this S-TYPE is far cleverer than that. Its a good deal better looking inside too. Along with the rest of the S-TYPE range, the interior has come in for a makeover.

The instrument panel now features round chronograph dials and a pair of LCD message centres. Racing green dials and grey birds-eye maple veneer add a touch of visual drama to the cabin, and Jaguars big touch screen LCD panel is available as an option. Leather sports seats and a leather-trimmed R Performance steering wheel are standard fitments, the seats boasting 16-way adjustability with a memory function on the drivers side. Its the engine thats the star though, capable as it is of flinging the S-TYPE through sixty mph in a mere 5.

3 seconds, and the mechanically driven Eaton supercharger serves up 32% more torque than its normally aspirated sibling. At only 1300rpm, the supercharged engine is already developing more torque than the naturally aspirated version at its peak, a trick that even twin turbochargers installations, have never managed to pull off. When the S-TYPE Rs engine really gets its trousers on, it cranks out figures that full-on exotica like the Ferrari Testarossa would find impossible to match. Its fair to say the S-TYPE range enjoyed a mixed reception.

The S-TYPE R is the car that should always have spearheaded Jaguars mid ranger. Its Jaguar back to their dashing, cavalier best, doing things their way and blitzing the opposition. Suddenly being sent to Coventry just got that little bit more appealing

FACTS AT A GLANCE

CAR: Jaguar S-TYPE R
PRICES: £45,050 - on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 19
CO2 EMISSIONS: 314g/km
PERFORMANCE: 0-60mph 5.3s / Max Speed 155mph
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (urban) 15.3mpg / (extra urban) 30.5mpg / (combined) 22.5mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags, ABS, ARTS safety system
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: Length/Width/Heightmm 4861/1819/1444