Jaguar XKR-S : FIERCER CREATURE

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Jaguars XKR-S aims to add extra fight while keeping the XKRs finesse. Steve Walker takes a look.

Jaguars XKR-S is a tweaked version of the XKR coupe with firmer, lower suspension, sharpened steering and the same 420bhp supercharged V8 engine. It manages the rare trick for a performance model of adding a whole lot more drama without taking very much away in terms of comfort. This is the Jag XK at its best.

Jaguar unveiled the XK coupe and the public lapped up its graceful lines and polished GT car road manners. Then the XKR arrived to further titillate enthusiastic drivers with its supercharged engine and sharper set-up. Jaguar could have quit while it was ahead at that stage but such a move would have denied us the joys of the XKR-S, the sort of super-focused Jaguar product that lots of people have waited a very long time for. When the XK was launched, Jaguar was under the same Ford ownership as Aston Martin and with Astons V8 Vantage model sharing the same chassis and numerous components with the XK but costing over £15,000 more, Jaguar was forced to tread carefully.

Today, both brands are under different and separate ownership so the shackles are off. Jaguar products that encourage buyers to question the merits of spending the price of a decently-specified Volkswagen Golf to upgrade to the Aston are no longer off limits. Its out of this new found freedom that the Jaguar XKR-S has emerged and its a car by which even James Bond might have his head turned. In the engine bay the XKR-S doesnt offer anything special, at least not by Jaguar XK standards.

It shares the same 4.2-litre supercharged V8 engine that takes pride of place in the XKR. With 420bhp available, this will be no great hardship for the vast majority of buyers wholl see their XKR-S on the far side of 60mph a mere 4.9s after they drop the clutch at the traffic lights.

Perhaps most notable is the top speed of the XKR-S. Jaguar have dispensed with the services of the electronic speed limiter thats fitted to the other XK models and the result is that the XKR-S is given free reign to run on to 174mph. The XJ220 hyper-car aside, theres never been a faster Jaguar than this.

"With the XKR-S, Jaguar has pushed the sporting boundaries of its XK coupe and produced an even more desirable product."

Where important changes have been made is in the suspension department. The standard XK isnt the most aggressively sprung coupe, its strength being the suppleness of its ride and its ability to tackle long motorway trips and contorting back roads with equal poise. The XKR-S sharpens up the ride a few notches but not so as to move too far away from the cars grand touring strengths. The springs and dampers are firmer and the whole car sits 10mm lower than the XKR while beefed-up anti-roll bars give the chassis even less room for manoeuvre.

The steering is 10 per cent quicker as well and the up-rated braking system ensures that climbing down from that lofty top speed shouldnt be a problem. Styling wise, the XKR-S is keen to underline its sporting focus but without compromising the clean lines that have been central to the XKs popularity. The bodykit is relatively subtle with an enlarged front air-dam and side-skirts multiplying the effect of the lowered suspension. The rear-end houses the most noticeable change with a splitter moulded in below the bumper through which the quartet of exhaust pipes peep.

It should leave other road users in no doubt that theyve just been overtaken by something a bit special. The XKR-S also features special 20" wheels and wider rear tyres to help improve traction. Inside, the black leather and piano black trim inserts combine to moody effect. The heavily bolstered sports seats feature the XKR-S logo too. Despite the high hipline of the XK, the cabin is relatively airy and the hatchbacked boot arrangement allows for a decent amount of luggage space.

The rear seats are tight but you could get into them in an emergency which is more than can be said for some of the XKs rivals. The price is £79,995, a £9,000 premium over a standard XKR coupe. For the moment, the XKR-S is a limited run coupe model of which only 200 are being made available but the response to it has been such that Jaguar must be sorely tempted to incorporate it into the standard range. Aston Martin will be hoping that Jaguar resists that temptation because this more sharply set-up XK is a highly desirable and significantly more affordable alternative to its V8 Vantage.

Mercedes SL and even versions of Porsches 911 will also be in the firing line of a widely available XKR-S. The XKR-S is not a notably inexpensive car to run. Any vehicle with a supercharged V8 engine that displaces 4.2-litres and cranks out 420bhp is going to have a rather immodest appetite for fuel and the XKR-S can slug it back with the best of em.

Jaguar publishes a combined fuel figure of 22.9mpg that seems rather hopeful and that figure will take a sharp nosedive if your right boot gives the supercharger something to chew on. The insurance rating is, rather predictably, a top of the shop Group 20. With the XKR-S, Jaguar has pushed the sporting boundaries of its XK coupe and produced an even more desirable product.

Firmer, sharper but not so firm or sharp that it detracts from the grand touring ability of the XK, the XKR-S is an extremely desirable ownership proposition at a price that will have big name rivals looking over their shoulders. The balance that the XKR-S strikes between outright pace and long distance comfort is a quality that many manufacturers strive for in their high-end coupes but few attain. The Jaguar still rides with impressive fluidity but the tauter springs and lowered suspension really add verve to the handling, allowing the most to be made of that 420bhp supercharged engine.

Facts At A Glance
CAR: Jaguar XKR-S
PRICE: £79,995 on the road
INSURANCE GROUP: 20
CO2 EMISSIONS: 294g/km
PERFORMANCE: Max Speed 155mph / 0-60mph 4.9s
FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 23mpg
STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front and side airbags / ABS / EBD / TRACS stability and traction control
WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: (coupe) Length/Width/Height 4791/2070/1322mm