New to South African soil and launched exclusively at the Johannesburg International Motor Show, before going on sale in November, Jaguar brings us the power-hungry Jaguar XFR-S and XJR. The supercharged 5.0-litre V8 in the latest Jaguar saloons is responsible for 405 kW and 680 Nm of torque that loves to torture those poor rear-wheels. While the XJR’s aluminium body structure is lighter, the XFR-S is slightly smaller, so both cars come out weighing broadly the same and that means both are capable of sprinting to 100 km/h in just 4.6 seconds, and up to the electronically limited top speed of 280 km/h in the XJR and 300 km/h in the XFR-S
Jaguar say that while the XFR-S and XJR build on the performance and supple chassis’ of the acclaimed XF and XJ respectively, they have created even more focused driver’s vehicles in the XFR-S and XJR. The Jaguar XFR-S is in fact the fastest Jaguar saloon ever built, being able to devour a kilometre of open road in just 12 seconds. Styling wise, the Jaguar XFR-S in particular gains a massive rear wing crafted from carbon fibre, which has enabled Jaguar’s engineers to cut lift by an extraordinary 68 %.
The Jaguar XJR by comparison is a restrained and elegant exercise in design for such an aggressive cat. Reflecting the changes to the power plant under the skin, the appearance of the XJR has been subtly tweaked to give flight to its full potential. ‘R’ spec side sills create a sharp break-off point between the bodywork and the road surface and rear lift is also reduced through the fitment of a bootlid-mounted lip spoiler. Special ‘R’ bonnet louvres aid in aerodynamics and engine cooling. The five-spoke, lightweight alloy wheels provide the XJR with a broad shouldered stance.
Details on pricing will be released next month when the two purring kitty-cats officially go on sale in South Africa.
