Although Jaguar has offered its ‘R’ treatment on some of its past sedans, no one in the automotive world really took Jaguar’s efforts seriously. After all, the prerequisite of holding an AARP card to own a Jaguar kind of defeated the purpose of a performance model in the first place. But the storied British marque now has the youthful XF, and is planning to use it to make two proper performance models.
First up on the docket for Jaguar is the XFR. Aimed at the BMW M5 s and Cadillac CTS -Vs of the world, the performance Cat will be powered by at least 500 supercharged horses. Upgraded brakes and suspension should ensure the XFR goes round the track as well as it goes straight in a line. Best of all, Jaguar fans that have been waiting for a true performance model don’t have to wait long – the XFR is slated to make its debut at next week’s Detroit Auto Show.
Although the XFR will likely be the best performance sedan Jaguar has ever produced, it will probably only hold onto that title for a year or so. That’s because around this time next year, Jaguar is planning to release any even higher-performance XFR-S.
Although the XFR-S will likely use the same powertrain found under the hood of the XFR – a move that will save Jaguar time and money – it will see significant performance upgrades over the XFR. Think Mercedes AMG versus Mercedes AMG Black Series, just minus the power boost.
The XFR-S will have an added focus on high-speed stability, which means the subtle nature of the XFR is out the window. Expect the XFR-S to sport a boy racer rear wing for added down force, as well as a much lower ride height and new side skits. The XFR-S will also be the first Jaguar to come standard with 21-inch wheels, according to Autocar. Suspension and braking components will also be upgraded over the XFR, with a greater emphasis on performance rather than luxury.
A race-ready Jaguar sedan might seem counterintuitive to most, but Jaguar won’t have to convince that many buyers. While XFR production is expected in the thousands, XFR-S production will be limited to just a few hundred.
No officially word on pricing or a release date for the XFR-S, but look for the high-performance sedan to make an appearance sometime in 2010.
