Jaguar XFR-S Review - The Ultimate 'Jaaaaag'?

"Road Magazine" (roadmag) 12/17/2013 at 08:46 • Filed to: Jaguar, XFRS, v8, review

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Recently, Jaguar Land Rover kindly invited me to try out a range of their cars. Once I got there, I was absolutely overwhelmed with the amount of cars they had to offer, almost every car from Range Rover and Jaguar was there, however, there was a lack of XKR-S GT, but then again, there was plenty of other cars to keep you occupied, such as the brand-spankin' new and rare XFR-S.

Performance

Even though the Jaguar XFR-S is based on the XF, it feels capable of anything. You sit low down, the driving position is spot on, you have a great view of the road ahead, and the pedals are very nicely placed giving you an element of confidence whilst driving.

The XFR-S boasts a 5.0-litre supercharged V8, which produces 550 PS and 680 Nm torque. With this much performance, it's no wonder it can hit 60 mph in just 4.6 seconds. However, it still seems to feel much more powerful than it actually is, infact, this car is absolutely brutal in its performance delivery.

All of this brute force is connected to an 8-speed transmission derived from the F-Type, giving the XFR-S seamless and quick shifts.

I am very much impressed with the XFR-S, it handles very well, in-fact, probably better than I expected. The steering is tight and precise with lots of feedback, and the car feels somewhat agile. The brakes are sharp, precise and responsive, great for when you're on the track.

Exterior

The Jaguar XFR-S definitely looks the part in terms of cosmetics. It's more aggressive and focused than it's counterpart (XFR). Some may say the rear spoiler is too big, fortunately, Jaguar can replace the spoiler for a smaller boot lid spoiler found on the XFR. Then again, the whole point of buying a R-S product is for it's outright hooliganism isn't it?

It's default colour is a very bright and vibrant French Racing Blue, which stands out from any other car on the road. It'll easily turn heads. A more hardcore and exclusive look has given the XFR-S what the XFR was missing.

The car rides well too, some say it's too harsh on the road, I think it's just about fine on country roads. It could be a little harsh on London roads.

Interior

Over all the interior is fine, it's a very nice place to be. Whatever you touch is lovely stitched leather and the XF in general really does feel quite upmarket inside. Although it is a little outdated now, and that round gear shifter looks great but isn't very intuitive to use because you endlessly find yourself looking for a gear knob.

Verdict

Overall, it's a successful attempt by Jaguar to compete with the germans (M5, E63 and RS6). It really does get close.

It handles very well, drives like a dream, goes like a rocket and looks unique. Did I mention there will only be 120 made (100 in the US and 20 in the UK)? Which of course adds exclusivity.

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TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Road Magazine 12/17/2013 at 08:57

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such sexy

very horsepower.

much hoonage

WOW.

Bluecold > Road Magazine 12/17/2013 at 08:57

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Nope. A Jaaaag has grace, pace and space. This has pace, and space. But not much grace. Also, it's too loud and the V8 sounds ferocious, like an american muscle car. Which are by definition uncivilised.

m2m, apex detective > Road Magazine 12/17/2013 at 14:43

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The XFR-S is weird. I love the front shot, like the general concept of the car ... and then it drives past me and exposes that terrible wing. Duh.

mikeluscher159 > Road Magazine 12/17/2013 at 22:08

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mikeluscher159 > mikeluscher159 12/17/2013 at 22:08

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Collin > Road Magazine 12/18/2013 at 21:42

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It's not a particularly Jaaaaaag-y Jag. All of them will be sold. End of story.

4play > Road Magazine 12/18/2013 at 23:07

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Saw a white one trundling about in a shopping center near my office the other day. I knew they were rare, but not 1 of 100 rare. Pretty cool.

Road Magazine > m2m, apex detective 12/19/2013 at 04:59

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Okay, I had exactly the same view as you before I saw it in the flesh. The wing was utterly big in pictures and really put me off, but when you see this car on the road, it suits every inch of that spoiler. You can opt to delete it for a duck tail wing, but then it just looks like a XFR.

The XFR-S's spoiler isn't just a purely cosmetic feature either, it functions like a spoiler should, and gives you the downforce you need because this car will throw you into a tree if you're not careful around the bends!

Road Magazine > Bluecold 12/19/2013 at 05:01

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I understand your point. The XFR-S wasn't made to be the late-40s gentleman's car, it was made to show that even Jag can let their hair down. In some respects it is a proper Jaaaaag, in some respects, it's not, but either way it's brilliant.

Road Magazine > 4play 12/19/2013 at 05:04

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They are definitely a rare sight. Not many people will buy this car and Jaguar know it too well. People who want to splash $130K on a car are more likely to go with a M5 F10, E63 AMG or even the Audi RS6. But out of my own personal taste, after driving all those stated above (Apart from the new RS6), I'd have the XFR-S. Trust me this car turns heads everywhere you go.

m2m, apex detective > Road Magazine 12/19/2013 at 12:48

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I so hope you are right regarding the way it looks in the metal ... or rather CFRP.

Maybe it'll change my mind ... which wouldn't be bad, as I can see the necessity of stability at speed, I just didn't feel the wing matched the rest of the car so far.

Road Magazine > m2m, apex detective 12/19/2013 at 14:13

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It won't be to everyone's taste, you'll have your own opinion on it when you see it. But, I think that big wing is one of the defining features of the XFR-S. To the untrained eye, it's probably how they'll diferentiate it to the XFR.