Monday 19th August 2013

Jaguar XJR: Review

Looking for a more sophisticated take on the XFR-S lunacy? Step up!

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It's been five years since Jaguar offered an R model in its flagship XJ saloon range, but the wait is finally over.

With the successful arrival of the F-Type, together with its XKR-S and limited edition XKR-S GT models, Jaguar is seemingly growing in confidence with every new car it brings to market. That confidence is being reflected in its sales too, up 22 per cent on last year so far in the UK and 29 per cent globally. Make no mistake, Jaguar is on a roll.

Firm XJR doesn't do the limo thing well in town

This new XJR reflects that, extending the XJ range beyond the Supersport model with the same 5.0-litre, supercharged V8 engine but tweaked for 550hp and 502lb ft of torque (40hp and 41lb ft over the Supersport). With a 0-62mph time of 4.4 seconds and 174mph top speed, it's easy to understand Jaguar's claims of this being the ultimate luxury performance car.

The one problem being however, some 25 years since the R-badge first made an appearance on an XJ, others have joined the party in the form of Audi's new RS7 and the forthcoming Mercedes S63 AMG. Neither are exactly slouches when it comes to performance or pushovers when it comes to their overall packages. When it comes to rivals, you'd be hard-pressed to find two more talented ones. And that's before the likes of BMW's M5 and the Maserati Quattroporte are even mentioned.

Not quite an M5 to drive, but still impressive

It's just as well that the XJR makes the right noise then. Press the dash-mounted starter button and the V8 burbles into life with an intent that matches its purposeful exterior styling.

Despite the addictive soundtrack, first impressions of the XJR around town aren't that great. The ride on the standard 20-inch 'Farallon' lightweight forged alloy wheels never really settles, which is hardly what you expect on an XJ even at this level. Added to that are the bespoke Pirelli tyres (265/30s on the front, 295/30 on the rear) which are extremely noise sensitive to road surface changes.

Thankfully though it does improve with more speed, where the new suspension tuning undertaken by Jaguar's engineers becomes more obvious. With a set-up that's a not-inconsiderable 30 per cent stiffer than the standard XJ plus steering hydraulics and calibration tuned for a sportier feel, the XJR needs that extra pace to show its talents.

550hp and a great noise from supercharged V8

With the speedo needle further round the dial, lumps and bumps in the road are still noticeable, but they're not as obvious as before and the steering is less prone to be thrown off-course as a result. Okay, so the reality is that few XJR owners are likely to throw a car this size (more than 5.1 metres long and over 5.2 metres in the special order long-wheelbase version) around like a hot hatch, but the big Jaguar does acquit itself well.

Interestingly too, in Dynamic mode and on the confines of a race circuit, the XJR performs better than you would ever imagine. There's a good level of feedback through the steering wheel and driver's seat, even if it never lets you forget its true size. Having said that, you can still tempt the XJR into some entertaining slides if there's enough space to do so.

No complaints about the familiar XJ cabin

Ultimately it's not quite as entertaining as an M5, but it's close and is certainly more controllable than the previous generation S63 AMG. The XJR also boasts a notably sportier feel and set-up than the Supersport with the same engine (albeit 40hp less).

A quarter of a century on from the R badge's first appearance, Jaguar's performance flagships still don't enjoy quite the same level of recognition as AMG or BMW's M cars. However, this is definitely a step in the right direction as a sporting halo for the XJ range. Come on Jaguar, all we need now is an F-Type R...

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JAGUAR XJR
Engine: 5,000cc, V8, supercharged
Transmission: 8-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 550@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 502@2,500-5,500rpm
0-62mph: 4.4sec
Top speed: 174mph
Weight: 1870kg
MPG: 24.4 (Combined)
CO2: 270g/km
Price: £92,370 (before options)

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[aarondbs]

Stunning in my opinion. Looks very classy and purposeful. Much more so than the xkr. Would be very hard to resist had I the money in my pocket right now..