Thursday 10th February 2011

Spotted: 'Mystery' Hardcore Jaguar XKR

PHer snaps disguised Jaguar XKR on Scottish shakedown

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It's been reported for a while that Jaguar is preparing a hardcore version of its XKR coupe, and PHer Danny Hall has snapped the latest evidence.

Danny spotted the pair of XKs, one 59-plater and a newer 60-plater wrapped in swirly-patterned vinyl (presumably designed to distract him from that massive wing on its boot lid), while stopping off for fuel and a can of Irn-Bru in his home town of Pitlochry. (We're not being racist - that's really what he was doing.)

The two XKs burbled in behind him and stopped while the drivers got out for a chat and a look about the cars - though they scampered off smart-ish when Danny started taking photos.

We're not sure exactly what lies beneath those vinyl swirls, but we're hoping it'll be something along the lines of a series-production version of the XKR 75 that Jaguar built in limted numbers last year to celebrate its 75th birthday. No doubt we'll find out soon...

[Matt0812]

Yes please! A sub-1500kg (is that optimistic?) XKR would be amazing, think I remember evo suggesting there was still untapped potential in terms of weight loss with the special edition recently against M3 GTS, GTR Type-V, GT3 RS? I really hope this could be it! Then maybe an XFR-R, to demolish F10 M5s...

[Liquid Knight]

Jag' in slightly different wheels and Halfords spoiler shocker.

[Galsia]

I understand the use of vinyl camo wrap when its a completely new car but this is silly. If it was painted like a normal Jag then nobody would have noticed it at all...

[AreseV6]

Are those little vents where the bonnet meets the front bumper ?

[unpc]

AreseV6 said:

Are those little vents where the bonnet meets the front bumper ?

Certainly looks like it.

[epom]

Galsia said:

I understand the use of vinyl camo wrap when its a completely new car but this is silly. If it was painted like a normal Jag then nobody would have noticed it at all...

exactly.... no press coverage without swirls... swirls on normal enough looking car gets you on pistonheads... result for Jag !!

[petestorey]

Galsia said:

I understand the use of vinyl camo wrap when its a completely new car but this is silly. If it was painted like a normal Jag then nobody would have noticed it at all...

Ding! Might start wrapping my cars like that and see how many 'scoop' photos I appear in

[TheRoadWarrior]

Galsia said:

I understand the use of vinyl camo wrap when its a completely new car but this is silly. If it was painted like a normal Jag then nobody would have noticed it at all...

That depends if it looks like the normal Jag underneath really doesnt it? This at least protects the finer details of prototypes from snappers that camp outside the plants/test facilities.. also proto vehicles regularly test things that dont make it into production- the swirls assures that the public doesnt see the finer details of the finished article until its just that- finished.

[goron59]

I love the camo wrap... Can you buy that for other cars?

[CPDMotorsport]

Actually I suspect that is an early 2012MY test car (and not a disguised current XKR) which would explan why the headlights are so heavily disguised as these are quite different on the new version.

Without seeing the rear end of the car or undisguised headlights or front wing I can't say for sure though.

Edit: Also just had another look and it now has the triangle vents instead of the gills so highly likely that this is the 2012MY facelift car (which is pant stainingly gorgeous)

[Vladimir Pukin]

All the camoflage - It's to distract you from the white one!

[PetrolAholic]

goron59 said:

I love the camo wrap... Can you buy that for other cars?

Mighty enquire see if I can get mine done, next week my car will be on PH

[Johnpidge]

Nice looking hardcore version!!

I'll have mine in Black with Black leather please.......................

[jke11y]

These passed me on the M74 just south of Larkhall on Sunday afternoon just past. If they had not added the swirls to the "stealth" car I probably wouldnt have noticed them!

[ArosaMike]

I thought you told me you didn't break stories like this Riggers Looks interesting...

[Amizade]

PetrolAholic said:

Mighty enquire see if I can get mine done, next week my car will be on PH

At Brands Hatch last year, one of the DTM trucks had a full carbon wrap - it looked superb, but v silly

[LewisR]

I should know what this is but I don't. Even if I did, I couldn't say!

[Shmee]

petestorey said:

Ding! Might start wrapping my cars like that and see how many 'scoop' photos I appear in

So unbelievably tempting!

[georgetuk]

LewisR said:

I should know what this is but I don't. Even if I did, I couldn't say!

Thanks for that.

[AJI]

Liquid Knight said:

Jag' in slightly different wheels and Halfords spoiler shocker.

Haven't seen that spoiler in Halfords before, are you sure you've got your facts right?