Jaguar moves on, distancing itself from its history while writing its future; yet, they footnote themselves as in the R designation Jag uses to refer to the performance variants of its models. I asked Jody Victor to give us some details.
Jody Victor: As with the Jaguar XFR, introduced at the N. American International Auto Show (January 2009). What is the XFR? A four door, five-person sedan for the died-young S-Type Jag. The design takes its cue from the older model, but incorporates modern aspects as well. The XFR is the first R Type for the XF sedan (introduced in '08). With an all new, top end supercharged engine, XFR is Jaguar's flagship for luxury and performance. This R-type has many respectable competitors--look at the BMW M5, Audi S6, Mercedes E63, and the Cadi CTS-V. The XFR can boast proudly though, being the equal or better of these competitor models.
The breakthrough styling that made the XF a hit carries over for 2010--with the addition of a full high performance kit! This includes a 'spanking new AJ-V8 Gen III direct injection engine (5.0 liter!). At 510 horsepower and a zero-sixty clock time of only 4.3 seconds, this Jag is no house cat. Along with increased steering responsiveness, improved brakes, active suspension dynamics, differential control and a little bling make the XFR a well-groomed lion on the road. Active Differential Control helps put the rubber to the road, in an ongoing, as needed basis. We found an instant boost in its ability to vary the torque lockup to each driven wheel, which in turn improves acceleration on low-traction surfaces. According to Jaguar, it does not add to under steer in the manner that a mechanical system would. EPA mileage estimates for this 4,306-pound cat come in at 15 mpg in the city and 21 on the highway that averaged out to about 18 mpg in our driving.
As for style the XFR features the fastback sedan look from its '08 model, a honeycomb front grille, chromed intakes, a ground effects kit, low profile wheels and of course the R badge to let everyone know you aren't driving the average Jag. The chrome-trimmed greenhouse reappears, as do the side gills. New additions that boast of the XFR’s newfound power are the body-colored hood-mounted vents that help to release trapped hot air from under hood. Mr. Bond would probably feel quite at home making moves in this vehicles if Jag added a few stinger missiles and machine guns.
Performance-oriented two-toned black and tan leather covered the interior of our tester, while a polished bit of metal spread across the dash. Accented areas are covered with stitched leather, gray polished maple wood inserts, and aluminum strips. The look is one of understated performance. The heated and ventilated driver seats are especially welcome during our recent sweltering summer temperatures here in South Florida. The HVAC system will cause Goosebumps to rise up in protest (or excitement), while cruising around in the tropics.
I'd buy this car if everyone else on my street was riding an M5 or CTS-V and I wanted to show off and could afford the 80K base price tag.
Thanks, Jody! What a line-up!