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rand loyalty is a powerful force, and when it comes to cars it’s more powerful than gravity. Once hooked, a devotee to a particular badge will often stick with their chosen model through thick and thin, upgrading with each consecutive edition, even if it means driving a total dud (Mark 3 Golf GTI fans, it’s not too late to seek help). Every so often, though, a car comes along with such raw appeal that it can cause even the most ardent badge polisher to question their faith. Or at least, that is what the makers of the new Jaguar XKR-S are hoping. The legendary British marque’s new hero model is designed from rubber to roof to be an all-out weapon of mass seduction, with one of the most fiercely loyal fanbases out there, Porsche 911 drivers, as its target. Anyone who’s driven a 911 lately will know that Jaguar have a task on their hands. The Porsche is an iconic car with good reason – a magical blend of usability and driver appeal that rightly sets the benchmark in its class. But if first reactions among garage dwelling types to the arrival of the XKR-S are anything to go by, the 911 could be facing its first serious challenge for decades. At the time of writing the new big cat has yet to arrive on Australian shores, but judging from the froth generated upon its release in Europe, it’s already got it’s claws firmly into the back of Porsche’s sofa.
X-Rated
The new Jaguar XKR-S is a track-honed weapon of mass seduction, packing bags of refinement and blistering performance. Porsche 911 drivers should be prepared to have their loyalty tested, writes Sam Tinson.
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The rear end gets a big carbon fibre wing, which helps to increase overall downforce by 26 per cent, further improving the car’s handling and stopping it from getting airborne when the speedo tops out at 300km/h.
ENGINE
5.0 litre supercharged AJ-V8 direct-injection
POWER
542bhp / 680Nm
performance top speed price
0-100km/h in 4.4 secs 300 km/h
$340,000 (manufacturer’s list price)
“There’s no doubt a reason why I should like the Porsche 911 GT3 more, but I can’t think of it right now. That’s how good this car is,” raved one UK reviewer. So what’s so good about the XKR-S? Well, for starters it has its competitor out-muscled. Its supercharged 5.0-litre AJ-V8 engine (constructed from recycled aluminium, no less) develops a massive 542 break horsepower at 6000 revs, while the Porsche musters ‘only’ 444. The Jag is a whisker slower to 100km/h (4.4 seconds compared to the Porsche’s 4.1), but its awesome mid-range torque, and the blood-curdling metallic howl that it emits as it delivers it, will mean such hairsplitting is quickly forgotten. Where the XKR-S really impresses is in its race carlike handling – territory in which Porsche is traditionally considered untouchable. Liberal use of aluminium in the Jag’s architecture and body panels reduces flex and keeps kerb weight down to 1753kg, while new 20inch Vulcan wheels and Pirelli P-Zero tyres help reduce unsprung mass by 4.8kg compared to standard XK. It rides 10mm lower and all the whizz-bang electronics have been remapped to provide a seat-of-the-pants drive, minus the bump and grind that those with more Teutonic tastes have to live with. Put it all together and you’ve got a bucket load of driver appeal that will have Stuttgart’s finest chewing on their fingernails. The XKR-S is the most powerful series production Jaguar ever made, and comes dressed for the part. The base model has undergone a significant nose job with slimmer LED headlights, a more aggressive air intake and gaping vertical vents to funnel air through the bodywork and increase directional stability. The rear end gets a big carbon fibre wing, which along with the carbon fibre diffuser helps to increase overall downforce by 26 per cent, further improving the car’s handling and stopping it from getting airborne when the speedo tops out at 300km/h. Those meaty smoked alloy rims and painted brake calipers complete the war paint.
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Jaguar are masters of interior finish, and the cockpit of the XKR-S is a far more opulent place than the inside of the average Porsche. The first thing you see on entering is the big red Start button pulsing like a heartbeat; press it, and the circular Drive Selector rises silently into your hand from the centre console as the engine growls to life. The exclusive dark aluminium trim is a welcome break from stuffy wood veneer, and sits well with the leather-wrapped, multi-function steering wheel and embossed, stainless steel pedals. It all invites the driver to sit back in his 16-way adjustable bespoke racing seat (with memory and heating functions), put pedal to the metal and roar off for a spot of Porsche baiting. On paper the XKR-S has the heritage, performance and handling to take on its German rivals (and, for that matter, its Italian ones too), and in terms of comfort, refinement and exclusivity it has them beaten. Whether the XKR-S can cause a shift in brand loyalty is another matter, but Jaguar has certainly thrown a cat among the pigeons. www.jaguar.com.au