A hotter, special edition Jaguar XKR will go into production.
The car, based on the one-off Jaguar XKR Special that was shown off at last year's Goodwood Festival of Speed, has already lapped the Nurburgring in 7min 58secs and is being prepared for launch later this year.
No specific details have been revealed for the new production car, but the Goodwood Special has an uprated version of Jag's 5.0-litre supercharged V8 making 523bhp and 516lb ft of torque, as well as lowered suspension, 21-inch alloys and a tweaked exhaust.
"This is definitely not a level of performance anyone would have associated with the XKR before now," Jaguar boss Mike O'Driscoll told Pistonheads.com when asked about the Nurburgring lap time.
O'Driscoll also confirmed that the car will have a top speed of at least 186mph, meaning it will go at least 300kph, which is an important sales point in the German market.
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Re: Hotter Jaguar XKR confirmed
I agree with the 2nd post on this, we need a V12! I have been banging on for ages on this forum on various Jag articles that a V12 is a must in limited numbers, with chrome engine heads, inlet pipes. I hate seeing plastic engine covers on sports cars. Look at the famous Italian marques how they want you to see what powers their cars and admire this huge power house rather than lift a bonnet and find a cheap tacky injection moulded plastic that looks like it may even be "Made in China". If you're going to come out with limited edition cars then its not asking much to make these that little bit more special that makes it worth that price tag rather than have some stickers stuck on the side and alloys that you could have got cheaper from adverts on back pages of "Max Power". Jag again you got perfect ingredients to make a proper Shepards Pie, but don't make it out dog meat this time!! You're fighting off the German Marques and now take on the Italians at their own game and this is your chance! I have always admired Italian cars for not how fast they get from A to B but how they get there and the flare and excitment they create. This is what i want Jaaaaggg to do now. We have the perfect car line up, now lets make them so special that they are sold before even one is driven off the production line. Come on Jag!!!!
Re: Hotter Jaguar XKR confirmed
I just thought of the M5 as "a very fast car" - I don't understand how a light 2+2 like the XKR is slower than a 2-ton family saloon/estate that has only 4 more horsepower, rather less torque, an infuriating gearbox, and rather more drag as well. I can only suspect it's in the gearing. I think the M6 is pretty much the same as an M5 performance-wise...
Re: Hotter Jaguar XKR confirmed
Since the autobox is the same ZF six-speed that BMW have been using for years, all Jag would need to change to a manual gearbox would be to design and produce a new bell-housing, re-trim the top of the transmission tunnel (and cut a hole in it), and buy the gearbox itself in from ZF... not exactly the hardest job in the world. Alternatively, they could fit the kind of sequential manual 'box (still with a clutch pedal for downshifts IIRC) favoured by track day loonyists, as the GT3 version of the XK8 has... there's clearly a bellhousing available for the racers, so it might be possible just to use it on the roadgoing version.