The Jaguar XF-R has doffed a little more of its mask, and now we can clearly see the copious amounts of black mesh that will fill in the front air dam's side vents, replacing the aluminum strips there now. Otherwise, and as usual, you'll need to know your Jags in order to tell this R apart from its lesser siblings. In addition to the mesh the mesh, the hood vents, rear deck spoiler, and quad pipes are the giveaways. Otherwise, the car will get 20-inch wheels of a different design than the ones found on the XF Supercharged. And speaking of that other blown cat, the supercharged 5.0-liter lump that will power the XF-R will be up 80 hp up on the "regular" blown XF; in addition to a faster 0-to-60 time, we imagine there'll be increased sound and the fury to go along with it.
The Jaguar XF-R is almost complete, and the house of the saltant feline looks to retain its suite of exceptionally modest modifications for the hottest version of its hottest seller. Outside, the car gets hood vents and larger intakes for better breathing, and a sliver of a trunk spoiler hovering over quad tailpipes out back. Larger wheels wearing lower profile rubber hanging off of a seriously firm suspension will be on the menu, all the better to harness the signature trait of an R car: the 500-horsepower supercharged V8 up front. We'll see it some time next year, our bet is at the Geneva Motor Show in March.
Hello Kitty, we've been expecting you. According to Auto Express, what you see here is slated to hit showrooms in 2010 and will go up against such luxury and performance stalwarts as the Mercedes-Benz C Class Coupe, BMW's 3 Series Coupe and the Audi A5. It's definitely got the looks to compete on equal footing, with the trendy high belt-line and minimal glass surface area. Where the XF sedan features slinky lines, this XF bulges in an exaggerated show of power, making the new Coupe a much more aggressive design overall.
Jaguar's latest leaper is also expected to showcase the automaker's newest V8 engine, now displacing 5.0L and generating 500 supercharged horses. This engine will also make an appearance in the XFR and allow Jaguar to offer a British alternative to the BMW M cars, MB AMGs and Audi Rs, not to mention the latest Cadillac CTS V-Series, which is soon to lose two of its doors, as well. We don't know when and where this car will debut, but UK pricing is expected to be about £35,000 (about $53K in US dollars).
The coming Jaguar XF-R has been caught in the valley of death. It was accompanied by a Jaguar XJ mule and shepherded by a fleet of Land Rovers charged with blocking the all-seeing eye of someone's Sony Handycam. Fortunately for us, they failed. The driver of this particular prototype XF-R couldn't keep his foot off the throttle, as at different points in the video you hear the growl of a big displacement V8 and the accompanying scream of a supercharger. Other than vents in the hood to let that 5-liter V8 breathe, the body modifications look to be exceptionally tame. With 500 horsepower, however, its acceleration should be quite the opposite.
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Less than two months after Jaguar XF-R spy shots (followed by a second set) emerged, our man on the ground at the Goodwood Festival of Speed spotted the real thing doing double-time in front of the crowd. He was quick enough to snap five good shots of the fast cat at speed. Power is speculated to be in the 500 hp range, courtesy of a supercharged 5.0-liter V8. Riding on performance rubber wrapped around 20-inch wheels, the sleek sedan will be sure to sink claws into its German rivals when it rolls into showrooms next year.
The two sedans may look like Jaguar S-Types, but according to Fast Lane Daily's spy shot A-Team, they aren't. They are actually XF-R mules disguised as S-Types with large wheels and big, bulging fender flares. They were caught during hot weather testing recently in Death Valley, U.S.A., and FSD reports that their engines did not sound supercharged, a la the XK-R. Rather, they sounded like the naturally aspirated V8 from the Aston Martin Vantage. Though they're not part of the same happy Ford family anymore, Jaguar could now buy engines from Aston Martin and not worry about stepping on the toes of its sister company. However, this is the first we've heard of the engine in the XF-R not being supercharged, so take it with a big grain of salt for now. Follow the jump to check out the latest episode of Fast Lane Daily that features more of these XF-R mules, and check out our own gallery of the XF-R prototype below.
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Yesterday we showed you the first clear spy shots of Jaguar's upcoming XF-R super sedan courtesy of CAR, but our own photogs have caught a black version of the cat driving around city streets in the UK, and we thought they'd be the perfect accompaniment to the tuna fish sandwich you're eating in your cubicle right now. We think the exterior mods are even more apparent on this car than the white one caught yesterday. Black tape can be clearly seen surrounding new hood vents and also adorns the more sinister front air dam that we're guessing gulpa a lot more air than the standard XF. The traditionally chromed vertical fender vents now match the jet black body color of the car, as do the new side sills that give it even more curves. New 20-inch wheels with a turbine-style design are fitted and project the appropriate degree of mechanical competence this car will offer, while quad exhaust tips out back complete the transformation. As we mentioned yesterday, speculation says power will be provided by a direct-inject, supercharged V8 producing 500 horsepower. The German super sedans must be at least a little worried, because not only will the XF-R be just as fast as them, in our opinion it looks a whole lot better, too.
As our First Drive suggests, the new Jaguar XF is the most fun you can have behind the wheel of a modern-day Jag, but that doesn't mean that Coventry is resting on its laurels. An XF-R prototype has been spotted undergoing testing and judging by the exterior mods alone, Jaguar has Germany's super sedans set in its sights.
The cloaked from fascia appears to get a set of larger air intakes on either side of the bumper, along with hood vents that hint at the beast that lies beneath. Car is speculating that Jag will use a direct-injected, supercharged 5.0-liter V8 to put out over 500 hp, while simultaneously keeping emissions in check. Other exterior changes include color-matched side sills (in favor of the chrome vents on the standard XF), a new 20-inch wheel design, quad tailpipes, a subtle rear spoiler and possibly a rear diffuser. Expect the Jaguar XF-R to make its debut sometime next year.
