British thoroughbred at its finest.
Jaguar is a luxury car brand known worldwide for their classic shapes and that quintessential British engineering you rarely see in other cars manufactured in the UK. While Rolls Royce is still the epitome of the British automotive industry, Jaguar has captured the hearts of millions over the past 60 years. Their racing heritage is also very prestigious, the E-Type and the XJ220 being two of the most legendary sports cars in history. So today I’ll be review the Jaguar XFR, a perfect blend of elegant prestige and raw muscle power in one beautifully aggressive looking package.
The Jaguar XFR is a sports version of the regular executive-class XF, first introduced in 2008. Of course, the XF itself is classified by Jaguar as a Sports Saloon, already having a powerful 5.0 liter V8 as part of their options, but the XFR is something special.
Designed by Ian Callum, most famous for creating the Aston Martin DB7 and Vanquish, his modern designs have influenced the entire new range of Jaguars, from the XK to the XJ and, of course, the XF. At launch, the XF was the boldest design seen from Jaguar since the JX220, and it really helped lift the British marque’s image from just making old fashioned cars.
Compared to the regular XF, the XFR sees some extremely impressive changes. First of all it has a 5.0 liter Supercharged engine that makes 503hp and a neck-breaking 625Nm of torque. Complementing this incredibly monstrous engine is an aggressive looking, and highly tuned body.
The first thing you’ll notice is that the lights have been curved to the point of looking like Clint Eastwood squinting at you, asking if you’re feeling lucky. This holds true for all the 2012 XF models, though, so let’s look a bit closer at the XFR.
The front bumper maybe more noticeable with the large grills, helping the overall lowered stance of the XFR, but on the hood are also air vents with the word ‘Supercharged’ inscribed on them. Just in case someone mistakes it for the “regular” 5.0 liter V8. Of course, the large black mesh grill on the front also has the “R” insignia on it.
On the rear end the boot has a lip spoiler, four exhaust tail pipes and a respectably sized rear diffuser. The “R” badge appears once again. The other major change comes in the form of the 20-inch dark grey rims wrapped in Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tires and red brake calipers to complete the looks.
All in all, the XFR doesn’t look as gentlemanly as the regular XF or indeed the British Prime Minister approved XJ. It looks big and burly, eager to show off the chest hair, sounding mean and ready to pick a fight with anyone.
