The 542bhp Jaguar XFR-S is a logical progression from the XFR, despite the garish paint job
With the new £79,995, 542bhp XFR-S, the excuses Jaguar has had up until now not to be compared with rivals from the likes of BMW’s M-division, Audi’s RS department and Mercedes’ AMG powerhouse come screeching to a halt.That’s because this time, Jaguar can, and indeed must, compete squarely with the BMW M5, Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and Audi’s new RS6. And if it can’t, well, the mission will have failed.The bottom line is that the XFR-S boasts no more power or performance than any of its key opponents from Germany, yet it costs a fair bit more than they do. Jaguar’s justification, of course, is that the XFR-S is a whole lot more than just a breathed-on XFR. Not only does its supercharged 5.0-litre V8 generate more power and torque – up from 503bhp and 461lb ft to 542bhp and 502lb ft – but the whole car has also been preened to deliver a quantifiably more vivid driving experience than that of the regular XFR.
The 542bhp Jaguar XFR-S is a logical progression from the XFR, despite the garish paint job
With the new £79,995, 542bhp XFR-S, the excuses Jaguar has had up until now not to be compared with rivals from the likes of BMW’s M-division, Audi’s RS department and Mercedes’ AMG powerhouse come screeching to a halt.That’s because this time, Jaguar can, and indeed must, compete squarely with the BMW M5, Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and Audi’s new RS6. And if it can’t, well, the mission will have failed.The bottom line is that the XFR-S boasts no more power or performance than any of its key opponents from Germany, yet it costs a fair bit more than they do. Jaguar’s justification, of course, is that the XFR-S is a whole lot more than just a breathed-on XFR. Not only does its supercharged 5.0-litre V8 generate more power and torque – up from 503bhp and 461lb ft to 542bhp and 502lb ft – but the whole car has also been preened to deliver a quantifiably more vivid driving experience than that of the regular XFR.