Jaguar XJR Review – Limo or Beast?

Jaguar recently announced that their flagship model will be undergoing some R treatment. This treatment would up the power and torque, lower the weight and enhance its appearance.

The end result? The Jaguar XJR. This car suffers from severe MPD (Multiple Personality Disorder), that’s in a good way of course. On one hand, it’s an Ocean Liner, on the other hand, it’s Superbike fast. Summing up this car will be very difficult indeed.

We’ve already driven the Jaguar XJ 5.0 Supersport and did not even once stop to think it needed more power, it was already sublimely fast, this however, is in a different league all together.

It uses the same 5.0 Supercharged engine in the Supersport, only it’s tuned to 550 PS. This outrageous horsepower is hauled by an eye-watering 680 NM torque.

We can go into performance figures all day, but that’s not this car’s party piece, it’s the way it absolutely devours corners.

Despite its shear size, the Jaguar XJR is incredibly light on its feet, making it feel unbelievable. You’d expect a car of this size and weight to handle like a barge, but it really doesn’t.

On a straight road, you’ll arrive at the end quicker than you assumed. Hit the Dynamic Mode button, knock down a few gears, floor the throttle, hear that V8 roar, then get ready to flip the paddle up into another dimension of speed, adrenaline and performance.

It’s incredibly tail-happy too, we tested the XJR on narrow and slippery country roads, and this thing just wants to hang its arse out and eat its own tyres up.

The XJR features a new front splitter and an aerodynamic sill section which is further supported by a boot-lid spoiler with additional ‘R’ bonnet louvres which lends the car stability at high speeds and a muscular, more aggressive stance on the road. New 20-inch ‘Farallon’ forged alloy wheels have also been bolted on with low-profile tyres to maximise grip.

The interior hasn’t been compromised by the immense power either, it’s still as opulent as Buckingham Palace. Special ‘R’ sport seats which feature semi-aniline leather and contrast stitching have been fitted to the XJR for maximum support and a choice of posh veneers just to keep that level of richness.

The driving position is spot-on too, you don’t feel like a chauffeur anymore; this time, you’re in control.

You still get the ridiculous 825 Watt, 17-speaker, Meridian Sound System which can pop your ears with the most clarified bass and vocals of any system.

The XJR? Bloody brilliant. Those expectations of it being a slightly faster Supersport has made me think twice about making assumptions. Well done Jaguar.