In a nutshell? It feels sharp and ready to perform, with more grip and sharper responses than the XFR.
Fundamentally, the cabin is just as it was before. The basic dashboard architecture and the instruments are unchanged, as is the driving position, the round dial gear selector and the centre console. Look at the ceiling and seats, though, and XFR-S is quite different. There are swathes of Alcantara everywhere, while the seats feature R-S logos and offer a fair bit more support in all the right places.
As a result, the car feels more focused inside, even though it stops some way short of being a stripped-out hot rod. It strikes a lovely compromise, in fact, between the two, yet it seems more expensive inside because of this.
On the move, the first thing you notice is the steering. It’s heavier than in the XFR, quite a lot heavier, in a way that, to begin with, feels a little bit un-Jaguar-like. The rack is the same, so the change in effect is largely because of the new valving (although the bigger front tyres and different uprights also make a slight difference). But the result is that, instantly, the XFR-S feels… more alert, yes, but also more brutal and perhaps a touch heavier on its feet.
Either way, it immediately feels keener than the car on which it’s based. Put your foot down and the eruption of V8 sound that you expect to happen fails, initially, to materialise. So you introduce the pedal to the carpet properly and, wham, the XFR-S fires itself at the horizon with even more vim than you remember, although not that much more. It feels a little bit more energetic, especially towards the upper reaches of the rev range, but not by perhaps as much as you were expecting.
Jaguar claims 0-60mph in 4.4sec, with 0-100mph in “under nine” and a top speed limited to 186mph. Which is easily enough to level with a BMW M5. In the mid-range, it now has that rare strain of performance that is, for most of the time, more than enough for most people.
Not often do you open the taps wide in this car for more than a few seconds, but it’s nice to know it’s there all the same. And the effect is aided in this instance by the new eight-speed gearbox, which has a ratio for every occasion and then some. Between 2000rpm and 5000rpm, it makes the XFR-S feel notably more potent than the XFR.
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In those sideways shots
it looks more like a Vauxhall VXR8. For me this XFR-S is a step too far, an XFR is more than enough. Jaguar don't need to compete with the uber saloons and now they've started, where do they stop? 600bhp, 650bhp? They would do better focusing their efforts on other parts of the range and working on weight saving rather than more power.
lack of...
class look which other xf brought. horsepower delivered by a classy looking car is ncie mix and wonder why a brand like jaguar went away from this. i say it is a mistake
Jag pricing
The price is a bit of joke, Jag really are pushing the tolerance in regards to pricing- 10% more than rivals?, similar story to F Type. Pricing needs to be in line with competition.