Jaguar's fleet at its Nürburgring Nordschleife engineering test centre has recently been expanded with the launch of its first 'Ring taxi. The new service is based on its latest long wheelbase XJ executive saloon, a car finished in non-standard matt grey paint, which has had both the Sport and Speed Pack option boxes ticked.
Appeal is boosted with the addition of the exterior Sport Pack, which adds a front splitter and a small boot spoiler to create extra downforce at high speed. Other additions come in the form of red brake callipers, gloss black finishes to its grilles and vents and 20-inch 'Venom' alloy wheels.
The Speed Pack has been added too, as this recalibrates the 503hp 5.0-litre supercharged V8 engine's management system - increasing the electronically limited top speed from 155- to 174mph. Along with these two packs, Jaguar has removed the luxuriously appointed heated and cooled seats and replaced them with racing buckets equipped with four-point harnesses. Coupled with the full bespoke roll cage, entry into the two rear seats is not one for the flexibly challenged.
The rest of the car is mechanically standard. Frank Klaas, JLR's Global Head of Communications said, "The XJ Supersports surprises with its speed simply because it is perceived as a large luxury car, but its aluminium architecture makes it a very good car on track."
Jaguar's road-going XJ Supersports is on sale now, priced from £91,080.
James Giddings - 8 May 2012