| Test Drive | Jaguar XFR-S |
Key Facts
Model tested: Jaguar XFR-S
Pricing: £79,995
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8 petrol
Transmission: eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Body style: four-door saloon
Rivals: BMW M5, Maserati Quattroporte V8, Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG
CO2 emissions: 270g/km
Combined economy: 24.4mpg
Top speed: 186mph
0-62mph: 4.6 seconds
Power: 550hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 680Nm at 2,500- to 5,500rpm
Our view:
French Racing Blue paint may be love it or hate it, as indeed is the wing on the boot, but in my eyes the XFR-S is fabulous. That hue stands out in a world dominated by monochrome cars - albeit three of the five colours you can spec the XFR-S in are white, black and dark grey - and it's very hard to describe how luscious it is if you've not seen it in the metal, as photos don't do it justice. However, with the leaner front end of all facelifted XFs, beautiful 20-inch Varuna alloys and that colossal but well-judged rear spoiler (which reduces lift by up to 68 per cent), the coupé-like XFR-S looks as if it means serious business.
Inside is fantastic too and though some say the XF's once cutting-edge interior is now looking dated, I'd have to disagree. It's still fantastically well put together and appointed, while the theatre of the circular gear selector rising out of the dash as the air vents flip over on ignition entertained all passengers in the R-S during our time with it. The superb bucket seats trimmed in blue stitching and the thick steering wheel only add to the sense of grand occasion.
Press the pulsing red Start-Stop button and the uprated 5.0-litre V8 engine roars into life with an intoxicating flare of revs. Get underway and the early signs are promising. The ride is firm but not uncomfortable, the drivetrain - with a brilliant eight-speed 'Quickshift' automatic gearbox - ultra-refined, while the steering is weighty enough without being the last word in feel. The brakes are simply epic; you'll not find any situation where they're to be found wanting.
This is all well and good for Jaguar-esque ability to cruise, but take the XFR-S by the scruff of the neck and it goes stark raving mad. Even with traction fully engaged, it can still slip its massive bespoke rear rubber in wet conditions, meaning you have to be alert to keep it all on the straight and narrow. But, thanks to a chassis that has received a raft of improvements - incorporating revised geometry and knuckles, a power steering valve from the F-Type, stiffer bushes and springs and a beefier rear sub-frame - its handling is a revelation.
It finds immense traction in the dry where something with a goliath 680Nm has no right to, and the V8's pull is remorseless, with no forced induction drawbacks. You need to be more circumspect in less favourable conditions as the R-S is a real animal for the lead-footed, but dynamically it sparkles for so much of the time that you just end up grinning like a fool. This transition from cruiser to maniac is an absolute supersaloon prerequisite, in my opinion - and nothing I can think of does it better than the XFR-S.
Despite the fact it is a big, in-your-face gas guzzler in a colour that deliberately attracts attention, other drivers and bystanders responded entirely positively to it - one young couple in a new Beetle even felt compelled to drive right the way across a large car park specifically to tell me how much they liked 'my' car. As the only hand signals you'd get in an M5 or E 63 would be less than favourable, this acceptance of the XFR-S is not only surprising, it's also very gratifying.
It's not quite perfect, the R-S, especially if you crave a manual gearbox - although, in mitigation, none of its rivals possess such a thing. The steering is some way short of perfection and, as good as its muscular V8 soundtrack is, it never quite gets loud enough to match the promise of the exterior looks. It has the same 70-litre fuel tank as any other XF too, so, coupled with its thirst for super unleaded, the range is pitiful, plus it costs £79,995, which is more than the faster and better equipped BMW M5. But the Jag's flaws are so few in comparison to its many, many positives that it works its way into your soul nonetheless, and you quickly forget about any ideas of buying something Germanic.
The end result is that the XFR-S, in spite of one or two areas rife for improvement in a hoped-for XFR-S GT version, is by far and away Jaguar's best effort yet at a genuine supersaloon. It is way more engaging and likeable than the non-S version, without sacrificing too much ride comfort or Jaguar luxury. Over the course of a week, I fell for the R-S so much that the unthinkable has happened. Ask me what is the best supersaloon I've ever driven and the answer will no longer be 'BMW M5' - and, trust me, I can't pay the sensational XFR-S any higher a compliment than that.
Alternatives:
BMW M5: faster, better equipped, cheaper, a longer heritage... but somehow not quite as exciting or appealing as the XFR-S.
Maserati Quattroporte V8: something a bit different, but not as involving a car as it once was. Also costs £110,000...
Mercedes-Benz E 63 AMG: as above, but even less entertaining than the M5. It has a monumental soundtrack, however.
