Overview

Jaguar XKR-S Coupe

If Jaguar is serious about taking on Porsche, BMW and Mercedes-Benz then it has to be well… less nice, less polite, less British. For us here in Blighty it’s simply not cricket to flex muscle, display arrogance and attempt to blow the opposition into the weeds. So with the new Jaguar XKR-S, complete with more power, electronic wizardry, brutish looks and outright muscle, one suspects that Jag’s just got sick of playing bat and ball.

The XK, when it was introduced in 2006, proved to be a stylish, accomplished well-sorted machine and then, just to raise the bar, Jaguar built the XKR. The arrival of XKR-S suggests even more bewildering unBritishness. It’s a brutal, uncompromising car that aimed directly at the Porsche GT3 – a stripped-down monstrosity that’s held the monopoly on refined thuggishness for years. And it’s not just Porsche that Jag’s gunning for: the XKR-S will be happy to square up to the likes of the Merc AMGs and BMW M models too. Whatever next?

The XKR-S certainly looks the part and with a stark colour range – red, white, blue and black – it’s a member of the no-nonsense brigade. At the front there’s a revised nose with extra drama provided by side air ducts, a carbon splitter and a redesigned bumper that Jag describes as ‘imposing’. As you scan to the rear you’ll not fail to notice the less-than-subtle wing that is more than just window-dressing, helping to reduce lift and increase stability. Its presence on the tailgate is not just a technological necessity, it’s telling you that Jaguar is laying down a gauntlet to its German rivals and is not to be messed with.

In 2013 Jaguar got even more serious with a special XKR-S GT model, primarily aimed at North America and limited to a production run of 50 cars. Priced at £135,000, just 10 were allocated to the UK. It featured a special aerodynamics package for greater downforce, carbon ceramic brakes and a more focused suspension set-up.

All 10 of the GT editions are already sold, but does the ‘normal’ £97,000 XKR-S have what it takes to take on and beat Porsche and the rest of the power thugs? Read on for our full Jaguar XKR-S review to find out…