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Jaguar has taken the opportunity of the upcoming Geneva Motor Show to debut its latest creation: a 542bhp supercharged estate car. Internet, meet the Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake.
It's equipped with one of the world's finest V8s: Jaguar's supercharged 5.0-litre V8. It's the same engine stuffed inside the new F-Type R Coupe, and here produces the same 542bhp and 502lb ft of torque.
And with a new front bumper, front splitter, extended side sills, deeper rear arch mouldings, extended rear bumper, central diffuser and new 20in forged alloy wheels, you have to admit it's a looker.
The XFR-S SB, as we hope it'll never be known, will go from 0-62mph in 4.8 seconds and hit an electronically limited top speed of 186mph, which in anyone's book is plenty fast enough. Thing is, the competition gets to this benchmark significantly quicker.
Even ignoring the BMW M5 (because it's not available yet as a touring), the standard, non-4WD Mercedes E63 AMG estate does the sprint in 4.3s. Audi's bombastic RS6 Avant does it in a frankly eye-watering 3.9, nearly an entire second faster.
Mercedes E63 AMG vs Audi RS6
But, speed is speed. That engine gets four-valve cylinder heads, a lightweight aluminium block with cast iron liners, a Roots-type twin vortex supercharger with two intercoolers and larger front air intakes over the XFR saloon to let more air in. More air equals a bigger explosion. A bigger explosion equals more tyre-melting.
That V8 is matched to an eight-speed automatic gearbox (developed for the F-Type), and escapes through "near straight-through' exhaust pipes that provide a "motorsport-style" crackle on the overrun. Having driven the XFR-S saloon, we can vouch for the potency of this setup.
Smoking gun: Top Gear in the Jaguar XFR-S saloon
The XFR'S's rear suspension setup has been revised - new anti-roll bars, stiffer springs and bushes, retuned dampers, and a modified rear axle - while the whole car has been stiffened both front and rear by around 30 per cent over the standard XF. The brakes measure 380mm up front and 376mm at the back, there's additional cooling via under-body air channeling, an active electronic differential and stability control.
Not that you'll care with that V8 on soundtrack, but the XFR-S comes standard with an 825W, 18-speaker Meridian sound system. Oh, and it'll return a claimed 22.2mpg and emit 297g/km of CO2. Yours for £82,495.
Written By:- Vijay Pattni
More of this article on the Top gear website
