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By
EWAN KENNEDY
26 April 2010
Big
sports machines are one important area in which the Brits can
challenge the Germans and the Italians without feeling in any way
embarrassed.
Take the subject of this week’s road test for example. The
Jaguar XF R – the ‘R’ tells us it's from the
high-performance division of Jaguar that tackles BMW's M Division,
Mercedes' AMG and Audi's RS head on – has just been fitted with
a new heart. For 2010, the already good 4.2-litre engine from the
previous XF R has been replaced by an all-new supercharged
5.0-litre V8 punching out 500 horsepower, 374 kW, and a very
satisfying 625 Nm of torque.
This stunning powerplant propels the big XF R saloon from rest to
100 km/h in a mere 4.9 seconds. Not so many years ago there were
pure bred sports cars that couldn’t get off the line with that
much alacrity. Acceleration like this makes overtaking
ridiculously easy and ultra safe. The engine also makes a mockery
of the low speed limits with which we are lumbered in Australia as
it's obviously keen to run at normal motorway speeds of 130 to 140
km/h.
It's not just the big push in the back the new Jaguar V8 provides
that makes us smile when sitting beside this engine. Being
supercharged means you don’t get the irritating lag that plagues
turbocharged units. Put your foot down in the big Jag and it
responds virtually instantly – you want the car to go faster and
it does. Perhaps it's the control freak in me, but I like it like
that...
Then there's the exhaust note, a real cat-like snarl that's big in
quality as well as volume.
The feel of this supercharged 5.0-litre is something you have to
experience to really understand what it's all about. This engine
has the slight roughness in its throb that's made V8s the
preferred engines amongst muscle car enthusiasts since the 1930s.
Jaguar's engineers could have smoothed their engine out to the
extent that you would barely have realised that it was there –
but because they have a deep understanding of what V8s are all
about deliberately chose not to do so. We love it...
Sitting behind the new engine is a version of the ZF six-speed
automatic transmission that we have admired in so many other cars
– including our own home-grown Ford Falcon. This auto has been
re-tuned to suit the needs of the sporting driver who wants to get
the best from an R Jaguar. This results in very fast shifts that
really get the best from the blown engine. Those looking for silky
smooth shifting may be disappointed, that's because some sacrifice
has been made in shift quality in order to get maximum power to
the road as soon as possible.
For those who like having ratio control, the XF features F1 style
paddles on the steering wheel. One on the left for downshifts,
that on the right for upshifts. As is often the way, the paddles
are set too close to the steering wheel, so you can't get a proper
grip on the wheel for the full 360 degrees.
You don’t get this sort of performance without using extra fuel,
but the engineers have done a pretty good job in the efficiency
stakes. Expect your big supercharged Jaguar to use about 14 to 17
litres per hundred kilometres around town and when pushing it on
your favourite stretch of winding country road. This will drop
dramatically in easy motorway running and in gentle weekend
cruising on the open road, expect petrol consumption to be as low
as nine to eleven litres per hundred.
The big Jaguar does not sacrifice ride and comfort for handling.
The big cat grips, and grips hard no matter how hard you push it.
The Adaptive Dynamics System monitors body movements 100 times a
second, and wheel positions 500 times a second to instantly adjust
for optimum handling and ride. There's also active differential
control which limits slip between the rear wheels. This British
sports saloon really inspires driver confidence, but before
pushing it to extremes always remember that physics will win in
the end...
Jaguar XF R is relatively conservative in its appearance. Its
alloy wheels are 20-inch, and there are revised bumpers and lower
front air intakes, sill extensions, bonnet louvers, four tail
pipes and boot lid spoiler.
There's a `leaper' – a chromed leaping Jaguar – on the middle
of the boot. The grille and steering wheel centre feature the `roarer',
the roaring Jaguar emblem, leaving you in no doubt of the marque
you are driving.
The new Jaguar XF R is scintillating in its performance, but this
is at little cost to comfort. The ride is slightly firm, but
luxuriously comfortable, even across uneven country roads. This
Jaguar is just as at home on the open road as in the suburbs,
though it’s perfectly comfortable in peak hour traffic, its real
forte is eating up the miles on highways.
AT A GLANCE
MODEL RANGE
XF R 5.0-litre supercharged petrol four-door sedan: $204,990
FEATURES
ABS Brakes: Standard
Air Conditioning: Standard
Automatic Transmission: Standard
CD Player: Standard
Central Locking: Standard
Cruise Control: Standard
Dual Front Airbags: Standard
Front Side Airbags: Standard
Stability Control: Standard
Traction Control: Standard
SPECIFICATIONS (Jaguar XF R 5.0-litre supercharged four-door
sedan)
ENGINE:
Engine Capacity: 5.000 litres
Configuration: V8
Head Design: DOHC, four valves per cylinder
Compression Ratio: 9.5:1
Bore/Stroke: 92.5 mm x 93.0 mm
Maximum Power: 375 kW @ 6000-6500 rpm
Maximum Torque: 625 Nm @ 2500-5500 rpm
DRIVELINE:
Driven Wheels: Rear
Manual Transmission: Not offered
Automatic Transmission: Six-speed
Final Drive Ratio: 3.31:1
DIMENSIONS, WEIGHT AND CAPACITIES:
Length: 4961 mm
Wheelbase: 2909 mm
Width: 1877 mm
Height: 1460 mm
Turning Circle: 11.5 metres
Kerb Mass: 1891 kg
Fuel Tank Capacity: 69.5 litres
Towing Ability: 1850 kg with braked trailer
SUSPENSION AND BRAKES:
Front Suspension: Double wishbone
Rear Suspension: Multi-link
Front Brakes: Ventilated disc
Rear Brakes: Ventilated disc
PERFORMANCE:
0-100 km/h Acceleration: 4.9 seconds
FUEL CONSUMPTION:
Type:
Petrol 95RON
Combined
Cycle (ADR 81/01): 12.5 L/100km
GREEN VEHICLE GUIDE RATINGS:
Greenhouse Rating: 4/10
Air Pollution Rating: 6.5/10
STANDARD WARRANTY:
Three years/100,000 km
© Copyright
Marque Publishing Company
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