Jaguar XKR-S at Geneva

The new Jaguar XKR-S

Jaguar reveals the XKR-S, a tweaked and sorted XKR with 542bhp, reprogrammed suspension and lots of attitude.

Jaguar XKR-S. A more powerful Jaguar XKR. More powerful than even the Jaguar XKR with Speed Pack we reviewed a few months ago. More horses than the limited edition Jaguar XKR 75 from last summer. The most powerful series production car Jaguar has ever made.

Which is a very good opener for Jaguar’s 2011 Geneva Campaign. And the Jaguar XKR-S is exactly what we told you last summer would be the production version of Jaguar’s Goodwood Special from 2009.

So far Jaguar has not been too forthcoming with details. We do know the Jaguar XKR-S will get a rather bountiful 542bhp – almost 10% up on the standard XKR. Jaguar also say the XKR-S will also get a ‘new, aerodynamically-driven design’ which we expect to incorporate much of what the Speed Pack currently offers – and then some.

It will also get the wick turned up to 186mph, giving the XKR-S full bragging rights in the 300kph club – as we predicted when the XKR 75 came along. Which won’t do sales in Germany and the rest of Europe any harm.

And it’s not just top speed that gets a boost, so too does acceleration. 0-60mph comes up in a spine-tingling 4.2 seconds and 100mph in just 8.6 seconds. It also conspires to emit less than 300g/km. Which at this level of performance is remarkable.

Jaguar has also tweaked the suspension to give better control and precision and the Adaptive Dynamics looks like it lets you play a lot more before it rescues you.

When we had the XKR with Speed Pack last year we did say that it came close to being a bargain Aston Martin DBS.

The XKR-S looks like it’s got there.