We'd consider giving up vital organs for the opportunity to drive any number of vehicles on the Nürburgring: supercars, racecars, track cars, even hot hatches... but a station wagon? That might not seem like a top choice at first blush, but this is no ordinary wagon. This is the Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake.
Adding performance to a car is rarely cheap – whether you're looking to do it yourself or rely on the factory to do it for you. In the case of the new Jaguar XFR-S, the cost differential over an already-impressive (and somewhat expensive) XFR is a stout $16,800. Auto Express recently got a hold of both cars to see whether that price pays off on the track.
It was Steve Sutcliffe at Autocar who got the tough job of comparing the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG to the limited edition Jaguar XFR-S on the track and sheep-strewn British B-roads. In UK spec both Mephistophelean sedans wrangle the same 542 horsepower, but step out of the corral and things look to weigh heavily in the Mercedes' favor: it has more torque, it's lighter, it's quicker from 0-to-60 and it's less expensive.
This is the Jaguar XFR-S Sportbrake, which is too cool for North American sale (the Sportbrake, not the XFR-S sedan, which we're getting soon). Like the XFR-S four-door, it has a 5.0-liter, supercharged V8 pumping out around 550 horsepower.
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If there's something wrong about a sedan with a 550-horsepower supercharged V8, we don't want to hear about it. Instead, we want to marvel at the car in person, which is fortuitous because Jaguar has officially unveiled the 2014 XFR-S at the 2012 LA Auto Show. That blown 5.0-liter V8
There's little question that the Jaguar XFR (pictured above at left) is an impressive cat, indeed. Five hundred horsepower and a healthy dose of British charm will do that for you, after all. The trouble is that with around 550 hp apiece, the Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and BMW M5 are that much more impressive. And so Jaguar is reportedly working
The latest BMW M5, Jaguar XFR, Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG and Porsche Panamera S all have lots of things in common. They all have four doors, V8 engines underhood, hail from high-end European automakers known for luxury and performance and can all be had for a wee bit under $100,000.
There are plenty of attributes we associate with Jaguar. Luxurious, powerful and attractive all spring readily to mind, but we're not sure we'd tie the world "playful" to the brand. Jaguar seems to think otherwise, and has released a new ad showing three of its most sultry models frolicking about in jungles both natural and urban. The spot ends with the tagline "Welcome To Our Jungle," though Axl Rose and Slash are conspicuously absent.
When is a Jaguar XFR not a Jaguar XFR? When it's an XFR-S, that's when. So while this vehicle may look like your standard supercharged Jaguar sedan, it's actually a British rocket aimed – in a bit of role reversal – squarely at Germany.
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