- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
5.0SC, 8 cyl.
- Engine Power
423kW, 700Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (95) 11.1L/100KM
- Manufacturer
RWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
3 Yr, 100000 KMs
- Ancap Safety
NA
2018 Jaguar XJR575 review
Ditch the chauffeur, this is a limo you'll want to drive
If science has lost some of its authority in our post-truth, Trump-flavoured world, the Jaguar XJR575 could be the thing that reinstates it. This is a car that makes you feel the raw power of physics. Whether from a standing start or mid-drive at 100km/h, one small injection of throttle will jerk you back into the seat, the visceral change in movement chopping you in the solar plexus.
Experiment over. Buy a ‘I F**king Love Science’ bumper sticker. When the meatiest and fastest model in Jaguar’s XJ luxury sedan range arrives in Australia in the first quarter of next year priced at $306,475 (plus on-road costs), all the talk will be around its imperial engine, and rightly so.
It’s Jaguar’s much-respected 5.0-litre V8 supercharged petrol unit but now with an extra 19kW, elevating power to 423kW at 6250rpm, with 700Nm of torque at 3500rpm. It will catapult the car – and it actually feels like you’ve been fired from an invisible slingshot – from 0-100km/h in just 4.4 seconds, eventually topping out at 300km/h.
Well, these are the figures listed in Jaguar’s technical specifications at least. Could this be the first time a car company has undersold itself? Because, seriously, the XJR575 feels like it has endless veins of power and torque just waiting to be mined, even at speeds in excess of 160km/h. It just keeps on giving.
The peculiar thing is the XJR575 doesn’t go about its business in a vulgar, boisterous manner – that wouldn’t be the Jaguar way. Similar to the XF Sportbrake we tested the previous day on the launch in Portugal, it retains a level of decorum even at high performance levels, and the changes through its eight-speed auto are fluid.
What aren’t unsubtle are the exterior colour schemes exclusive to the XJR575; Velocity Blue and Satin Corris Grey, the latter so hardcore it looks like it’s used to paint Russian nuclear submarines. It’s almost too extreme for a car that, thanks to its rear spoiler, low air intakes and twin bonnet louvres, already bristles with toughness.
Seduced by all of this glorious power, it’s easy to forget that the XJR575 is the luxury item in Jaguar’s most luxurious range. The cabin is a mix of leathers and veneers that feels as modern as it does premium. Eyes will immediately be drawn to the diamond-quilted sports seats, so gorgeous nobody would care if they were as comfy as a commode (FYI: they’re not).
Standard entertainment/infotainment kit includes sat-nav, a Meridian sound system, Apple and Android connectivity and the XJ’s Touch Pro infotainment system, which like a smartphone can be swiped, scrolled, pinched or zoomed.
But as usual with Jaguars, the options list is exhaustingly long, and just looking in its direction will add a wedge to the final price. At least all the important driver safety features come as part of the standard package; emergency brake assist, surround camera system, blind-spot assist, lane-departure warning and more.
None of these electronic hand-holders had to be summoned on our drive in the countryside outside Porto in southern Portugal, thankfully – mainly because the roads were eerily empty, even on the weekend. The result was near-perfect driving conditions, in which the XJR could show off its epic grip and handling on zigzagging tarmac, holding firm and composed through tense bends.
The only small downer is its heavy, slightly flat steering feedback. And despite the great driving dynamics, at 1875kg there’s no disguising that this is a chunky car, with a rear-wheeler’s tendency to wiggle its tail on occasions. Still. Nothing that can’t be fixed one day by science.
Writer: Vince Jackson
2018 Jaguar XJR575 Price and Specifications
On sale: First quarter of 2018
Price: $306,475 plus on-road costs
Engine: 5.0 litre V8 supercharged petrol
Power: 423kW
Torque: 700Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto, RWD
Fuel use: 11.1L/100km combined