Roll over to preview

It was in this column way back in the January 2006 issue that I speculated about the possibility of Jaguar introducing low-volume, exclusive, high-performance versions of its current range. In short, I was all for it, my reasoning being that if the success of Mercedes’ AMG and BMW’s Alpina versions were considered, then there would be no shortage of Jaguar buyers willing to pay for greater exclusivity and performance than was offered by the marque’s already blisteringly quick ‘R’ models. After all, JaguarSport once did a healthy business. At that time the US had already received the first incarnation of the X350 XJ ‘Portfolio’, and in the two years that have passed since then the exclusivity angle of my original argument has been addressed by further XJ Portfolio models. Last year the XKR Portfolio also debuted, and the two latest additions to the Portfolio range – though not for the UK market – have just been announced in Geneva…where Jaguar also unveiled the 174mph XKR-S (see page six). Now, whereas the Portfolio models offer heightened luxury and limited numbers, but no more ‘go’, the XKR-S is a machine that tackles both exclusivity and performance facets at once. The XKR-S is the fastest production Jaguar since the XJ220, and only 200 will be made. Courtesy of revised suspension settings, huge brakes and quicker steering – not to mention some attractive, but effective, aerodynamic tweaks – it is billed to deliver ‘…the Jaguar enthusiast with an even more driverfocused high speed performance experience.’ It should be quite a machine. But could a version that offered less be even better? Bear with me here, let’s look at a few facts.