Jaguar XKR leap into purrfection

The Special Edition celebrates Jaguar’s 75th anniversary, and just 10 examples of this very special breed will be brought into the country. All will be Polaris White, and available for local delivery this month for $272,000 plus on-road costs – which is a comparatively slim premium of just $17,000 over the traditional XKR.

That 30 ‘extra’ kay per hour pushes the XKR firmly into supercar speed territory and is made possible just by recalibration of the engine management system. The 5.0-litre supercharged AJ-V8 Gen III R engine makes a mammoth wall of torque – 625Nm – and has the potential to do your neck in thanks to its 375kW peak power output.

From stopped to 100km/h takes just 4.8 seconds – far less time than it took you to read this sentence.  The power delivery can be brutal, but the rest of the car is opulent.

It’s features are too numerous to list, but the many highlights include: massive 20-inch Kalimnos alloy wheels, 16-way adjustable seats with heating and cooling functions, a Bowers & Wilkins 525-watt audio system with Dolby ProLogic II Surround Sound, three-channel stereo with a unique amp, Kevlar mid-range speakers and specially designed aluminium tweeters.

The XKR Special Edition even features the tyre-repairing Instant Mobility System, which does away with the need for a conventional spare tyre. It also frees up the 30-litre spare wheel well, which is now carpeted and can hold a bespoke XK accessory suitcase.

Also celebrating the marque’s 75th anniversary on the Jaguar stand at the Australian International Motor Show will be the XF V8 Anniversary Edition. This car is powered by a naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 producing 283kW and 515Nm, coupled with a six-speed automatic transmission that includes wheel-mounted paddle shifters for manual gear changes.

Full manual control of gearshifts is possible in manual mode – there is no automatic upshift even when the rev limiter is activated.  The XF V8 accelerates from 0-100km/h in just 5.7 seconds and can be yours for just $128,900 plus on-road costs.