The Jaguar 'R' brand
The 'R' badge adorns the flagship performance models in theJaguar range. It denotes cars that are effortlessly thrilling,technically state-of-the-art and dramaticallydesigned.
First engineered by Jaguar 25 years ago, the 'R' cars each havea focus on dynamic ability that heightens driver reward on theroad, yet with an approach that means they are still practical foreveryday use.
With a distinctive, louder soundtrack that promises higherlevels of performance from start-up, the 'R' cars are designed toempower rather than overpower, adding excitement and enhancingdriver enjoyment.
Acceleration is dramatic and precisely delivered, whilelevels of body control, steering precision and high-speed stabilityare significantly enhanced. Uprated aerodynamics, improved agilityand a more responsive feel elevate the driving experience, whiledistinctive design and high quality sporting materials and finishesgive the cars instantly recognisable and purposeful looks. All ofwhich comes without compromise to the high levels of comfort andluxury that Jaguar is traditionally known for.
The Jaguar R-S models, through technical and performanceupgrades, add further to the sporting specifications of the 'R'cars, while the limited edition Jaguar GT models are the ultimatevehicles, with inspiration taken from the race track to createfocused, performance cars with an emphasis on dynamic ability andspeed.
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In the beginning…
The very first Jaguars to bear the R badge were the XJR racingcars which campaigned in the World Sportscar Championship andAmerican IMSA series from 1983. The best-known was the JaguarV12-powered XJR-9 in which Andy Wallace, Johnny Dumfries and JanLammers took victory at Le Mans in 1988, the first Jaguar win sincethe D-type success of the 1950s. The same year, Martin Brundle wonthe WSCC in his XJR-9 by a record margin, and he too would go on towin Le Mans in the closely related XJR-12 in 1990.
Jaguar's racing partner TWR had successfully campaignedthe XJ-S in the European Touring Car Championship, and had builtsmall numbers of tuned road cars inspired by its racing cars andbadged XJR-S. In the midst of the 1988 season, Jaguar decided todevelop the R badge officially, and established JaguarSport as ajoint venture with TWR to build low-volume, high-performance,R-badged road cars. Later, it would take their design and buildentirely in-house.
Now, a quarter of a century later, Jaguar can look back ata long line of fast, powerful yet always graceful R cars, andforward to future models with levels of technology and performancethat those who engineered the originals couldn't haveimagined.
Martin Brundle on how Jaguar's racing success in thelate '80s led to the success of the R cars:
"It was hardcore racing back then. There was hugecompetition between the manufacturers and the fans loved thoseGroup C cars. Everything was right about it. When I look back now,it was just one of the great periods in racing, like Group B inrallying or the turbo era in Formula 1.
"The cars were monsters. It still makes the hair stand upon the back of my neck when I hear those Jaguar V12s start up atGoodwood. The fans knew the drivers were working hard to tame them.Our success was all down to that engine. It was lovely. It had somuch torque you could just trundle down the pit lane in topgear.
"It felt pretty amazing standing on the podium at Le Mans.I remember the emotion, the elation, and feeling pretty drained ofenergy all at once. But the support was extraordinary; even hoursbefore the finish you could feel the crowd getting engaged in a wayyou just don't see much in Formula 1. And the enthusiasm from theBrits for Jaguar was amazing; Le Mans just becomes a corner ofFrance that we rent for the weekend. Standing on the podium Iremember one fan just draped in the Union Jack, and nothingelse.
"In terms of developing the brand, the racing was hugelysuccessful. A lot of carmakers would love to have that kind ofsuccess. And it was a true works effort; something Jaguar created,invested in and had control over. Motorsport really does improvethe breed. Of course there's lots of stuff in your road car thatyou won't find in a race car, like airbags and your iPodconnection. But there's plenty of knowledge that comes the otherway from having a race team; developments in tyres, aero andsuspension are often driven by motorsport, and smart companies makeuse of that knowledge. It would have been a crime if Jaguar hadn'ttaken that knowledge and that success and put it into ahigh-performance brand.
"My favourite is the XFR. That's what I drive now. It's anincredible bit of kit. It's got feel, grip and performance, but thebottom line is that a Jaguar has to be supple, or it shouldn't havethe badge, and the XFR does all of that."
The cars
1988-1993 XJR-S, 1143 made
"One of the great driving cars of our time. Fast, refinedand endlessly satisfying to drive, some will deem that powerhouseengine alone to be worth the cost of the car."
Autocar & Motor, 12 Feb 1992, p61
The 25-year lineage of Jaguar's official R-badged roadcars started in August 1988 with the launch of the XJR-S.JaguarSport, a joint venture with race team TWR, assembled theXJR-S at a dedicated plant near Oxford. The first hundred werebadged 'Celebration' models and commemorated Jaguar's 1988 Le Manswin and its domination of that year's World Sports Carchampionship. Finished in Tungsten Grey, they had the image of anXJR-9 stamped into their rear wing and sold out within days. In1989 a 6.0-litre V12 replaced the 5.3 of the early cars; at firstboasting 318bhp and then 333bhp, its 362lb-ft of torque was morethan a contemporary
Ferrari Testarossa offered. The three-speed automaticgearbox was remapped, and the suspension stiffened and equippedwith Bilstein dampers. Jaguar would later offer a 6.0-litre V12 inits standard range, but the XJR-S would remain the most powerfulofficial road-going XJ-S, and a fitting high-point in the neartwenty-year career of this great grand tourer.
1988-1994 XJ40 XJR, 1243 made
"The XJR is all control, grip and accuracy… If this were aschool report the conclusion would be: good first effort. Will goonto great things."
Autocar & Motor, 24 May 1989, p61
The XJR was revealed in October 1988 and was be the first ofmany Jaguar saloons to carry the XJR badge. It established one halfof the formula for its successors right from the outset, itsrevised suspension and steering delivering sharper handling withoutcompromising a Jaguar saloon's essential suppleness. It wasvisually distinctive too, with a more aerodynamically efficientbodykit, and less chrome, with colour-keyed trim and a matt-blackgrille. The other half of the R formula - considerably more power -would come just a year later with a new 4.0-litre straight-sixengine modified by JaguarSport to give 251bhp, up seven per cent onthe standard car. The R saloon had arrived: it's now impossible toimagine the Jaguar range without one.
Jim Randle, former Jaguar Chief Engineer, on developingthe first R cars:
"Jaguar had developed a small turbocharger with a good torquecurve, and of course we used them on the XJ220, but I likesupercharging. The fact that they give such a nice torque curve isvery attractive, especially in a Jaguar. But for me, ride was thekey issue with the R-badged cars. It's the cornerstone of what aJaguar is all about. The first XJR was a very careful medley, andin some respects I think the ride and handling balance was evenbetter than in the standard cars, as the primary control wasbetter."
1994-1997 X300 XJR, 6547 made
"Probably the best saloon car in the world… Couple the chassis'brilliance with the engine's massive urge and a cabin unsurpassedfor sheer class and you have what must be the goal of every luxurycar maker."
Performance Car, Nov 1994, p81
The new XJ was a critical car for Jaguar. An R version was partof Jaguar's DNA, and part of the new XJ range, from the outset. The326bhp, 4.0-litre XJR was the first supercharged R car, this methodof forced induction being judged a better provider of theeffortless performance required of a fast Jaguar than peakyturbocharging. The new XJR offered 78bhp more than the outgoingcar, and more even than the 6.0-litre V12 also offered in the newXJ. Its 0-60mph time dropped below six seconds: 'just about asquick as you can go with four doors around you,' as one testernoted at the time. There were plaudits too for the looks, the rideand the handling, but that performance set this car apart from itsrivals and the rest of the XJ range. Only available for two yearsbefore the new V8 arrived, this XJR was hugely significant, and isfondly remembered.
1997-2002 X308 XJR, 15,303 made
"This has got to be the ultimate getaway car; enough room for abig swag bag and little else on the road that will keep pace."
Autocar, 10 Sept 1997, p55
Just three years after the last XJR had been unveiled, Jaguarlaunched a supercharged version of its new AJ-V8 engine. It weighed20kgs less than the outgoing straight six yet produced 370bhp -44bhp more. Fitted to the revised XJ - dubbed the X308 insideJaguar - this engine propelled the new XJR to 60mph in asupercar-standard 5.3 seconds and required the fitment of Jaguar'sfirst electronic speed limiter. Set at the same 155mph as theoutgoing car, without it the XJR would hit over 170mph. But itretained the grace that ought to characterize a Jaguar, the CATSadaptive suspension introduced on the XK helping to provide bothhigh-speed stability and city-centre comfort; one tester praisedthe all-round double-wishbone set-up as a 'model of refinement'.And all this additional performance and technology added just twoper cent to the price of the outgoing car. No wonder this modelproved so popular.
1998-2006 XKR, 23,791 made
"Driven with restraint, this car is as peaceful andeffortless as an XK8, but full-blooded acceleration is in anotherleague."
Autocar, 6 May, 1998, p35
The first XKR arrived in 1998 to a rapturous reception from themotoring press, and stayed in production for longer than anyR-badged car to date. At launch it was the fastest-acceleratingstandard-production Jaguar ever made, and the fastest car on salewith an automatic gearbox. It used the same 370bhp, 4.0-litresupercharged Jaguar AJ-V8 as the XJR saloon, and like the saloonkept the visual clues to its performance subtle: bonnet louvres forbetter cooling, red badges bearing the 'supercharged' script,one-inch bigger wheels and a tiny lip spoiler at the rear.Displacement increased to 4.2 litres and power to 400bhp in 2003,and limited-run versions included the XKR100, built to celebrateSir William Lyons' centenary, and the final XKR 4.2S of2005.
2002-2007 S-TYPE R, 8043 made
"The S-TYPE R makes you feel like you're in league with it. Thatyou're jointly getting away with something slightly illicit and alot of fun, that it's egging you on as you are at it."
CAR, April 2002, p93
The S-TYPE R was, when it arrived, the fastest, most powerfulsaloon Jaguar had ever made, getting the uprated 4.2-litre, 400bhpversion of the supercharged AJ-V8 engine from launch; it was laterfitted to the XJR and XKR. As Jaguar's range grew, so did the Rline-up: with the launch of the S- TYPE R it extended to three carsfor the first time, as it still does today. And the smaller saloonwas every bit the R car. As with the other two cars, the suspensionand brakes were uprated with help from Bilstein and Bremborespectively, while the rear bulkhead was re-engineered to give a14 per cent gain in torsional rigidity. A deservedly popularsuper-saloon, more than 8000 found homes over fiveyears.
2003-2010 X350/X358 XJR, 7316 made
"The astonishing thing about the XJR is just how easy it is todrive fast. The secret is its light weight. And its superbsuspension. And its excellent supercharged V8. It's a four-doorstealth racer wrapped in gentleman's garb."
CAR, December 2003, p83
The first Jaguar with aluminium monocoque construction, thebodyshell of the seventh-generation XJ was 140kgs lighter than itwould have been in steel, yet 60 per cent stiffer. At one end ofthe line-up, its light weight allowed Jaguar to reintroduce thesix-cylinder XJ6. At the other, it allowed the creation of thefastest standard-production Jaguar ever in the new XJR (sports carsincluded, but XJ220 excluded) with the 400bhp AJ-V8 engine used inthe XKR and S-TYPE R producing a 0-60mph time of five seconds dead.And the lighter, stiffer structure allowed the chassis of thelatest XJR to offer an even broader span of ability than before,with incisive handling mated to fabulous steady-state ride comfort.The stiffer structure simply gave the CATS-controlled suspensionwith its Bilstein dampers a more stable, consistent platform towork from. The new XJ was a bigger, more spacious car, but the newXJR felt no less agile as a result.
2006 - XKR
"Let's not beat about the bush. The revised Jaguar XKR is nowone of, if not the best, sports GTs money can buy."
CAR, May 2009, p42
The supercharged version of the current, all-aluminium XKboasted a 420bhp version of the 4.2-litre V8 which, when allied tothe low mass of the new body, dropped the 0-60mph time to underfive seconds. When the third generation of the AJ-V8 engineappeared in 2009 with 380bhp in standard, naturally-aspirated form- more power than the supercharged car had until 2003 - the R hadto move the game on again. It did so with its 5.0-litre, 510PS,461lb-ft unit that rocketed the XKR to 60mph in 4.6sec and on to alimited 155mph top speed. Low-volume special editions have includedthe XKR Portfolio, with its massive 400mm front discs, the biggestfitted to a production Jaguar, and the XKR 75, built to celebratethe firm's 75th anniversary, which boosted power to 530PS and topspeed to a (still limited) 174mph. Just 75 were made, but it showedthat the R badge could be pushed a little furtherstill.
2009 - XFR
"I'll spare you the suspense. The new Jaguar XFR isbrilliant."
Autocar, 18 Feb 2009, p28
The R version of Jaguar's acclaimed XF arrived in 2009 with apower output that started with a 5 for the first time in astandard-production saloon Jaguar, and a sub-5 second 0-60mph time.The press agreed that the raw numbers translated into a car thatfelt sensational to drive. The new CVD continuously variabledamping system meant the XFR rode 'serenely' according to CAR, andthe quicker steering ratio and electronically controlleddifferential made it 'incredibly agile' and allowed that vast powerto be deployed with confidence. The XFR's price and power outputpitched it straight into competition with super-saloons from theother premium makers. The car magazines were quick to organizecomparison tests, which the XFR won. "It genuinely offers somethingto the enthusiast driver, feels faster more of the time, has a muchbetter transmission, costs less and is more economical," said CARafter giving the victory to the XFR in a grouptest with itsrivals.
2011 - XKR-S
"Finally I can get deep into that throttle, and the superchargedV8's thunderous bass soundtrack… the big GT's grip is mighty, itsbody control firm and flat and its brakes don't go off despiteprovocation. It has a mighty span of ability, the XKR-S."
CAR, November 2011, p107
The Geneva motor show has always held a specialsignificance for Jaguar. The 1961 show marked the debut of theiconic E-Type; in 2011 Jaguar marked the 50thanniversary of that occasion with the launch of anotherextraordinary sports car; the XKR-S. Created by Jaguar's ETOdivision - as was the convertible which arrived later in the year -the R-S badge signifies a level of performance above the R-badgedmodels, and which engineers working on the first R cars a quarterof a century ago would have thought impossible to combine with thegrace any Jaguar saloon or coupe should always display. The XKR-Shas the same power output - 550PS - as the special-production XJ220of 1993, an output thought shocking at the time. The XKR-S willrocket from 0-60mph in 4.2sec, and is the first series-productionJaguar to hit 300km/h. But while the performance is uncompromising,the car is largely uncompromised. Computational fluid dynamics havehelped create an aerodynamic package that cuts lift by 26 per cent,and the sophisticated, recalibrated Adaptive Dynamics packageprovides both low speed refinement and extreme high-speed precisionand stability. The XKR-S may boast some extreme figures, but atheart it is still a Jaguar.
2012 - XFR-S
The shock of putting an engine with the same output as the XJ220hypercar into a coupe could only be topped by putting it into asaloon. So that's what the ETO team has done. The XFR-S is thesecond car to receive the R-S badge from ETO. The already mightyXFR has been comprehensively rethought. It gets the same 550PS,5.0-litre V8 as the XKR-S, the extra power liberated by revisedintake and exhaust systems at no cost to fuel consumption oremissions. The aural performance has been improved too, with asymposer that allows the best of the soundtrack into the cabin, anda rear exhaust system that gives a fierce crackle on the over-run.The suspension and transmission draw on what Jaguar learnt with theXKR-S and F-TYPE; from the former the XFR-S takes its beautifulmilled-aluminium bespoke suspension parts; from the latter itseight-speed Quickshift transmission. The same computational fluiddynamics work has created a largely carbon-fibre aero package thatcuts lift by an extraordinary 68 per cent; necessary when thissaloon car has tobe electronically restrained to186mph, or 300km/h. This level of performance in a saloon car makesthe XFR-S arguably the most significant R car yet fromJaguar.
Mike Cross, Jaguar Chief Engineer, on what he wantedfrom the XFR-S:
""I like a fast saloon," says Mike Cross. "I drive an XFRmyself, so this was a great programme to work on. We wanted moredriver focus, and a more extreme flavour, but without throwing awaythat traditional Jaguar brand DNA. It still had to feel as good at30mph as it does at very high speeds. It had to be safe,comfortable and refined. It still had to be recognisably a Jaguar.But to deliver that extra confidence and precision we might beprepared to make the ride a little tighter and allow a little moreroad noise."
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