The fastest and most powerful Jaguar since the iconic XJ220 will have a supercar price – and likely keep supercar company.
Its $340,000 window sticker makes it neatly $100,000 dearer than the XK-R on which it is based, and only $25,000 shy of the Porsche 911 Turbo and Maserati MC Stradale.
But this hasn't blunted the appeal of the most expensive XK coupe in the company's history; Jaguar Australia is holding three firm orders with up to a dozen more "serious expressions of interest".
Jaguar Australia brand manager Kevin Goult said that while the order intake was welcome news, the XKR-S was primarily designed to "create desirability" for the brand.
"[The XKR-S] is the car which says 'leave your pipe and slippers at home'. If you don't like the way it looks you won't like the way it drives," he said, echoing earlier comments from Jaguar's chief designer Ian Callum.
"A traditional Jaguar buyer wouldn't necessarily consider a 911 but now a 911 buyer now might look at one of these."
When asked if the XKR-S was a sign of things to come from Jaguar, he said: "We've always had our mojo, we forgot where we put it."
Australian deliveries are due to begin in September but the XKR-S was launched in Europe this week (click here for the launch review) amid a raft of changes for Jaguar's 2012 model-year line-up.
All XK coupe and convertible models get the same sleek headlights, revised front fenders and new LED tail-lights as the flagship XKR-S – as well as a price cut of almost $16,000 on some models.
Goult said some of the savings come from currency and some come from changes to equipment levels.
The 2012 model-year XKs have 10-way electrically adjustable seats (instead of 14-way) and a 1200-watt sound system (instead of 1400 watts).
Goult said the resale value of 2011 model-year XKs would not be dented by the price cuts because they are better equipped.
"We've created a new trim level, so we don't damage the old model," he said. "When it's a different spec, it's not apples with apples.
The XKR-S supercharged 5.0-litre V8 has the same power as the twin turbo 3.5 V6 in the XJ220 supercar of the early 1990s (404kW) but more torque (680Nm compared to the XJ220's 645Nm).
The XKR-S is the fastest model in the current line-up with a 300km/h top speed and a 0 to 100km/h time of 4.4 seconds (4.2 seconds for 0 to 60mph).
The XJ220 had a 0 to 60mph time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 359km/h in production car form by the end of its life in 1994.
2012 Jaguar XK pricing:
- XK Coupe $219,000 (was $224,115)
- XK Convertible $243,000 (was $247,215)
- XKR Coupe $239,000 (was 254,915)
- XKR Convertible $263,000 (was $278,215)
- XKR-S Coupe $340,000 (new model)
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