LA MOTOR SHOW: Jaguar XFR-S teased

Premium British car maker Jaguar will take the wraps off its BMW M5 rival, the XFR-S, at the 2012 Los Angeles International Auto Show on November 28. The XFR-S will be "the fastest and most powerful saloon Jaguar has ever produced," says the company.

To be shown alongside the new 2013 Range Rover and Jaguar F-Type, the XFR-S will be sold in limited quantities in the USA, with just 200 units for sale.

It's not yet clear whether the car will be a limited production vehicle on a global scale, and Jaguar Australia has not yet confirmed the car for local consumption.

At this stage Jaguar has confirmed that only one car will be imported to Australia, and only automotive journalists will be able to drive it.

Narine Salmasi, Marketing and Public Affairs Specialist at Jaguar Australia, told motoring.com.au "We've committed to bring in one press car for Australia".

Like the XKR-S coupe, Ms Salmasi explained that if the Jaguar XFR-S does get the green-light in Australia, it will likely be sold in a similar way to the XKR-S, via an "order based system". 

"It's not going to be a volume seller. It would go this way most likely if we did bring it in," she said.

As the second vehicle in the leaping cat's R-S range, XFR-S will make use of carbon fibre accents to denote its special status, as evidenced by the close-up teaser photo (pictured).

Pricing is also not yet known, but for the XFR-S to rival the M5 and E63 AMG on price, it'll need to be tagged lower than its XKR-S sibling's $340k, because the German super sedans are priced between $230k and $240k.

Power is expected to come from the same 5.0-litre supercharged V8 that powers the XKR-S, developing 405kW/680Nm, which will ensure it competes in the same arena as the best metal from Mercedes-Benz and BMW, the E63 AMG and M5 generating 386kW/700Nm and 412kW/680Nm respectively.

Jaguar is keeping its cards close to its chest until the official launch on November 28, but if the XKR-S is anything to go by, the new XFR-S should blitz the 0-100km/h dash in around 4.5 seconds.

As seen in previous XFR-S spy photos, the fastest Jaguar saloon ever built is fitted with aerodynamic ground effects to keep it glued to the road at high speeds, including a deeper, more assertive front apron, a mild rear diffuser to smooth out the air flow, and road-hugging side skirts. Larger wheels with top-spec tyres, up-rated suspension and big Brembo brakes are also on the cards.

Jaguar Land Rover North America President, Andy Goss, said the 2012 LA motor show will be one of the "most significant U.S. shows in years for Jaguar," as it represents not only the global debut of the XFR-S, but the US debut of the 2013 Range Rover and Jaguar F-Type.

"Jaguar Land Rover is making major strides to grow the business with highly targeted new products. The new Jaguar F-Type, Jaguar XFR-S and all-new Range Rover will all make a major impact, specifically in the United States, which will be the world's largest market for all three vehicles."

Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...