Jaguar has revealed complete specifications and prices of its upcoming special operations F-Type SVR ahead of its unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show next month.
The new big cat will cost £110,000 for the hard top coupe, representing a premium of about £20,000 over the all-wheel drive F-Type R V8 it is to replace.
The large premium should be worth it, though. The SVR raises the bar on Jaguar's current range-topping F-Type R AWD, its 567bhp output some 25bhp more than the 542bhp on offer at the top of the F-Type stable at the moment, while the 200mph top speed claimed by Jaguar will put it way out in front as the fastest Jaguar on sale. It goes from 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds and torque reads out at 516lb ft. In comparison, the AWD R tops out at 186mph and is almost half a second slower to 62mph from a standing start.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Latest Videos FromThe Week
Powering the SVR is a 5.0-litre supercharged V8 mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox which drives all four wheels. It's the same engine as the limited-edition Jaguar Project 7, of which just 250 were built with a £135,000 price tag, and joins it as the joint most powerful Jaguar road car made. Top Gear says the SVR's all-wheel drive system means it should behave in comparison to the Project 7, "a car that required either a delicate throttle foot or a massive tyre budget".
The car will be offered as either a coupe or slightly slower convertible. The drop-top version will start from £115,485, but it falls short of piercing the 200mph barrier with a top speed of 194mph and is slightly slower off the line to 62mph.
Both versions feature a raft of fresh aerodynamic appendages. There are new inlets at the front as well as a larger and upgraded front splitter and extra venting to allow more air to the cooling system.
At the back, an active rear wing sits on the boot lid, with a larger rear diffuser tailing off from the flat underfloor. The wing can reduce lift by up to 80 per cent but needs to be lowered in order for the F-Type SVR to hit 200mph.
Stopping power will be provided by a set of carbon-ceramic brakes that also save 46lbs. A firmer suspension set-up is on the way and a titanium exhaust system gives the SVR a louder bark than the standard F-Type, as well as saving weight. Slight interior revisions dress the cabin, with quilted sports seats, lots of SVR badging and a new steering wheel.
The F-Type SVR is the first Jaguar to roll off Jaguar Land Rover's Special Vehicle Operations production line and US magazine Road & Track says the division's hard-core versions of Jags and Land Rovers are beginning to signal a bold future for the company.
"The F-Type SVR gives us a glimpse at how Coventry wants to take on the likes of offerings from Mercedes-Benz's AMG or BMW's M division", says the mag, adding they like what they see.
