Driving Jaguar’s new XFR, on the Road and on the Track
I have recently had the opportunity to drive the new Jaguar XFR on the road and on a race track. With the XFR competing directly against the BMW M5, which I have also had the opportunity to drive on the track and on the street, it only made sense to evaluate the XFR while using the M5 as a measuring stick. Due to the large amount of BMW content on this site, some may call me a BMW fanatic, but the truth is that so much of the automotive industry does in fact look to and follow the BMW concept. Below is a look at what makes the M5 unique and what Jaguar is trying to capture with the XFR, does it work?
First introduced in the United States as a 1988 model year, the M5 took the automotive world by storm, out-performing many so-called exotic sport cars while being able to comfortably transport four passengers and their luggage. Its replacement, the E34 M5, build up on the idea of performance sport sedan but in a more modern and luxurious version. While the two cars have become icons of their time, they went relatively unanswered by the competition until the epic E39 M5. Arguably one of the best looking BMWs ever was now supplemented by a 400-horsepower V8 engine and a chassis to match. Once again, the automotive world was in shock, but this time however, the competition took notice. Most notably, Mercedes-Benz introduced its E55 sedan and Audi came out swinging with the S6. It did not just end there, other manufacturers took aim at the M5 too, such as Cadillac with its first generation CTS-v, Jaguar with the S-Type R, and even Volvo with the S60 R wanted a piece of the uber-sedan market. Some of these cars may have been faster, had more gadgets or more room, but none of them summed up all those qualities quite as well as the M5.
Time stopped again in July 2004 when BMW introduced the fourth generation of the M5, the E60. You could almost hear the competitors drop when they learned of a 507-horsepower V10 engine and a 7-speed SMG transmission. If the drive- train’s straight shot did not knock them out, the handling and chassis balance upper-cut/hook combo did the trick. Mercedes and Audi kept adding onto their cars; more cylinders, turbos, gears, more of everything. Some have totally quit the game, while others such as Cadillac and Jaguar decided to start with brand new designs. Five years later the CTS-v is supposedly few hundredths of a second faster than the BMW and it is cheaper too! Now it is Jaguar’s turn, with the “more-powerful-than-the-M5” 510-horsepower XFR.
The Car
Jaguar XF made its debut as a 2008 model year. Uniquely styled, the XF is different and original without being offensive, a combination rarely seen in today’s automotive market. Until now it was available with two versions of a DOHC 4.2-liter V8 engine; a naturally-aspirated 300-horsepower and a supercharged 420-horsepower version. New for 2010 is the XFR, which features a brand new direct-injected and supercharged 510-horsepower 5-liter V8 engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission. With electronically controlled suspension, paddle shifters, hood vents, and quad exhaust pipes, Jaguar makes no secrets regarding who it is going up against.
Inside, the unique styling continues with the dash which is laid out clearly and logically. Looking to put the car into gear, one notices the lack of a conventional shifter which has been replaced by a five position gear-selecting knob that lowers itself even with the console when the ignition is turned off. While automotive media paints this knob as a gimmick, Jaguar will tell you that it was selected because it is more intuitive to use than other electronically controlled shifters, such as those of current 5-series. Many vehicles in this class have adopted a version of BMW’s iDrive, but Jaguar decided play it safe and to go with a touch-screen interface. The screen is used for audio, navigational system, and HVAC controls, supplemented by a set of dash and steering wheel mounted controls for commonly used functions. The screen itself is fairly easy to use, once you learn the location of each button, but with abundance of space around it, it is a mystery why Jaguar chose not to go with a bigger screen. Most will find the seats sufficiently supportive but the steering wheel will feel just slightly too thin. Visibility is good and the Bowers and Wilkins audio system rivals that of M5’s optional Premium System.
Once underway and driven in a sensible manner, the XFR feels solid and does a great job absorbing any road irregularities without being harsh in any way, yielding a more comfortable ride than the M5. Steering feels responsive and direct, making the Jag a very nice choice for a hilly back road. The engine seems very dynamic with an access of power very low in the rpm range. The Jaguar does not give you the same in-your-face power as the M5, perhaps because of the extra 300 pounds it is dragging around or perhaps because of the automatic transmission. Overall, the XFR makes for a very nice and very fast road car; composed, elegant and very British.
Track Driving
It takes careful design, extensive development, some compromise and a little bit of magic to make a comfortable road car transform into an impressive track car. The M5 has that magic; on the track it makes you believe that you are driving a much smaller vehicle, one that is almost designed for that purpose. And the Jaguar? Well, not so much. Those nice and supportive seats appear to lose their support, whereas the M5 seats keep you well planted. The suspension seems to be going on the defensive, trying to do whatever it can to keep the car horizontal while the tires want to say “you expect us to do what!?” and that is not the worst part. M5’s SMG transmission has received its share of poor reputation for being un-smooth, jerky and sometimes illuminating a little red cog on the dash, but the one place it shines is the track. The SMG’s gear changes are fast, direct and very mechanical in nature resulting in pure driving satisfaction. In the Jaguar that is not the case; perhaps it was limited to the car I drove, but on the track the automatic transmission seemed very slow, fluid in motion, and even with the paddles shifters felt downright disconnected. The brakes on the other hand, had excellent feel and showed no signs of fade. The Jag’s exhaust note at wide-open-throttle has a down right exotic tone.
Price
The exact sticker price was not available at the time of this writing, but expect the XFR to cost around $80,000. Where the Jaguar shines is in the fact that everything is included at that price; navigational system, smart key system, heated and cooled front seats, folding rear seat, sun shades, premium sound system with satellite radio, HD radio, and iPod control, and interior covered in rich leather with beautiful stitching. Similarly equipped M5 would sticker for approximately $95,000. Additionally, unlike the M5, the XFR is exempt from the gas-guzzler tax.
Conclusion
With the XF and any other new models, Jaguar has the unfortunate task of fighting a history of oil leaks, electrical gremlins and just a general poor reliability. Additionally, it is fighting a recession and the fact that the company itself was just sold by Ford to Tata Motors. Fortunately, the XFR is a phenomenal vehicle and will hopefully propel Jaguar into in a new direction. Typically, Jaguar buyers want looks and style, and the XFR definitely delivers in that department, however under the pretty wrapping buyers will find an extraordinary grand touring car, something you would drive from San Francisco to Monterrey, while staying clear of Laguna Seca.
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Looking at your shot of the XFR’s engine bay is a sad reminder how plastic covers have taken over! Can’t they show us some skin?
I think your comments on the XFR are on the track are completely off-base. I have driven the M5 extensively on the track at the BMW Performance Driving Academy, and recently have driven the XFR at the Jaguar R Performance Academy. I will tell you that the XFR can compete with the M5 any day on the track. There are differences, however.
The M5′s SMG was more mechanical, and on the track, with the engine screaming . . .it was cool. However, the deep V8 sound coming from the XFR holds it’s own, and even though the manual shifting on the XFR is a bit more disconnected in feel than SMG, it holds it’s own.
Other than that, the XFR felt extraordinarily like an XKR, but with a little bit more weight. The plus side was that it was so much more predictable, and therefore easier to drive on a track. The M5 was cool, but it’s lack of grunt down low, make it a chore to drive fast. Again, you don’t feel it as much on the track, but no matter where you are, you enjoy the torque on the XFR much more.
The M5 is awesome. I think the XFR is equally awesome, but addresses the issue of super sedan in a different way. It’s a different path to driving satisfaction. At that point, it turns on personal preference more than what is considered “better.”
Yea, perhaps it was the car I drove, but on the track I felt like the Jag was not giving me any feedback; the suspesnion seemed busy trying to keep the car flat, almost fighting the physics. The transmission was slow, it almost felt like the torque converter was slipping. It was a great car on the street.
I didn’t say that one was better than the other.
If it was a new XFR that would answer some questions. They feel slugish until you get about 800 to 1000 miles on ‘em. Once their broken in they really wake up. Same with the XKR. The shifting is lightning fast, the suspension tightens up and the motor becomes much more responsive. The difference from new to broken in is amazing.
dc – possibly but I clearly remember how the XFR felt on the track, down to a point where I was surprised that Jag even decided to launch in such surrounding.
However, having just spent a weekend with a new XKR Cabrio (review soon) I can admit that the engine/trans in this little kitty felt much different than the XFR, so perhaps there was something wrong with the XFR I was driving on the track, I don’t know anymore.
It seems as though BMW took a track car and tuned it for the street. Jaguar took a street car and tuned it for the track. I don’t think the XFR will ever be the track car that the m5 is. I bought the XKR and the XFR because I like em. I like that they’re tuned more for the street because that’s where I spend most of my time. If I wanted a track car I’d buy a Vette or maybe even a stripped down m3, which I may do since I’m thinking about joining the Spring Mt. Auto Park in NV. I’ll use the Jaaag to get there. Better yet a Radical!