25/1/2009 - Supercharged XFR is the fastest Jaguar ever at 225mph

Jaguar XFR Supercharged

Built to rival BMW's M5, Mercedes Benz's E63 AMG and Audi's RS6, the new Jaguar XFR looks every inch the true rival in these latest shots. Jaguar has revealed that the XFR has the performance to back up its striking looks, with the company announcing today that they recorded a top speed of 225.675mph (363.188km/h) during a secret speed trial at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.This makes the 510hp (380kW) saloon the fastest Jaguar ever, even beating the speed of 217.1mph (349.4 km/h) set in the XJ220 supercar back in 1992. At the time, the XJ220 was the fastest production car on the planet.Running with minor aerodynamic and safety modifications to meet the requirements for a Bonneville run, the 225mph top speed was achieved with additional horsepower liberated by a remapped ECU, a modified air intake and exhaust system and revised supercharger settings. No internal engine components were changed and the six-speed automatic transmission was standard, including the gear ratios. The standard XFR is electronically limited to a top speed of 155mph (250km/h).Stylistically, the new XFR sports a more aggressive front end thanks to a black mesh grille, hood louvres and chromed air intakes. The rest of the lower-body gets aero upgrades as well, including side sills, a reworked rear fascia and quad-tipped exhaust pipes peeking out from either side of the diffuser.The twin Roots-type supercharged 5.0L V8 engine generates substantially more power than its supercharged 4.2L V8 predecessor, found in various forms from the XJ Super V8 to the XK-R. With 461lb-ft (625Nm) of torque on tap, the XFR leaps to 60mph (96km/h) in just 4.7 seconds. In-gear acceleration is equally strong, shooting the car from 50-70mph (80-112km/h) in just 1.9 seconds. Despite the big forced induction V8 and impressive performance, the XFR still manages a respectable 18.8mpg US (12.5L/100km) in the combined cycle.Other upgrades over the already solid XF platform include active suspension and differential systems, a faster steering ratio and bigger brakes for more fade resistance. The interior gets XFR-specific styling as well, including aluminum and mesh accents, R badges and custom sport seats.