2014 Jaguar XJR unveiled at the New York Auto Show

Jaguar had showcased the 2014 XJR, the sporty variant of their flagship saloon at the much-talked-about New York Auto Show earlier this month.

The all-aluminum body XJR is distinguished from its lesser siblings by the gloss black front grille on the front bumper, the ‘R’ model ‘signature element’ and chrome-rimmed lower intakes. Functional aerodynamic improvements come in the form of a new front air splitter, functional hood vents, XJR-exclusive rocker sills that keep air to the sides of the car, a rear trunk-mounted spoiler for improved downforce and quad tailpipes.

The cabin interior get ‘R’ logo embossed sport seats that are upholstered in Jet Black leather trim. They are available with a choice of either Ivory, London Tan or Red Zone inserts on the seat facings or Red Zone or London Tan contrast stitching. Jet Black suede cloth headlining is standard and interior veneers are available in either carbon-fibre or Piano Black.

The heart of the XJR is a proven supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine that puts out 550 hp and 680 Nm of torque. The engine gets a Roots-type twin vortex supercharger and two air-to-liquid intercoolers. The super saloon is capable of reaching from 0-100 kph from a standstill in 4.6 seconds and will go all the way to an electronically limited top speed of 280 kph. The engine is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission that studies your driving behavior and operates accordingly. It will hold gears while you negotiate corners and quickly drop a couple of gears during passing maneuvers. You can also shift manually via steering wheel-mounted paddles. The engine is equipped with stop/start function as well.

The suspension system has been extensively tuned on the Nürburgring and Rockingham circuit in England, and the roads of England and Wales. Jaguar Adaptive Dynamics actively controls vertical body movement, roll, and pitch rates through the use of continuously variable dampers that can adjust damper rates up to 500 times a second. The dynamic behavior is further enhanced by an electronic active differential.

The standard 5-spoke, lightweight forged alloy wheels come in either Sparkle silver or Technical grey finishes. They are wrapped in purposefully developed Pirelli tyres, 265/35-20 and 295/30-20 for the front and rear, respectively. The braking System consists of ventilated 15-inch (380 mm) front and 14.8-inch (376 mm) discs.

Whether on the go or at rest, audiophiles will be kept entertained with the 825 Watt, 18-speaker Meridian surround-sound system, which comes as standard.

XJR customers can choose from a variety of paint schemes including British Racing Green and Italian Racing Red.

In the US, the XJR Standard Wheelbase is priced at $116,000 and for $3,000 more you can avail the XJR Long Wheelbase variant. Expect that price to rise to a colossal AED 550,000 plus when the XJR comes to the shores of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other GCC countries.

Keep tracks of the latest prices and updates in the Jaguar XJ buyer guide.