2010 Jaguar XFR
by Jim Prueter -01/2010

XFR is AAA’s Top Luxury Car for 2010

There is a plethora of choices when considering the offerings in the luxury sedan market. These cars – Audi S6, Mercedes CLS AMG63, BMW M5, Porsche Panamera — have more in common than not.

All have stunning physical beauty and appeal, precocious state-of-the-art techno-electronics and gorgeous interiors with enough sumptuous cowhide to addle the senses. Of course, a minimum of 400 horsepower is a prerequisite for admission consideration into the exalted club of automotive exclusivity.

Indeed, to render just one as top luxury car above others in this segment challenges benchmark traditions of the world’s finest automotive designers and engineers. But for those who can get it, it’s certainly enviable work driving and testing each to arrive at the singular choice that rises to the top of the top.

So it is with this year’s selection, the Jaguar XFR, a massive 510-horsepower super-sedan that delivers outrageous performance, superb handling and seductively good looks in a refined package. From a standstill it reaches 60 mph in just 4.7 seconds. Top speed is electronically limited to 155 mph and, for the record, I got nowhere near that speed.

When it was first introduced last year, we heralded the XF as the much-awaited automotive messiah to the stodgy and staid marquee British moniker. At last, style for a car that would newly define the direction of Jaguar’s sporting luxury heritage.

The immense power of the XFR comes by way of the 5.0-liter V-8 supercharged engine mated to an adaptive six-speed shift-by-wire automatic transmission with manual-shift mode to provide almost instantaneous shift points from either of the two steering-wheel paddles. The XFR rides on 20-inch Nevis wheels and 35-series tires for massive grip and traction. Once rolling, getting from 50 to 70 mph takes less than two seconds from the instant response powertrain. The sound emitting from the quad exhausts is deep and wickedly intoxicating.

The biggest changes in chassis dynamics of the XFR over the base XF model, however, come from two new advanced technologies: Adaptive Dynamics and Active Differential Control (ADC). So what this means is not one single horsepower is compromised by lack of traction or compromised torque. Due to this, the sedan can handle the additional horsepower that the more powerful XFR generates. The XFR is 180-degrees different from the base XF tested here in mid-2008.

For the techno-geeks, the XFR is loaded with features that include (thankfully) an automatic speed limiter that keeps you within the posted speed limit, lest you’re tempted to see if the top speed really is electronically controlled. There’s an optional radar-based blind-spot monitor located on the outside rearview mirrors, which warns the driver when there is another vehicle nearby in a different lane. Once you drive a vehicle with this feature you won’t want to be without it. There’s also the optional rear camera parking aid on the color touch-screen, located mid-dash, that operates while in reverse.

Enhanced exterior styling of the XFR, intrinsic to Jaguar’s “R” car philosophy, includes unique front-end design with larger black-finished mesh lower grille. The curvy hood has distinctive louvers with telltale “supercharged” wording. There are also larger sill extensions and the rear bumper adds a body-colored lower valance panel incorporating the “R” signature.

Inside, the “R” is further differentiated with an “R” logo embossed on the front seats and a discreet logo on the passenger side of the instrument panel. The combination of aluminum dashboard, satin or gloss wood veneers, tailored instrument panel and door panels with twin-needle stitching looks terrific. At night, the interior is lit by phosphor blue halo illumination mood lighting.

Slip behind the wheel and the start button on the center console begins to pulse red, matching the anticipation of the heart of a caged cat ready to pounce. Press the button and the beast comes to life. The cylindrical aluminum gearshift selector begins to rise from the center console while, at the same time, the climate vents on the dash rotate open. Very cool.

Overhead lighting and the glove box are operated by what Jaguar calls JaguarSense, with proximity sensors rather than push buttons.

All safety features expected for a premium luxury sedan are standard. The XF has not been crash tested as of this writing.

The more we drove our XFR tester the more we wanted to take the long way home. I’m often asked if any car is worth $80,000 and I always answer, “Probably not.” But with this cat, my pulse belied my answer.