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Jaguar F-Type SVR set to go topless

Jaguar's sultry F-Type convertible will soon be getting sharper claws. We've captured the high-powered SVR variant during track testing, and these spy shots show huge air intakes and a prominent splitter up front. They're balanced at the rear with a massive spoiler and a central diffuser that breaks up the angled, jutting exhaust pipes. The cloth top is also evident, and it's presence has been expected. Previously, we spied the hardtop variant. This prototype looks ready for production, with the bodywork screwed down and the head- and taillights peering out. Even the black wheels with thin spokes wouldn't look out of place on the street. We also see the cross-drilled carbon-ceramic brakes. These massive stoppers will be required to slow down the 5.0-liter supercharged V8, which could make 600 horsepower. That blows by the 550-hp F-Type R and the limited production F-Type Project 7 (575 hp). The Project 7 can hit 60 miles per hour in 3.8 seconds, and we'd expect the SVR model to eclipse that figure. The F-Type SVR and its convertible sibling are part of Jaguar's strategy to remain to true to its sporting heritage – the company counts seven Le Mans victories – while adding vehicles like the F-Pace crossover and XE sedan to adapt to modern consumer preferences. Related Video:

2018 Jaguar XJR575 First Drive Review | Everyone loves an underdog, right?

The number is right there, nestled smack in the middle against the windshield in red: 575. In case you missed it, there are another four red 575s stitched into the seat backs. You might excuse Jaguar for the numerical ostentation, but with manufacturers taking the horsepower arms race nuclear, the 6-year-old XJR sure could use a hook. What better way to stand out than an engine output humblebrag? The $122,400 Jaguar XJR575 gains 25 horsepower for 2018 thanks to software recalibration, which helps scoot the 17-foot-long four-door to 60 mph in a claimed 4.2 seconds. I'm gunning the XJR575 along the mountainous passes near the Alvao Natural Park in northern Portugal to find out whether the upgrade is enough to keep this underdog relevant in the fevered pitch of the high-dollar sedan market. Glance at the Jag in profile, and you might doubt its athleticism. Though nearly identical in length to a long-wheelbase BMW 7-Series and Mercedes-Benz S-Class (and 1.8 inches shorter than the Audi A8L), the XJR575's sloping rear window and rounder styling lend it a somewhat lazier, more lavish appearance. It's also long in the tooth, this design having been first introduced in 2009, but it wears its age surprisingly well. Frankly, you just don't see XJ-series Jags as often as their strong-selling competitors, and that keeps them looking fresher, somehow. In contrast, the Germans have kept their exterior lines purposeful and contemporary looking, with more frequent redesigns furthering their cause. Climb inside, and the XJR's premium trim lends a bit more modernity to the familiar cabin. For starters, the diamond-quilted and perforated leather seats offer solid support, but they might be a bit firm for long hauls. Unlike other XJs, the XJR and R-Sport trims don't offer a massaging feature, an unfortunate sacrifice that is available on most, if not all, of the competitive set. The rear quarters do, however, offer enough legroom for serious stretching out. Tall swaths of carbon fiber trim the door panels while another thin rim of carbon extends around the dashboard, a design shorthand for sportiness despite the fact that the XJR is only available stateside in long-wheelbase form. An Alcantara headliner aids the high-end argument. A few aging elements show cracks in the facade, among them the ungainly seams at the dashboard's center and switchgear that's grown more than a bit long in the tooth.

Jaguar testing hardcore F-Type R-S GT?

Some automakers make a hardcore model, then sit back and revel in its awesomeness. Jaguar does things a little differently. It takes a standard production model, gives it more power, bigger brakes and a tighter suspension and slaps the letter R on it. Then it gives it even more power, even bigger brakes and an even tighter suspension and calls it an R-S. Sometimes the engineers in Coventry don't even think that's enough, so they strip out some weight and dial things up even further and call it an R-S GT.
So far, they've only gone that far with the XK (transformed first into the XKR, then the XKR-S, and finally the XKR-S GT), but with that model on its way out, Jaguar seems to be preparing to give the newer F-Type a similar treatment. Now we can't be sure that what we're looking at is an F-Type R-S GT, especially since the 550-horsepower engine from the XKR-S and XFR-S is already powering the existing F-Type R Coupe, but it does seem to have all the makings of a hardcore performance model.
Compared to the existing F-Type, the development model pictured here has a bigger front splitter (like the one on the Project 7 concept), a big rear wing and a set of what looks like pretty big lightweight alloys. It's also, tellingly, a roadster, which (unlike the coupe) has until now topped out at 500hp with the V8 S model. So while it may be hard to say exactly just what Jaguar has in store for us here (or what they'll call it), one thing's for sure: it's gonna be fast and loud.