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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.

2021 Jaguar F-Type First Drive | Can we interest you in some loud?

The 2021 Jaguar F-Type is not a perfect car. There are some cracks in the armor, flaws worth pointing out and nits to pick for car reviewers like us. It’s not a Jaguar version of the unflappable Porsche 911, nor is it a British muscle car. The F-Type has split the difference since the carÂ’s introduction for 2014, and now the two-seaterÂ’s first big update is upon us. Ian Callum left Jaguar more than a year ago, but he was still responsible for this revamped design. Few cars featured better styling than the previous F-Type, and the same can be said this time around. Part of that can be attributed to JaguarÂ’s light touch approach. Horizontal headlights and a new grille differentiate the new F-TypeÂ’s face from the last one. The clamshell hood remains, but its sculpting is less prominent and pointy than before. Combined, these new elements result in a softer, gentler face — Jaguar calls it “liquid metal.” At the back, new, I-Pace-inspired LED taillights now sit flush with the massaged bumper.  ItÂ’s still an obvious sports car design, but Jaguar has thrown away the edgy, aggressive persona of the previous F-Type. Forced to pick sides, weÂ’ll take the previous generation – updating a brilliant design is no easy task – but it remains a beautiful car. Onlookers certainly agreed, as our Sorrento Yellow tester drew a colossal amount of attention. One can thank JaguarÂ’s ear-shattering exhaust for some of that attention, too. How much shattering occurs depends on the engine, of course, and the number of pipes poking out of the bumper. Besides the sound, this is also the best way to tell different F-Types apart. Four-cylinder models get a single, central exhaust; V6-equipped cars get a dual central exhaust, and the V8-powered F-Type R continues on with its quad exhaust pushed out to the edges of the rear valance.  2021 Jaguar F-Type P300 View 30 Photos That's the version we drove. Powered by the same 5.0-liter supercharged V8 previously found in the F-Type SVR, the 2021 F-Type R produces 575 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque, an increase of 24 and 14, respectively. It's then a massive drop to the two engines below, which says more about the R than the unchanged but still amply endowed other F-Types.  The base P300 (gray car in the gallery above) is equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 296 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, while the R-Dynamic P380 and its 3.0-liter supercharged V6 produces 380 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque.

Jaguar could yet offer more hardcore F-Type R-S

Jaguar pulled a fast one on us all when it unexpectedly shoehorned all 550 horsepower of the 5.0-liter supercharged V8 from the XKR-S into the new F-Type Coupe to supersede the existing V8 S model with the F-Type R. But that's just the beginning, according to the latest intel coming from the UK.
According to Autocar, in speaking to Jaguar design director Ian Callum during the coupe's unveiling at the LA Auto Show, the British automaker could yet offer R-S and R-S GT versions of the F-Type. Just what mechanical changes those would bring when the F-Type R already packs the company's top engine remains to be seen, but given that the same engine also powers the flagship XJR performance saloon, we could envision Jaguar developing an even more powerful version for R-S versions of the little coupe and big sedan.
The GT version, meanwhile, would likely offer more extreme aero and a lighter form for the truly performance-obsessed. Considering that the new top-of-the-line F-Type is already pushing the hundred-grand mark, you can bet any R-S and R-S GT version would approach double the base F-Type's $65k sticker price.