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2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR First Drive Review | Magnificent beast

ST. TROPEZ, France — Summarizing a new car in just two words is a wicked challenge, but here goes: Magnificent beast. That's the nickname Jaguar's engineering team gave the 2019 F-Pace SVR, and ... spoiler alert ... it's actually a damn fine descriptor for the 550-horsepower sport ute. The hot-rod SUV genre has been endlessly expanding, pioneered by the likes of the Porsche Cayenne. Recent contenders like the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio and Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 keep the competition on its toes by busting Nurburgring Nordschleife lap records that shamed supercars from just a few years ago. The Jaguar F-Pace SVR arrives a tad late to the high-speed party. Previously available with as much as 380 horsepower from a supercharged V6, the new SVR plays ball packing a 5.0-liter V8 beneath its vented hood. The supercharged mill punches 550 hp and 502 lb-ft through an eight-speed ZF automatic. Power is routed to all four wheels, naturally, but the SVR is also the first F-Pace to get torque vectoring thanks to an electronically controlled rear differential. Also aiding the F-Pace through the corners are stiffer springs, reprogrammed adaptive Bilstein dampers, 12-inch forged aluminum wheels and a brake-based torque vectoring system. Additional go-fast goodies include lift-reducing aero, better engine ventilation, and larger four-piston front and two-piston rear ventilated brakes housed in larger 21-inch wheels. The F-Pace SVR's cabin offers more sporty austerity than before. Slimmer, supportive 10-way adjustable seats echo the SUV's more focused road manners, as do aggressive color schemes, contrast stitching, and a suede headliner. Small touches also signal the sharper edges, including an F-Type-derived shifter in place of the mediocre rotary gear selector. It doesn't inherit Jaguar's latest dual-screen infotainment system, updated steering wheel, or second-gen heads up display, as does the recently updated XE sedan. The F-Pace SVR shares a similar tune to the 575-hp F-Type SVR, but the SUV's V8 fires up with a milder bark. A new exhaust valve adjusts its butterfly valves gradually, avoiding the "light switch" transition from quiet to loud. And speaking of loud, while the blarty exhaust note isn't as in-your-face as some of Jaguar's more vocal models, U.S. versions might be slightly raspier since the European model I was driving was equipped with a gasoline particulate filter that has a slight muffling effect.

Lister teases 675-hp, 200-mph Stealth SUV

In the middle of 2018, Lister unveiled what was then called the LFP, intended to be the world's fastest SUV. The initials stood for Lister F-Pace and the dark green hulking beauty was based on, surprise, the Jaguar F-Pace SVR. Except where the F-Pace SVR used a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 producing 550-horsepower to claim a 176-mile-per-hour top speed, the LFP would wring that engine out to 675 horsepower in order to hit 200 miles per hour. Since that time, Lister's rolled out other models such as the F-Type convertible-based LFT-C 666 and Knobbly roadster continuation cars. At last, the LFP is ready for primetime, and it brings the new name of Lister Stealth with it. According to CEO Lawrence Whittaker, all the firm is waiting on is for the UK's lockdown to end, then the high-rise double-ton party can start. For now, we have a teaser video with a few quick visuals of the dangerously aggressive bodywork and a microphone-melting clip of someone dancing on the throttle. Save for the audio distortion, it looks and sounds superb. The ingredients of the transformation from F-Pace SVR to Stealth remain secret. As Pistonheads pointed out, the 675-hp Lister Thunder, based on the F-Type SVR hardtop, installed a new supercharger pulley, air filter and intercooler, a freer exhaust, and a remapped ECU to unlock 100 more horses. It's reasonable to expect the same template as a starting point for the Stealth. If the crossover can hit its 3.5-second mark from zero to 62-miles per hour, it will beat everything we can think of that isn't a Tesla, and the Stealth will top all comers if it nails the promoted top speed. Whittaker said production stops at 250 units, with orders having already come in. The price starts at "around GBP140,000," equal to about $175,000 greenbacks. Tiff Needell, who raced Lister cars in the 1990s, has been lined up for video presentation work once the proper launch takes place. If we're lucky, Needell will be the one to show and tell us what the Stealth can do, occasionally sideways, with lots of smoke. Related Video:

Ferrari exec to lead Jaguar North America

Jaguar has announced that Jeff Curry will be serving as the brand's new North American vice president, effective August 13. The move is a coup for Jag, which lured Curry away from his previous posting as VP of marketing for Ferrari North America, and is further evidence of just how strong Jaguar's comeback has gotten.
Curry has spent over 20 years in the auto industry, and has worked with Audi, SiriusXM and Land Rover, where he made his start in the industry. His primary responsibilities with Jaguar will cover marketing communications, customer relationship management, and product planning.
Jaguar Land Rover's North American president, Andy Goss, heaped praise on the brand's newest addition saying, "Jeff brings with him extensive automotive and luxury marketing experience, critical expertise in leading-edge technologies and a personal passion for automobiles."