This is the 75th birthday present Jaguar has wrapped for itself: the new XKR 75. It’s a tweaked-up version of the supercharged XKR, massaged to produce 523bhp (up 19 ponies) and 483lb ft (and 22 pounds).
The XKR 75 is a very low-volume special; only 75 will be built and you’ll soon understand why when you notice the chunky £85,500 price tag. First customer cars land in October 2010.
Wooah. That’s serious money for a Jag!
Indeed it is. But the Jaguar XKR 75 has a series of mechanical revisions to accompany the higher-boost engine.
The torque converter and Active Differential Control are beefed up to cope, while the suspension is fettled too. Springs are around a third stiffer front and rear, the ride height is dropped by 15mm at the front, 10mm at the rear.
The new Jaguar XKR 75 will be unveiled for the first time at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on 2 July 2010. That’s when we’ll first hear the effect of the new sports exhaust, as it rips up the hill with one lucky CAR reader onboard.
Remember our Goodwood competition a few weeks ago? It was won by reader Archie Robertson from Harpenden, who will accompany Jag’s chief test driver Mike Cross up the Goodwood hill on Friday 2 July.
Jaguar XKR 75: the body kit
The Stratus Grey paint job comes with optional stickers for the Max Power brigade. That front splitter, side sills, subtle spoilers and rear diffuser complete the package. And those 20in rims are diamond turned with a smoked finish.
Shouldn’t be hard to spot at Goodwood – with one very smiling CAR reader alongside.