2010 Jaguar XFR Review

I was made for a Jaguar XFR. Everything about this car speaks to me, makes me happy. It’s like I was born behind the wheel of such a machine. I’m not sure if it’s my natural sophistication, my irresistible charm or simply my contagious liveliness, but I feel linked to this car that displays the self-same traits.

Where style is concerned, the XFR is a brand-new expression of the Jaguar design language.

And like me, it’s not without its faults, being a touch portly and thus neither perfectly graceful nor nimble. But despite that, this cat and I have a lot in common. So much so, in fact, that after one week, I found myself regretfully letting it go, a few fuel dollars lighter.

Flawless styling
Where style is concerned, the XFR, the athletic twin of the XF launched a few months ago, is a brand-new expression of the Jaguar design language. Less aerodynamic than the XF and virtually as refined as the great XJ, it’s the first Jaguar to demonstrate the automaker’s new aesthetic direction.

It’s impossible, for instance, to overlook the uniquely stylish mesh grille. Equally unforgettable are the extreme shapeliness of the hind end and the bulging fenders that give it a more impressive stance on the road.

The easily recognizable taillights have been maintained, however, while a more discrete version of the Jaguar logo has been inlaid into the grille. I know, I know, the sculpted feline adorning the hood is no longer de rigueur, dropped for reasons of safety and theft, but it would have looked great on the aggressive hood of this XFR, gracefully pouncing halfway between two air intakes tasked with cooling the supercharged engine.

Ooh la la!
Who said the Brits are all pompous chaps who can’t be bothered? The XFR may have a touch of pomp, courtesy of its moniker, but it’s anything but idle. The supercharged, 5-litre V8 dozing beneath the hood is quickly roused. Insist a little on the throttle, and this colossus (after all, the XFR hauls around a good 2,345 kg) surges forward like an enraged beast.

The snappy acceleration that wakens the 510-horse stable is accompanied by a veritable symphony of unleashed pistons.