2013 Jaguar XFR-S: Track Tested

Edmunds tests hundreds of vehicles a year. Cars, trucks, SUVs, we run them all, and the numbers always tell a story. With that in mind we present "Edmunds Track Tested," a quick rundown of all the data we collect at the track, along with comments direct from the test drivers. Enjoy.

The 2013 Jaguar XFR-S stole the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. There were plenty of other newsworthy cars there, more important cars, more affordable cars. The Jag, however, with its wicked French Racing Blue paint, exposed carbon-fiber bits and 550-horsepower supercharged V8, hooked us from the moment we saw it.

And when we finally drove the XFR-S a few weeks ago, we were not disappointed. The Jaguar XFR-S's new engine, stiffened chassis and more aggressive suspension had us giggling like madmen, mashing the throttle into the carpet and hanging on. In fact, when all was said and done, we said, "It's an unabashed attempt to kick the uninspiring new BMW M5 in the teeth, while laughing in the face of the all-wheel-drive-only 2013 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG."

Big words require big action. So with this in mind, we took the 2013 Jaguar XFR-S to the track to see what 550 hp through the rear wheels of a 4,382-pound sedan could do.

Vehicle: 2013 Jaguar XFR-S Odometer: 2,552
Date: 10/1/2013
Driver: Mike Monticello
Price: $105,770

Specifications:
Drive Type: Front engine, rear-wheel drive
Transmission Type: Eight-speed automatic
Engine Type: Supercharged, direct-injected V8
Displacement (cc/cu-in): 5,000/305
Redline (rpm): 6,500
Horsepower (hp @ rpm): 550 @ 6,500
Torque (lb-ft @ rpm): 502 @ 2,500
Brake Type (front): 15-inch ventilated discs with two-piston sliding calipers
Brake Type (rear): 14.8-inch solid discs with single-piston sliding calipers
Suspension Type (front): Independent double wishbones, coil springs, driver-adjustable variable dampers, stabilizer bar
Suspension Type (rear): Independent multilink, coil springs, driver-adjustable variable dampers, stabilizer bar
Tire Size (front): 265/35ZR20 99Y
Tire Size (rear): 295/30ZR20 101Y
Tire Brand: Pirelli
Tire Model: P Zero
Tire Type: Asymmetrical summer performance
As Tested Curb Weight (lb): 4,382

Test Results:

Acceleration
0-30 (sec): 2.0 (2.0 w/ TC on)
0-45 (sec): 3.0 (3.1 w/ TC on)
0-60 (sec): 4.2 (4.3 w/ TC on)
0-60 with 1-ft Rollout (sec): 3.9 (4.0 w/ TC on)
0-75 (sec): 5.9 (5.9 w/ TC on)
1/4-Mile (sec @ mph): 12.2 @ 118.5 (12.3 @ 118.0 w/ TC on)

Braking
30-0 (ft): 27
60-0 (ft): 108

Handling
Slalom (mph): 66.5 (65.9 w/ ESC on)
Skid Pad Lateral Acceleration (g): 0.91 (0.92 w/ESC on)

RPM @ 70: 1,500

Comments:
Acceleration: Although the drivetrain of the 2013 Jaguar XFR-S is identical to that of the XJR, it's slightly harder to launch. First, the XFR-S seemed even more susceptible to wheelspin. Then, as with the XJR, the XFR-S will upshift early in Drive/Sport automatic mode because of the wheelspin, but then promptly fall flat on its face when it hits 2nd gear without enough rpm. So Manual mode using the paddle shifters is required to get the quickest time, but unlike the XJR, the XFR-S's transmission would usually freak out and refuse to upshift out of 1st gear. We're guessing the wheelspin we were getting was upsetting the car's corner recognition system, but we haven't confirmed this with Jag. So, the XFR-S is exceptionally quick, yes, but also rather frustrating to get the last tenth or two out of. Manual shifting is via steering wheel paddles. Will hold gears to the 6,800-rpm rev limiter, and blips the throttle on manual downshifts.

Braking: Firm pedal and zero side-to-side movement, just dead-solid and stable stops. The first stop was 109 feet. The fourth stop was shortest at 108 feet and the sixth and final stop was longest at 110 feet. Of note, the bigger but slightly lighter all-aluminum XJR with the same tire-brake combo stopped 3 feet shorter.

Handling:

Slalom: The XFR-S was a bit twitchy and tail-happy through our not-perfectly smooth slalom course, particularly with the adaptive suspension set to stiff. We went quicker with the suspension set to Normal, which made the car a bit more forgiving. The stability control system was impressively subdued in Trac/DSC mode, but still intervened a bit on each run.

Skid Pad: Annoyingly, the computer did a slightly better job of getting the XFR-S around the skid pad than we did, but part of that is due to the abrupt throttle when the car is in Dynamic mode, which also sets the suspension to its stiffest. We tried a couple runs in Normal suspension mode and found the throttle much more manageable, but the times were slower because of the extra body roll.

The manufacturer provided Edmunds this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.