Jaguar F-Type SVR – first Jaguar SVR as new halo model Jaguar sports car

Developed by their in-house SVO department to be lighter, quicker, faster yet still real-world tractable and useable day-to-day, the Jaguar F-Type SVR debuted at the Geneva Motor Show 2016. 

Jaguar Land Rover SVO makes 1st Jaguar SVR – the new Jaguar F-Type SVR

The Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division of Jaguar Land Rover was formed to create special vehicles from both Jaguar and Land Rover brands. 

While we have seen 2 special Land Rovers with SV badges appear as production models, namely the most luxurious Range Rover ever as the Land Rover Range Rover SVAutobiography, and the fastest Range Rover ever created in the Range Rover Sport SVR, this is SVO’s 1st product for Jaguar – the Jaguar F-Type SVR coupé AWD –the 1st Jaguar SVR.

S, R, R-S and now SVR for the new Jaguar F-Type SVR

Jaguar’s S, R, R-S and SVR lettering created what looks like a TV program or movie rating for a car:  in Jaguar ratings the S stands for the Sport model, while the R has for years represented the performance model, and R-S the performance-with-more-sport model, presumably.

The F-Type R rear-wheel-drive was supplemented by the R AWD (All Wheel Drive) which allows it to put that angry-sounding 5.0 V8 Supercharged 405kW power down on the road during a sprint.  The F-Type R AWD is not the tail-happy handful as the rear-wheel drive R.

SVR is faster, feels faster, looks faster

The F-Type SVR is defined as an F-Type which is faster, feels faster, looks faster.

Surely the Jaguar F-Type R coupé AWD’s performance of 0-100 km/h in 4.1 seconds and a top speed reading 300 km/h is plenty quick enough for a performance car… even a performance Jaguar?  Apparently not – the Jaguar F-Type SVR has even more power, up from 405 to 423 kW, and torque another dollop of 20 to let it reach a full round 700Nm.

Only driven through the AWD and 8-speed Quickshift automatic, the SVR coupé AWD puts in a time of 3.7 sec nought to hundred, and a proper supercar-challenger’s 322 km/h.  This sees F-Type move into the formidable sub-4-second 0-100 km/h and past-R2million sports car segment, facing up to Mercedes-AMG GT S, Porsche 911 GT3 RS and Audi R8 V10 models.

The SVR badge (having set itself apart as high-performance version of the Range Rover Sport) makes its appearance on the F-Type.  Here, the company says, SVR reinforces the Jaguar sporting pedigree, epitomising the “performance and seduction” brand promise.  The ultimate F-Type values and appeal are not fundamentally changed – just extended to be competitive, to reach new conquest customers, as well as repeat Jaguar customers.

The specification of the F-Type SVR is extended above F-Type R, adding bigger styled aerodynamics and thus appearance (front bumper, side sills, rear bumper and valance, loud rear wing spoiler) and also 20-inch wheels (same size as F-Type R) but in arachnid-resembling 10-leg SVR-only Coriolis design.

A more exclusive interior, too… with items like Lozenge quilted leather, leather interior with “Micro-piping”, SVR Performance seats, SVR logo on door sill plates and seats, mats with Nubuck leather edging, and a heated steering wheel in SVR design (suede-cloth steering optional).

An optional Exterior Carbon Fibre Pack for louvred bonnet vents, mirror caps, venturi blade, chin moulding and front wing ingot costs R 57 200.

The 4-pipe exhaust is a lightweight titanium and Inconel construction… could this mean the SVR also sounds faster than the already-loud F-Type R?

Indicative pricing released for the new Jaguar F-Type SVR coupé in South Africa

While otherr markets get the Jaguar F-Type SVR in a choice of SVR coupé or SVR convertible, the cars allocated to South Africa will be SVR coupé only – just as well, as the fixed carbon fibre rear spoiler (unlike the more subtle integrated up&down spoiler seen on the other F-Type models) may look sporty on the F-Type SVR coupé, but is it not too uncivilsed (too un-Jaguar) to have a big wing on the back of the open F-Type SVR convertible?  Fortunately, instead of the big wing, the normal deployable spoiler is a no-cost option on SVR.

The Jaguar F-Type SVR coupé AWD can already be ordered from your local Jaguar dealer, though the first cars will only be arriving here in August 2016.

Indicative pricing for the new Jaguar F-Type SVR coupé AWD is R 2 134 100, plus emissions tax, for a total of R 2 149 387 (almost a match for Mercedes-AMG GT S priced at R 2 153 270).  Indicative, as this price is likely to be higher by the time it docks.

The Jaguar F-Type SVR coupé AWD is the new halo model in the Jaguar F-Type sports car range.

Look for a new or used Jaguar F-Type R on Auto Trader
For more information refer www.jaguar.co.za