Review - The Jaguar XJR575: A thug in a tailored suit

By Martin Pretorius

With more power than any series-production Jaguar sedan has ever offered, the XJR575 blends brutal performance, comfort and classic style into an engaging, charming and classy conveyance with a serious turn of speed.

The Jaguar XJR has always held a special place in my heart. I was still a bright-eyed student more than two decades ago when the opportunity presented itself to take a quick drive in a Jaguar XJR. At that stage, Jaguar's fastest saloon was powered by a 4.0-litre supercharged 6-cylinder engine, good for around 240 kW, and it was glorious in every way. It marked my first encounter with a car boasting more than 200 kW, and I was absolutely thrilled by the ease with which it lit up the traction control's warning light when the accelerator pedal was mashed into the plush carpeting.

In retrospect, that first-generation XJR wasn't really all that quick – think 0 to 100 km/h in around 6 seconds, or roughly as fleet as a modern mid-level executive car. But in its day, it was an absolute stormer, being just about as quick as a then-current BMW M5. These days, such performance figures would put that old XJR in hot hatch territory, while the super-saloons have all grown much, much faster. Fortunately, Jaguar isn't known for resting on their laurels, as this new XJR575 rather eloquently proves.

XJR575 engine: The beast within

Those numbers tacked onto the end of the XJR's nameplate provides the first clue about the monster lurking under the bonnet: 575 horsepower translates to a solid 423 kW, accompanied by a torque-mountain to the tune of 700 Nm. This massive urge comes courtesy of a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine, from where it goes to the rear wheels via an 8-speed torque converter automatic gearbox and an electronically controlled limited-slip differential.

These bland figures can't relay the ferocity of the power delivery, however. Even though the transmission uses quite tall gear ratios, the urge is of such a magnitude that the 575 tries to light up its fat (295-section) rear tyres at low speeds, with very little provocation from the driver's right foot. In response, the traction control works very hard to contain all that power, but in any drive mode except “winter” (selectable via a pushbutton near the gear selector), it often fights a losing battle.

XJR575 performance: The smooth, civilised hooligan

Turn the traction control's action down a notch by selecting “TracDSC” mode with yet another pushbutton on the centre console, and things loosen up quite a lot. Yes, some wheelspin slips through (OK, quite a lot, actually), but those horses are still kept under a tight enough rein that proceedings don't degenerate into a complete tyre-smoke-and-noise extravaganza.

From a standstill, the rush of power will break traction, yet that e-differential still manages to channel enough power to the tarmac to realize a 0 – 100 km/h sprint in only 4.2 seconds. The latest super-saloons (BMW M5 and Mercedes E63S) are quicker in this test, but that's mostly down to their new all-wheel-drive systems making more-effective use of the urge on tap, especially from a standing start.

By contrast, the XJR575 only really gets going from around 80 km/h onwards, where the tyre slip mostly disappears, and the big Jaguar gets down to the business of catapulting itself forward with an almost comical ferocity. As for the top speed, it's a largely academical 300 km/h – I certainly didn't try to verify this number, but gauging by the way it hurtles itself well into “Go Directly to Jail” territory, there's very little doubt that the XJR575 will reach that speed with ease.

More than just the sheer speed, there's also the noise it makes. Nothing else sounds quite like a big V8 winding up through the revs, and adding the whine of the supercharger to this soundtrack results in a spine-tingling symphony. Forget about “sound augmentation” through the audio system, this rocketship has its own, beautiful aural signature. From the deep-chested rumble at low speeds to the howl near the rev limiter, this Jaguar will arouse your ears in a way you have never experienced before.

It's great to drive

Most sporty cars suffer from excessively stiff-legged suspension, and even more so when they're endowed with such monumental power. The XJR575 is, however, a shining exception to the rule, being both controlled when charging down the road and cosseting in a cruise. Adaptive suspension is standard, and while selecting the “Dynamic” drive mode does firm up the dampers to a noticeable degree, it still resolutely refuses to allow road shocks into the cabin. In the normal- or “Winter” modes, the ride quality is downright plush, with even those low-profile tyres failing to upset its serenity. Noise levels are similarly muted – unless your right foot awakens the nuclear reactor under that long bonnet, that is...

Yet, in spite of the plush ride, body motions and weight transfer on twisty roads are extremely well-managed, making for an extremely confidence-inspiring driving experience. Those fat tyres generate a massive amount of road grip, with a very neutral handling balance and a keen turn-in from the front end. The steering system has a surprisingly slow ratio, needing more than three turns lock-to-lock, yet it conveys all the subtle nuances regarding the grip under the front tyres and remains sharply responsive at all times.

The rear tyres can easily be unstuck under the onslaught of all that torque, leading to some rather dramatic oversteer in extreme situations (with the stability control turned off), but even then, a competent driver will easily be able to use the swinging rear end to tighten the cornering line. All in all, the XJR575 strikes a balance between control, comfort, and engagement which puts all of its competitors in the shade. 

Getting more handsome with age

The XJ is Jaguar's largest, most exclusive and most luxurious car, a fact which isn't diminished by the storming performance on offer. While the current body style has been around since 2009, it still looks fresh and modern even when measured against other, newer super-luxury sedans.

The main cosmetic difference between the XJR575 and the more-subdued variants lies in the lack of exterior brightwork. Rather than shiny chrome, there are gloss-black trim pieces all over, including the grille and window surrounds. Seen with the sombre dark grey paintwork of our test car and black 20-inch alloy wheels, the XJR575 radiates a quiet, menacing confidence, yet it still manages to look suitably posh and understated at the same time.

The cabin mixes high tech gadgetry with old-school class

This dignified appearance continues inside the cabin as well, where the beautiful quilted stitching of the seat upholstery plays against the glossy carbon fibre trim on the door panels and dashboard – applied in all the places where lesser XJs would have wood trim. Apart from this space-age concession, the XJR575 is as understated in its interior trim as the engine is extroverted in its power delivery. In fact, the only other clue that this is a different kind of XJ can be found on the seatbacks and bang in the middle of the dashboard, where red “575” badges serve as a constant reminder that this is a really special car.

Of course, the whole thing is lined in leather, from the suede covering the roof liner to the centre console and dashboard top. It's still suitably high-tech in spite of its age, with a digital instrument cluster (featuring 4 main display modes), and a large, clear touch-screen interface mounted atop the centre console. On the whole, ergonomics are competitive, though some bugbears did rear their heads after spending some time with the big Jaguar.

For starters, it's not as spacious as you'd imagine, given the big cat's total length of more than 5.1 meters, and that sloping rear roofline and tapering rear windows have a negative impact on space for the rear seat occupants. Oddment storage space is also at a premium, with a small (and unlit) compartment under the centre armrest, small glove compartment and rather impractical door bins being the only places to store cell phones, wallets and the like. 

Surprisingly sparsely equipped 

While the Meridian Surround audio system has ample volume and clarity, the heated- and cooled front seats have multiple electric adjustments and three memory settings, and the digital dashboard is suitably high-tech, the standard equipment list is surprisingly low on convenience- and luxury features.

There's no sign of massaging seats, for instance, and the rear-seat passengers don't have their own multimedia interfaces. It's debatable whether these omissions are really significant in the context of a sports saloon, but given the list price on the far side of R2.6-million, such appointments might just be expected.

There's a general lack of driver aids as well, with blind-spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control all residing on the options list. These features may again be somewhat redundant in a proper driver's car such as this, but even super sports saloons have to deal with traffic jams on a regular basis, and the tycoon who would choose such a conveyance will definitely appreciate having such features at their disposal. 

More than just another fast saloon

There are other, similar competitors with even more straight-line speed, and some of those even carry a more-comprehensive standard specification sheet at a lower price point. But the XJR575 doesn't really care, as it does its own thing, and does it very well indeed. There's a real sense of occasion about this big bruiser, from the moment you walk up to it, to the moment it makes you giggle like an adolescent when you tickle the accelerator, to the moment you walk away with a mixture of adrenaline and endorphins coursing through your veins.

Far more than just a very fast saloon, the Jaguar XJR575 is a classy, comfortable and supremely engaging driver's machine with enough presence to stand apart from the German crowd.

In fact, it's more of a four-door sports car than just a luxury car with a huge turn of speed, which really competes against Maserati's Quattroporte and Aston Martin's Rapide instead of those deadly-serious Germans. For character, driving engagement and sheer drop-dead-gorgeous looks, this big bruiser has it all in abundance. It may be a bit of thug, but it looks so good in that immaculately-tailored suit...

Jaguar XJR575 Specifications: 

Engine	5.0-litre petrol, supercharged
Outputs	423 kW @ 6250 - 6500 r/min, 700 Nm @ 3500 - 4500 r/min
Performance	0 - 100 km/h in 4.2 seconds, max speed 300 km/h
Consumption	11.1 liters/100 km (claimed average)
Price	R 2 667 716