Jaguar begins limited sales of the £135,000 XKR-S GT

Jaguar’s 542bhp ‘R-S’ model, originally designed for U.S. customers has been given the go-ahead for sale in the UK, but at £135,000 on-the-road, Jaguar have sensibly chosen to limit production of the XKR-S GT to just 10 cars.

The XKR-S GT was developed by Jaguar’s ETO division, and is the ultimate road-going / track-ready version of the XK coupe featuring a bespoke aerodynamic body kit designed to keep the XKRS-GT pinned to the tarmac during high-speed cornering.

It’s credentials were sealed at the Nürburgring, where it lapped the 12.9 mile Nordschleife circuit in 7 minutes 40 seconds, making it the fastest ever road-legal Jaguar at the track.

That’s still 10 seconds slower than the latest 911 GT3, but more than respectable for a road car, especially one fitted with SatNav and electric seats.

The XKR-S GT is powered by the same 542bhp supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine as fitted to the XFR-S, XJR and recently shown Project 7 design study, and accelerates from zero to 60mph in 3.9 seconds with an electronically limited top speed of 186mph.

Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar’s Global Brand Director said, “The XKR-S GT is the most extreme iteration of the Jaguar R Brand’s performance focus. Utilising race-car derived technology, all-aluminium construction and an uncompromised approach to aerodynamic efficiency, the result is a car as capable on the track as it is exhilarating on the road.”

Evolved from the XKR-S coupe, the XKRS-GT features a 52mm wider front track and the quicker steering rack from the F-TYPE.

It is fitted with carbon ceramic brakes, which help shed 21 kg of unsprung weight, and an Eibach tuned suspension which is 68 per cent stiffer at the front and 25 per cent at the rear.

As well as sitting on a wider front track, the XKRS-GT suspension also uses revised bushings and features increased camber, both developed upon learning gained from the F-TYPE.

Externally, the XKRS-GT can be distinguished by a carbon-fibre front splitter, dive planes, extended wheel-arch spats, an elevated rear wing, rear diffuser and an aluminium valance which combine to achieve a maximum downforce of 145kg.

Priced at £135,000, the XKRS-GT costs £37,535 more than the identically powered XKR-S coupé. If you’re tempted, order books are now open with first deliveries to UK customers expected from October 2013.