2019 Jaguar F-Pace SVR
Nick Dimbleby
Tech specs
Price range: $89,900.
Engine: 5.0-litre supercharged V8.
Transmission/drive: Eight-speed automatic/all-wheel.
Why it matters: Jaguar’s first SUV came out of the box good enough to scoop the 2017 World Car of the Year award, but any newcomer wanting to play in the luxury-utility sandbox needs an over-the-top hyper-powerful flagship to compete with the likes of BMW’s M models and the Mercedes-Benz AMG creations.
The SVR is what happened when Jaguar’s own in-house speed shop, SVO, started tinkering with the F-Pace. A 550-horsepower supercharged 5.0-litre V8 delivers an emphatic step-up from the previously range-topping 380-hp, 3.0-litre supercharged V6, and delivers a claimed 0-100-km/h time of 4.3 seconds.
Of course the SVR’s suspension and aerodynamics are uprated to suit, and lightweight 21- or 22-inch wheels accommodate larger brakes.
A variable-valve active exhaust allows the driver to choose between two levels of acoustic wickedness. Along with the rest of the F-Pace range (which also includes diesel or gasoline turbo four-cylinder engines) the SVR includes new-for-2019 enhancements such as additional driver-assistance technologies, interior trim revisions, a standard 10-inch Touch Pro display, and, on gasoline models, a significantly larger fuel tank.
Jaguar XE SV Project 8
How extreme is the most powerful Jaguar? The Project 8 set a production-sedan record at the fabled Nurburgring track last fall. The limited-run hyper-sedan was created by stuffing a 592-hp supercharged V8 into the compact XE, then modifying the heck out of the chassis and bodywork. Pricing starts at $208,000, on special order.
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