2012 Jaguar XKR-S
According to Jaguar, the XKR-S is the fastest production car they’ve ever produced. Well, we couldn’t let a claim like that go by without seeing for ourselves. So, we headed to the place we know best to figure out such things out, Georgia’s Roebling Road Raceway, to find out if this cat is indeed their quickest yet!
Well, before we find out if this 2012 Jaguar XKR-S is indeed the fastest production Jaguar yet, let’s get to know it a little better.
Based on the sleek Jaguar XKR coupe, the XKR-S takes on a more sinister look thanks to a healthy dose of performance enhancing treatments like carbon-fiber front splitter, blacked-out mesh grille, and both engine, and tall-slit-like brake cooling ducts that really visually widen the car. In profile, things take a turn to the dark side as well, with black window surrounds, fender vents, and beefy 20-inch wheels. Red brake calipers help avoid a total blackout. Out back, there’s a huge rear wing and below, a carbon-fiber rear diffuser wraps around two sets of dual exhaust tips from a Performance Active Exhaust System that really lets this cat purr.
So, as great as Ian Callum’s original design was, we like it even more after this trip through “nasty” school. Okay enough of that, off to the track, or tracks, we go.
First stop is our hometown 75-80 Dragway for ¼-mile testing, where unfortunately, cold winter temperatures or maybe it was just the 550-horsepower, made launching a bit tricky. Eventually, we nailed a good one, and scorched to 60 in just 4.3–seconds. Streaking through the ¼ mile, this thing sounds absolutely awesome and unlike any Jag we’ve ever driven. It still feels like a Jaguar though, as the engine itself is smooth and quiet for the entire 12.6–seconds that it takes to reach the end of the strip at 118 miles-per-hour. Both acceleration times are a second quicker than the last XKR that we tested in 2007.
Those quicker runs come courtesy of the 5-liter V8 engine under the hood wearing a Roots-type supercharger. It’s the same all-aluminum AJ-V8 you’ll find in the XKR, but it puts out 40-additional horsepower and 41-more pound feet of torque thanks to revised fuel mapping, making the new totals 550-horsepower and 502 pound feet.
After a comfortable and speedy 9-hour drive down I-95 we arrived at our next venue, Roebling Road Raceway, near Savannah, Georgia, where warmer temperatures weren’t the only thing that put smiles on our faces. Handling Roebling’s high speed turns? Oh yeah, this Jag’s got an app for that. The XKR’S aluminum chassis was already capable, but the XKR-S’ lowered suspension and new dampers take it to a whole new level.
Jaguar’s Adaptive Dynamics and DSC software get a sportier re-flash and there’s a new Active Differential Control. All of it helps to really put the power down out of corners. Steering feel, especially in Dynamic Mode, is about as good as it gets. You do feel the size of this car at times, mainly in tighter turns where the front tires take some abuse, but otherwise it’s one agile cat. Paddle shifters for the 6-speed automatic work well, but not well enough to forget that it’s a slush-box you’re manipulating and not a sequential manual.
One thing that hasn’t been altered is the XK’s split personality. You can flog this beast around the track all day long, and then impress your significant other with a comfortable ride and posh interior that evening. And speaking of interior, the XKR-S’ does take a sportier turn, but not at the price of sacrificing luxury. There’s still leather everywhere, but now it’s accompanied by unique color stitching and aluminum trim.
While technically not a limited edition vehicle, Jag expects to sell fewer than 100 XKR-S’s at a rarified price of $132,875; and there’s a convertible version arriving soon, as well.
So, the 2012 Jaguar XKR-S is indeed the fastest production Jaguar ever, and incredibly enough, it accomplished this without losing any “Jag-ness” along the way.
Specifications
- Engine: 5-liter V8
- Horsepower: 550
- Torque: 502 lb-ft.
- 0-60 mph: 4.3 seconds
- 1/4 mile: 12.6 seconds @ 118 mph
2025 Infiniti QX80
Infiniti’s Flagship SUV Sets A Course For Extravagance
This full-size Infiniti QX80 started out as the QX56, a hastily rebadged version of Nissan’s truck-based Armada full-size utility. That was in the early 2000s when the luxury SUV craze was exploding. It wasn’t as much as a game-changer, as it was “try to keep upper”. Now, this new QX80, Infiniti is promising to “Reimagine the luxury SUV”. Let’s see if Infiniti has turned their imaginations into reality.
Well, if over the top is what Infiniti was shooting for in the all-new 2025 QX80, mission accomplished. There’s an overall feeling of extravagance here that we haven’t experienced from Infiniti in quite some time.
It’s not just the open pore ash wood trim with aluminum inlays, 24-speaker audio, and plush quilted leather seating; there’s also nicely integrated ambient lighting, a massive glass roof, plenty of tech, lots of active driving assistance, and even chilled center console storage. Forward of that is a dual touchscreen setup; the top 14.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment sits next to the digital gauge display in a single housing; while just below, there’s a 9-inch one for climate controls.
You are reminded this is still a body-on-frame utility the moment you have to climb up into the cockpit, but there’s also the commanding view of the road that comes with that. Captain’s chairs are standard for the second row, but a three-place bench is optional with all trims except for top Autograph which comes exclusively with these climate-controlled massaging chairs, along with a touchscreen control panel. The third-row experience is great, too, with heated leather seating, and adult size room for three.
Now, there is a whole new experience coming from under the hood. The last gen’s V8 has been replaced with a new twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 rated at 450 horsepower, 50 over the V8. More notably, torque is up by more than 100 lb-ft to 516. Transmission is a nine-speed automatic, two more gears than last year, with rear-wheel drive standard, four-wheel drive an option. Max tow rating is 8,500-lbs.
And at the test track, it did pull strongly off the line, getting up to speed in a hurry with the 0-60 sprint taking just 6.3 seconds. There is roughly 3 tons of weight to push through the quarter-mile, but that twin-turbo does it well, finishing in 14.7 seconds at 95 mph. Gear changes are incredibly smooth, while not hindering acceleration in any way.
It's an impressive looking utility from any angle.
In panic braking runs, there was some fade and a considerable amount of nosedive, but our average stopping distance of 115 feet is not bad for a vehicle as big and heavy as the QX80. Last gen, the QX80 moved from the Titan truck platform to the global Patrol SUV chassis, which shifted the vibe from budget Escalade to Lexus LX fighter. The attending improvement in ride and handling was the real bonus, and that largely continues for this gen with air suspension and Dynamic Digital Dampers on all but base QX80s. While we could certainly feel all that weight through our cone course, body roll was well-controlled and without significant oversteer or understeer.
It’s an impressive looking utility from any angle, starting right up front with the big “bamboo forest” grille. The overall shape is boxy, but all body panels are smooth; and for better or worse, Infiniti joins the flush door handle fad. Look for its “Artistry In Motion” design theme to work its way down through the rest of the Infiniti lineup. All QX80s ride on 22-inch wheels except for base Pure trim which makes do with 20s.
A full power play includes standard motion-activated rear liftgate and power operation of both second and third row seats, expanding cargo capacity from 22 cu-ft behind the third row to 59 behind the second, and a max of 101.0 cu-ft with both rows folded.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings with four-wheel-drive are not great: 16 city, 19 highway and 17 combined. We averaged 18.6 mpg of premium. That’s a much worse than average Energy Impact Score, using 17.5 barrels of oil annually, with 8.6 tons of CO2 emissions.
Driving such a PUREly LUXEurious SENSORY overload, you’ll probably be expecting people to want your AUTOGRAPH, which we’re guessing is how Infiniti came up with their grade structure; pricing starts with Pure at $84,445 and climbs to $112,590 for Autograph.
The 2025 Infiniti QX80 is a massive SUV that delivers massive amounts of power and luxury. They aimed for the moon here and have clearly blasted themselves into a much more competitive orbit in the big buck, big hauler, sport-utility galaxy.
Specifications
As Tested
- Engine: 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6
- Transmission: 9-speed automatic
- Horsepower: 450
- Torque: 516 lb-ft.
- EPA: 16 City | 19 Highway | 17 Combined
- 0-60 mph: 6.3 seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 14.7 seconds at 95 mph
- Braking, 60-0 (avg.): 115 feet
- MW Fuel Economy: 18.6 mpg (Premium)