Fastest ever Jaguar saloon loses its FOS camo

No, not the mega XE Project 8 that made its debut at FoS 2017, but rather the big XJ that blasted up the hill with its camo still on and the badges taped over. We figured it was a 575 horsepower version of the flagship sedan – to be fair the ‘575’ embossing inside was bit of a giveaway – and now Jaguar has confirmed exactly that.

The new XJR 575 is the headline news of a revamped XJ range announced today. Its supercharged V8 is upgraded from 550 to the 575hp (that’s a real 567bhp) of the most powerful F-Type. Torque is up too at 516lb ft.

Result: the fastest-ever series production Jag sedan. This XJ can knock off the 0-62mph dash in just 4.4secs on its way to a 186mph (300km/h) top speed. It takes 44 seconds to reach v-max – as the video Jaguar has put out demonstrates…

The range-topper gets some special body touches – twin bonnet louvres and gloss black trim and wheels with red brake calipers – as well as embossed treadplates and diamond-quilted seating with 575 embossing. The XJR 575, is available in standard wheelbase only and in one of two special colours: Velocity Blue and Satin Corris Grey.

Other 2018 XJs in the range get technology upgrades including a larger touch screen, the latest Touch Pro infotainment system and 4G WiFi. New safety systems now fitted include autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, forward traffic detection and driver fatigue monitoring. XJ prices start from £60k. And the hot one? That’s £93,710.