XFR - too fast to have fun

Well, it's been dry, it's been sunny and I have my P-zeros back on.

I've been trying to 'use' the car as I did the coupe and it isn't possible for several reasons:

The 20vt is quick, but not too quick. I felt comfortable hooning round country roads using all the revs and generally enjoying the car. Having had a few attempts at this in the jag all I can say is it is too fast. The speeds reached are stupid, I'm not going to quote them here but they are significantly higher than achieved in my 20vt. To the point where it feels anti social and dangerous.

Grip. In total sports settings the rears churp changing from 2nd to 3rd in just about all conditions. This gives you an idea of how difficult it is to drive quickly, everything involves feathering and full concentration. Again in the coup it was very much throttle on / off with only sharp corners needing some thought. In the dry in the coup I never had traction issues.

Fuel. I did a 40 mile blast and averaged 9.8 mpg. That's some serious fuel usage and some of the 40 miles were in 30 and 40 zones... Where a coupe would do 220-250 miles to a tank pressing on the jag is more like 100-120!!

Touching cloth. I'll be honest, it scares the shit out of me. It grips in corners like nothing I've driven, it's light and agile and catapults you out of corners on a tsunami of torque, it feels like nothing will stop it, ever (jag have had 226 mph out of one at bonneville with only aero mods) but (big but) when it let's go, my hell it feels heavy and big! The esp is quite intrusive but switch it off and you know why. All I can say is it reminds me of a TVR Griffith 500 I once drove. If you say a wrong word to it then it will stab you in the face and shove a baseball bat up your arse. It really is a very angry car.

The only bonus is it makes its best noises in 1st and 2nd on over run. So up to 30 mph accelerating and backing off you get the full range of charger whine, V8 goodness and pops, bangs and crackles that are not engineered in. The coupe needed winding up more to get the best noises, so it's a bit more socially acceptable making it sound nice...

So, although it is the most relaxing cruiser I have driven, it's a glorious place to be. Aircon seats are brilliant, heated steering wheel and a 1400w stereo by bowers Wilkins gives a gorgeous sound I just can't or don't feel comfortable enjoying driving it as intended like I do my coupe. (although I have much less paranoia driving it hard)

Confused on a Fiat Coupe forum
How does that read on a jag forum ?

I was saying something similar about the AMG A45: 340-ish bhp, AWD, and incredibly capable - but where the hell do you use that sort of performance? And, if you don't use that performance, what's the point? There was a time I'd argue it would be great for a blast down the A9 from Inverness to Perth but, with average speed cameras, you'd probably get a ticket for overtaking that line of cars behind the caravan.

I'm sure it flatters some drivers but I'd much rather have a car that I can enjoy at sensible road speeds.

I agree how much power/speed is safely usable on public roads? I have not driven much 'new' metal but what I have I have found un-engaging with a lack of that emotional bond, big bhp, all the toys, cache brand,£000's but un-involving and devoid of fulfilment.

I'm into bikes and some of my most memorable rides have been on lower powered bikes where you feel you have extracted the performance and handling from the bike rather than feeling you are on un-tamed ballistic missile.

Same as on here, the car's far too potent to use even 50% of its power. If you turn the traction aids off you need to be a bloody good driver not to kill yourself or someone else if you try and push on.

Don't get me wrong, it's bloody epic and planting the throttle feels like you wouldn't believe a 1800kg car could. It goes into silly speeds in less time than most cars get to 60, the brakes are out of this world the bite is endless the stopping power is like Ive never felt BUT it is just too much for our roads, and forget legal fun because you can't - the car hasn't even woken up.

I went out with the family this morning, coming up to a round about on a DC and braked very late, then accelerated very hard. 1 child and the wife then complained that they felt sick and it was like a roller coaster ride. I could have been far more aggressive still....

But I do love it!

Get it onto a track and see what it can do.Otherwise sell it if it's to much.

It's not that it's too much...

... You know when that tw@ drives through your village in a fast car at a million miles per hour. The car makes me feel like that dickhead, like everything is too much. Don't get me wrong, getting it through the gears is great fun but it also feels too much, too fast and not right. The ability to do 100 over the speed limit in many places is just a bit WOW!

I see mine a bit differently. Maybe it's due to the value? Obviously the cars are in the same ballpark in most areas except price.

0-60 4.7 vs my 5.0
0-100 9.7? vs 11.0.

Close enough

I don't see it as a balls-out car. Most of the time I cruise about - air-con, air-con seats , 440w stereo etc whilst enjoying the wonderful engine noise/torque/ride.

But when the situation arises, it's so far ahead of anything I've had before. Ok plenty of cars can match it in a straight line, but these days they aren't usually RWD. The way it hooks up in the bends is amazing especially on 285 wide Pilot Supersports

Point/squirt/hold on and then calm down back to a relaxing cruise I've had so many compliments from people about it, more than any other car.

You'd be sad if you sold it. They really are so good. That's part of the problem. Just find some safer roads to unleash the beast... Or do a track evening. Just do a few laps and that will probably satisfy you. I know from my brother than more than a couple of laps in one go will kill off the brakes.

But I'm glad you've posted this, as I keep being tempted by a pulley upgrade to go from 420 to 480bhp, but there really is no point is there

Agree - I have the sister 5.0 XKR coupe and I spend more time cruising than "racing". But on modern roads that is all you can do. I bought it because it is a well made machine that looks good and is a nice place to be, plus it drives very well. Taught enough to feel confident in it but comfortable enough to not want to leave it at home.

Sure it is very fast. Too fast to make much sense maybe but it is a car that you can treat gently and it will still have performance to spare. It is a car that needs respect and a smooth driving style. Throwing it about seems wrong and does not aid confidence.

However, I expect I would not have bothered if I lived in the UK. At least here you can let it fly once in a while if you want to and you are lucky enough to find a decent piece of tarmac that is not already full of slower metal. The biggest danger is not noticing how fast you are going when travelling at normal speeds. Over 130 mph or so, it starts to feel fast, simply because of other stuff around you and the potential to still accelerate pretty hard.

We have similar cars in terms of performance, the way they deliver the performance, and the purpose they are intended for, so I can probably comment from a very similar viewpoint.

I must admit there are times when you almost feel frustrated by the lack of opportunity to make the most of your car, and I accept the comments about 'get it onto a racetrack' etc, but ultimately it is a road car and that's where you will spend the overwhelming majority (if not all) of your time with your pride and joy. It's frightening just how quickly it would be possible to get to speeds which could land you in the nick if you were so inclined, and with the size and comfort of these kinds of big powerful saloon cars they never seem to feel like they're moving as fast as they really are, so it sometimes comes as a surprise when you're accelerating down a slip road and then happen to glance at your speed as you join the carriageway

So does the Jag really struggle to get its power down in the lower gears then? That does surprise me. I don't seem to have any problems with the M5, even at full acceleration it won't break traction if you're on a dry, flat surface. Damp or bumpy though and that's another matter altogether!

Oh and my MPG is equally, if not more, horrendous. I have been running my car now for just over 4 months, I have rarely been stuck in slow moving traffic as I reserve most of my driving for when I have a decent run. I've also done quite a lot of long distance/motorway drives, in amongst the fun stuff. My average combined MPG over the four months has been 12.9mpg. I don't even dare think what it would be if I re-set it just before having a good fun blast...

Either way, enjoy the Jag because it's the best of almost all worlds. Sure it's not economical, but it is practical, great to look out, sounds immense, and is capable of awesome performance when you want it. You don't necessarily have to push it to its limits

Buy a Coupe and give it 416bhp

Mine should be as near as damn it the same as the Jaaaag and I have no issues using it (all of it occasionally) on the road...

Cornering is a little different though. It handles and grips so well that I fall out of the seats... so I can't push it too hard in the twisties...

I think your issue is more that the car feels so planted when doing those speeds. Something more raw would give you a great deal more sense of the speeds you're doing. It's more the competence than the speed...

It is easy to get it to spin up and I've got 80bhp less than an XFR. The difference is Supercharged vs NA. You have an extra 1,500 to 2,000rpm to generate the power and achieve the performance. Max torque would be around 6k say? Whereas the Jag unit is max torque around 3,500 and there is plenty from just over tickover.

If you use the right pedal like a switch the traction control works overtime. Maximum torque of the basic 5.0 Supercharged is limited to 461 lb-ft, I think, but available from just 2500rpm to 5500rpm. The engine could deliver more but the gearbox was spared. So a progressive style is of driving makes a lot of sense. Most road tests complained about the rear tyres being overwhelmed but Jaguar did tend to put on quiet Dunlop SportMaxxs which were not the best out there. Even their own later RT version was quite a step up from the stock choice and even those never won any dry road tests.

A Jaguar is not really supposed to be raw and these can feel more like piloting a low flying plane than driving a sports car. They are not really that raw

Why do big, heavy(ish) RWD cars with monstrous rear tyres and good quality rubber have problems putting power down, when I can use full power (in the dry at least) in a middleweight FWD Fiat with mid-range tyres?

I agree about the performance though - by the time I'm getting a buzz out of my Coupe, I'd be heading for a custodial sentence if I was caught. I can go from standstill to prison in under 20 seconds, which means I'm putting as much effort into plod-spotting as I am into driving.

Bloody good fun though......

How much torque does yours produce lower down? It's not a problem to be honest. I know the right amount of throttle to launch perfectly and you're off like a scalded cat. However if you want to sit there going nowhere at 6k rpm you can

Exactly! All cars are a bit different and we need to tune ourselves into a new one, especially if it is particularly quick and we only drive on public roads.

Just to put it into perspective have a look at these two curves, and the BMW is probably technically more sophisticated than the Jaguar too:

http://www.automobile-catalog.com/curve/2010/279860/bmw_m5.html

http://www.automobile-catalog.com/curve/2010/1293500/jaguar_xfr.html

I'm not exceeding 200 lb-ft until 3,000rpm - a consequence of the smaller displacement and the turbo (as opposed to a supercharger)

I guess you're producing max torque by the time mine is just ramping up - my peak is about 380lb-ft by about 5,000rpm

Yes that's the difference. My 413 ft/lb come in a fair bit earlier. Obviously yours has been specifically tuned to be tractable. An extra 100bhp and the same ft/lb is easy with these.

Mines 461ftlb at 2450rpm through to around 5500rpm when I then have 507bhp... It's as liner as it gets!

Lucifer, where have you found flat even roads in the UK?? I'd love to fine one!

Trapped, my coupe is around 240 bhp and lowered on eibach / bilsteins and the jag goes round corners at double the pace the coupe could - but that's one of my 'complaints'. It's competent but once you push on its bloody dangerous!

I'm on 285 30 rears and 255 35 fronts, on anything but a good dry surface 1St is a nono. Yesterday it was 27 degrees and I got acceleration wheel spin at 40 in 3rd that was on a medium incline. (may have been a grate??) I have the proper p zero j spec tyres on the car.

Maybe it's that, having had the coupe for 5 years I'd got so used to chucking it round after having my e46 that I just haven't got the hang of it yet.

The xjs at 300hp 300ft lb feels absolutely fine being driven with aggression...

Just looked at the power graph.. Looks like the engine is well sandbagged.

Svr f type is the same power unit and drive train (I believe the basic breathing is the same, mainly gearbox, engine and diff remaps). That has 520ft lb and 568 bhp.

Also, the xfr also has the constantly adjusing / reacting suspension and an e-diff so it's probably not technology wise too far behind the bm - one advantage is I'm on sensible steering not the electronic stuff (that always seems to get bad press)

The problem is most modern cars limits are quite high and trying to find them on anywhere other than a safe track is probably a little unwise. When I got my Coupe, I came from a BX GTi which seemed pretty good but the FIAT would run rings around it. However, the FIATs grip is still at a level, even with good tyres that you can feel the limits at mortal speeds. My S-Type goes round the same corners without batting an eyelid, noticably faster. However it is already getting to speeds where I don't want to press my luck much further. The XKR is in another league still and if I lost it, it would be a very big "accident" indeed, or should one call it a very big certainty?

I have to slowly learn to feel where the limits of a car lie but I fear that these cars are just too fast and grippy to do that safely. Maybe I will take it on the more advanced driving course which includes some skidpan time ... hmm, now that is a thought!

Shavington bypass near Crewe

That's a fair drive for me, I'd need a tank to get there and back!

It's not always the car's limit, just feeling like you're driving it rather than just driving.

I don't do it often, but from 21 when I bought my HGT Bravo right through to the coupe I knew I could get up early on a sunny day and enjoy. Maybe it's partially age but to drive and enjoy the jag in the same way feels dangerously quick, anti social and just wrong.
Not to drive it properly once in a while also feels a bit wrong. Just can't win.....

The area isn't that rough.

It probably is dangerously quick in my hands, hence my progressive approach to it.

Also, I simply would not have bought it if I did not live here. The level of performance for the road is tbh pointless but nice when you can unleash some of it, even if only occasionally. The N.A. version is plenty quick enough and looks just as good but I was tired of always taking the sensible option!

To really enjoy driving we need empty roads and they are becoming rare. I find that driving the XKR fast is fun even if it is well withing its abilities and not stressing mine too much. A 180mph car on a 60mph road is always going to be overkill. We just have to accept that it is not going to be driven by the scruff of its neck unless we go on a track but then I'm not sure I want to stress mine so much either, just in case it breaks - it is a Jaguar after all - there is paranoia other than coupe paranoia

I wanted to slot into the fast lane of the dual carriageway this morning and not wanting to make the guy coming up on the outside to brake I used a lot of throttle form about 40mph. No traction problems - the car just picked a lower gear revs rose to 4.5/5k as it bolted forwards and my stomach went some other way. Maybe traction is not such a big deal in a straight line

But the locals are aggressive

Is this your car?

2010 Jaguar XKR

That is the BMs XFR, yes. The XKR swaps a couple of doors for some aluminium panels.

Those C&D reports are really detailed!

The Dunlop SP Sport Max tyres aren't great on the Jags. They're affectionately known as Dunslips.

This one then!

I've been pulling data off of this sheet page today!

Car and Driver

Very good list!!!

The XKR sheet nearest to mine is here. Mine has the speed pack which apparently lets it go a bit faster and has some tweaks to make this a little less worrying

I have those on the front and the better RTs on the back. The Sport Maxxs are not terrible but I feel there would be better bite and feedback with a better chosen tyre, even the RT version would be interesting.

There is not a great choice in the 285/30 20 size and when I change, I would like matching tyres all-round.

I've still got the Dunlops on the rear and I've just replaced the fronts with Pilot Supersports. They are very sticky Turn-in is fantastic. They will be put on the rears when the time comes.

The factory option for mine are p zero - the rears are a nightmare, tons of fronts to chose from.

That looks right, top speed isn't though. Jag managed 226 in an aero only modified one on bonneville!

What size are you on?
Think it may be time to see who's tyres are best on jag forum. RRP for the rears is 446 each lol....(I've seem them for 235 I think)

255/35/20 and 285/35/20

The XFR boys on Jaginfo like the Pilot Super Sports.

Do they. May be worth a try.
It's painful though isn't it, on a coupe you're chucking 200 quid away on fronts, if you buy shite for an xf you're looking at 1000....

Have you checked out Costco prices - especially if you're thinking of buying Michelins - I'm pleasantly surprised how reasonable the tyres for the E-Classes are there.

Even the Michelins SS aren't so bad in the UK. 800 Pounds buys you a complete set. Tyre prices was something I did check before settling on the car and they seemed reasonable for the type of car. Even the Pirellis and Dunlops are not really poor. We are complaining at a very high level

Fronts and Rears

Not quite...
600bhp among other things

They say the 500 bhp might be able to break 200 mph on these cars but Jaguar does not seem to trust them to stay stable enough. Even the XKRS GT was limited to 186 mph. I have only managed 155 mph so far and it was taught if a bit bouncy on the bit of Autobahn I was on.

Curiosity got the better of me, so I collected the data and ran it through my calculator!
It came out waaay too fast compared to the road test figures so I tried tampering with the CD or frontal area to remedy it. That didn’t work. Reducing overall power across the whole range to 90% of quoted brought the figures in line with C&D’s report – as far as they went anyway. I've seen dyno reports saying 456bhp so this looks spot on.

Data Input
Vehicle Jaguar XFR
Short Shifting: Yes
Driven Wheels: Rear
Weight (kgs): 1857
Weight Distribution (% on front): 51
Wheelbase (inches): 114.5
Final Drive Ratio: 3.310
1st Gear Ratio: 4.170
2nd Gear Ratio: 2.340
3rd Gear Ratio: 1.520
4th Gear Ratio: 1.140
5th Gear Ratio: 0.870
6th Gear Ratio: 0.690
7th Gear Ratio:
Tyre Width (mm): 285
Tyre Profile (%): 35
Tyre Size (inches): 20
Gear change time: 0.2
CD (Co-efficient of drag): 0.29
Frontal Area (feet): 23.6
Wheel or Flywheel BHP?
BHP @ 2000 rpm: 153
BHP @ 3000 rpm: 237
BHP @ 4000 rpm: 324
BHP @ 5000 rpm: 410
BHP @ 6000 rpm: 456
Redline Power (rpm): 6500
Redline Power (bhp): 456
Peak Power (rpm): 6000
Peak Power (bhp): 456
Max force (bs) 2960

Jaguar XFR (2010)
Jaguar XFR
0-10mph: 0.5
0-20mph: 1.09
0-30mph: 1.66
0-40mph: 2.46
0-50mph: 3.21
0-60mph: 3.98
0-70mph: 5.05
0-80mph: 6.28
0-90mph: 7.53
0-100mph: 8.9
0-110mph: 10.73
0-120mph: 12.65
0-130mph: 14.79
0-140mph: 17.25
0-150mph: 20.66
0-160mph: 24.54
0-170mph: 29.28
0-180mph: 35.61
0-190mph: 47.85
0-200mph: 104.48

Top Speed (mph): 200.7
Top Speed (rpm): 5535
60-80mph: 2.3

60ft Time: 2.1
60ft Terminal: 37.5
330ft Time: 5.36
330ft Terminal: 72.5
1/8 Mile Time: 8.06
1/8 Mile Terminal: 94
1000ft Time: 10.27
1000ft Terminal: 107.5
1/4 Mile Time: 12.26
1/4 Mile Terminal: 118.1
0-400m Time: 12.22
0-400m Terminal: 117.9
1km Time: 21.94
1km Terminal: 153.5
3/4 Mile Time: 24.88
3/4 Mile Terminal: 160.8
1 Mile Time: 30.28
1 Mile Terminal: 171.9
2 Mile Time: 49.86
2 Mile Terminal: 191

I must've misread an article... Although altitude and salt and balast must offset alot of the power increase?

Still a damn quick car all from a map and supercharger pully change!

Those numbers are impressive Trappy! The 456 bhp wheel hp?

No, flywheel. I took the dyno curve off of a Jaguar press release but they make it much faster than it is. I also so a couple of dyno runs that were saying 455bhp ish so I reduced the entire power curve to 90% to see what it did.

I'll try it again with 600bhp and see if it does 226mph.

As long as the data that goes into the calculator is right, it gives correct figures. When road tests have radically different numbers, it's normally because the car's published weight or power is incorrect. I suspect that's the case here.

Hmmmm, perhaps I should have it rr'd and see what it comes up with. 10% is alot of power to be overstating.

You're going to love this!

Vehicle Jaguar XFR 600BHP
Short Shifting: Yes
Driven Wheels: Rear
Weight (kgs): 1857
Weight Distribution (% on front): 51
Wheelbase (inches): 114.5
Final Drive Ratio: 3.310
1st Gear Ratio: 4.170
2nd Gear Ratio: 2.340
3rd Gear Ratio: 1.520
4th Gear Ratio: 1.140
5th Gear Ratio: 0.870
6th Gear Ratio: 0.690
Tyre Width (mm): 285
Tyre Profile (%): 35
Tyre Size (inches): 20
Gear change time: 0.2
CD (Co-efficient of drag): 0.29
Frontal Area (feet): 23.6
BHP @ 2000 rpm: 202
BHP @ 3000 rpm: 312
BHP @ 4000 rpm: 428
BHP @ 5000 rpm: 542
BHP @ 6000 rpm: 602
Redline Power (rpm): 6500
Redline Power (bhp): 602
Peak Power (rpm): 6000
Peak Power (bhp): 602
Max force 2960

Jaguar XFR 600
0-10mph: 0.5
0-20mph: 1.09
0-30mph: 1.66
0-40mph: 2.44
0-50mph: 3.01
0-60mph: 3.59
0-70mph: 4.43
0-80mph: 5.32
0-90mph: 6.23
0-100mph: 7.22
0-110mph: 8.57
0-120mph: 9.91
0-130mph: 11.37
0-140mph: 13
0-150mph: 15.24
0-160mph: 17.58
0-170mph: 20.23
0-180mph: 23.37
0-190mph: 27.85
0-200mph: 34.1
0-210mph: 43.31
0-220mph: 61.82



Top Speed (mph): 224.5
Top Speed (rpm): 6191
60-80mph: 1.73

60ft Time: 2.1
60ft Terminal: 37.5
330ft Time: 5.19
330ft Terminal: 78.5
1/8 Mile Time: 7.65
1/8 Mile Terminal: 104.1
1000ft Time: 9.67
1000ft Terminal: 118.3
1/4 Mile Time: 11.48
1/4 Mile Terminal: 130.7
0-400m Time: 11.44
0-400m Terminal: 130.5
1km Time: 20.25
1km Terminal: 170.1
3/4 Mile Time: 22.9
3/4 Mile Terminal: 178.6
1 Mile Time: 27.77
1 Mile Terminal: 189.9
2 Mile Time: 45.53
2 Mile Terminal: 211.8

Yes, yesI am. Your calculator is very very close! I guess you didn't compensate for aero changes, 50psi in tyres and extra weight in boot??

Sounds like a remap is in order (just for braging rights as the damn thing is plenty quick enough already!!)

I didn't bother. The aero changes are negligible. Changes tyre size to reduce the frontal area will barely register, I can't say what the tyre pressure change would make (my calculator doesn't factor in drag from contact patch so I can't reduce it) and adding weight won't make any difference to the top speed; it'll just take longer to get there.


Love it! First it's too fast and now you want more power!!

A jocose utterance. As the title suggests, I really don't want or need anymore!

The problem is that you CAN though

What I have discovered after alot of reading what other owners have to say is this:

Standard power is under stated in general by 15-20 hp. Panel filters and back box changes can bring upto 560hp, mapping 590 and a swap of pully on the sc well over 620.

Trappy I think your numbers were too low (fast) because you haven't got the right amount of slip in for driven wheels. The car has enough torque to make the rears slip through 1St and 2nd easily. I am lead to believe that rolling the car is a match for the last gen R8 from around 20mph through to 180+.

I read on a yank forum (this could be bravado as I saw no evidence) that with sticky tyres the car is a low 3s to 60.


Some of this could be junk, I've seen some videos that seems to prove it's pace once moving and some rr readouts at close to 600 bhp allegedly from filter and exhaust swaps.

All in all Jag seem to have got it right, not read a review from an unhappy owner and just like the coupe they all seem to be unsure how to replace it when the time comes as it's German contemporaries all (in general owners opinions) fall short.

Tyre tech has moved on since these tests in 2009 and new cars are being figured with the latest rubber. C&D got 4 secs for the 0-60 time with their XKR and 2009 SportMaxx tyres. New rubber will help a little but one second is 25%. I'm not buying that 4.0 secs is already 0.6 less that Jaguar claimed.

The German competition rides hard so is simply less nice to use even if they are technically more capable. The F-Type has gone in the same direction too.

Maybe when it comes to replacement time, a big V8 or similar might not be possible. Let's just enjoy them while we can, even at sane speeds.

That's true!
I'm certainly enjoying mine!

When I use dyno, weight and aero and gearing numbers for the new M5, it returns exactly what the road tests say. I honestly believe that if it doesn’t return the right road test numbers then the input is wrong Aero adjustments don't fix it. My calculator reduces the wheel power by an approximate amount. It might be that the jag loses more than usual for whatever reason? Any evidence of this from dyno runs? It could also be the car's weight? But even then, it just doesn't fit. I adjust one variable at a time and keep an eye on the returned numbers. When they much road test data, I tend to think we're there... no science but I've looked at a lot of numbers now!!

In terms of traction, the calculator doesn’t function like you appear to be assuming. A given tyre with a given percentage of the car’s weight on it will only permit a certain amount of grip. The calculator works by effectively reducing that power to match that maximum. Only when the speed and drag have reached a certain amount (i.e. when full power can be used) will it use the actual wheel power. It’s like traction control I suppose? Of course types do have grip while slipping but you just can’t find numbers for it, so I went with my approach above; a grip ceiling.

Thus, a car with enough power to break traction up to 60mph will accelerate at the same rate as the same car with twice as much power up until 60mph. It doesn’t matter how much more power it has, it won’t accelerate slower!! According to my calculator, the XFR could spin the wheels up until 48.9mph. Over that speed, traction overwhelms the power. Only tyres affect the acceleration. I did experiment with adding spring rates and the height of the centre of gravity but it’s near impossible to get numbers for this so they’re all generic I’m afraid. That said, it makes sod all difference in the scheme of things anyway!!



Which R8 are you referring to? In terms of engine and power I mean. It would obliterate the V8 ones!! I can easily tell you if that’s true as I have road test numbers for all of them.



The numbers I posted up included grip on a track day tyre such as an R888 or AD08R. It won’t get any better than that in my opinion. I do find it astounding that front engine rear drive car’s like Ferrari F12s etc, manage to dip under 4 so much. I can’t explain that!? It’s got to be some kind of wizardry on the suspension or something? Dampers softening and springs adjusting to shift more weight to the rear, I have no idea…

OK, interesting. I wasn't saying you were wrong, just trying to understand why what you're saying is different from owners experience - I was assuming the calculation did crazy things as it is often proved accurate.
Sorry it's a poor image, this is with a panel filter change and a x section where the centre box was.
I'll see if I can find others, but it was one of those Google and then link jump things where you get lost in a world of Internet!

Wow. That's the flattest torque curve I've ever seen.

I assume that's due to the supercharger providing linear grunt?

Yeah. I guess it's probably limited to save the drive train? Looks it from the table top torque 'line'

I've changed my mind, I had a run out this morning, did 140 miles and averaged 70 mph.

The car is fantastic in every way, it's not too fast to have fun, it's too fast to have fun in a socially acceptable way. I set off out at 5.30 am and ran some wonderful Yorkshire roads, total bliss. Used half a tank and the car stunk to high heaven when I got home.

Bloody brilliant.

40 months in, 35k miles at 18.5mpg.

What can I say.

I'm used to the pace. A normal car is dull and boring. A 340d recently was a non event.

I also now have a 997 911 C2S. Slower than the jag but closer to the coupe...

For those who wish to know what it's really like to own a super car in a working week suit... (jag)
Its damn expensive, tyres, brakes, suspension.. I've never had a bill less than 2k for a service or repair. Consumables are eaten at a rate I never expected.

Porsche - reliable and brilliant but, no personality...

The worst part?


My coupe of 11 years is sat waiting to be recommissioned and I can't wait to drive her again.
Even over 500bhp and 3 years hasn't killed the passion.

Great to read the update. I have a fairly fast car I use daily but I spend most of the time pootling around the city and only really get to explore it a couple of times a week for very short stints.

I am sure I'll get use to the power, something lots of people say, and it makes me wonder whether a weekend motor can help relive the fun?!

When are you looking to recommission the Coupe?

Hey !

I'm recomissioning right now. Not alot else to do.

Still got the jag, thinking about a nice Alfa.....