2016 Jaguar F-Type SVR

The first full prototype versions of the Jaguar F-Type SVR have been caught testing at the Nurburgring ahead of the car’s launch later this year.

The all-wheel-drive SVR will be the performance flagship of the F-Type range. It will be offered initially as a coupe, with power coming from an uprated version of the F-Type R’s supercharged 5.0-litre V8 engine.

Previous estimates have suggested that the F-Type SVR, development of which has been undertaken by Jaguar Land Rover’s SVO division, will produce as much as 600bhp.

However, Autocar understands that the power output will in fact be 567bhp, which would match the output of the engine in the F-Type Project 7 special model. Tantalisingly, this leaves room for an even more potent and extreme F-Type in the future, as 600bhp is understood to be achievable from the engine.

The F-Type SVR will be derived from the 542bhp F-Type R AWD Coupe and come equipped with all-wheel drive as standard.

The extra power, along with an as yet unspecified weight saving the car will feature over its 1730kg donor model, should help to propel the F-Type SVR from 0-60mph in closer to 3.5sec than the 3.9sec of the F-Type R AWD. As with the F-Type R AWD, an eight-speed automatic gearbox will feature as standard on the SVR.

The visual changes over the F-Type R AWD are easy to spot on the SVR, even under the heavy disguise. The more extreme and aerodynamic body, some of which has been inspired by the Project 7, includes a new front-end design with additional cooling and lip spoiler, a fixed rear wing and a large rear diffuser.

Stopping power will come from large carbon-ceramic brakes that sit behind lightweight 20in alloys. The chassis is also understood to have undergone an overhaul for a more focused drive, and the exhaust system is new for an even more distinctive exhaust note and also to save weight.

Source: www.autocar.co.uk