XF Sedan

Make
Jaguar
Segment
Sedan

Jaguar Land Rover has big plans to expand its R-S range. What started with the XKR-S coupe was quickly followed by an XKR-S convertible, and a Range Rover Sport R-S is also said to be in the works. We wouldn't be half surprised to see an Evoque R-S before all is said and done, but before the supercharged Leaping Cat jumps over to its high-riding corporate cousin, Jaguar is presenting the new XFR-S performance sedan this week at the Los Angeles Motor Show.

Powered by the same 5.0-liter supercharged V8 as the XKR-S, Jaguar new four-door muscle machine packs 542 horsepower and 502 lb-ft of torque for a 4.4-second 0-60 time and an electronically-limited 186 mph (300 km/h) top speed. Of course a European performance sedan can't be all about muscle, so Jaguar's engineers tinkered with the active differential and stability control, gave it a set of 20-inch wheels fitted to a performance-optimized suspension that's 30% stiffer than the XFR's and fitted it with a comprehensive aero kit featuring larger intakes, side sills and a carbon diffuser and big wing at the back.

Only 100 examples are earmarked for the United States in 2014, with another 100 expected to follow the following year, each priced at $99,000. That makes the new 542hp XFR-S nearly sixteen grand dearer than the existing XFR (510 hp), and a good ten grand more expensive than the Mercedes E63 AMG (518 hp) or BMW M5 (560 hp). We smell the distinct smell of burning rubber from a comparison test wafting this way.