Jaguar confirms 280km/h XKR for Australia

JAGUAR’S even faster and more exclusive XKR Special Edition will be in available in Australia after all.

Based on one of the world’s finest and most exclusive coupes, the limited-edition XKR made its global debut at the Geneva motor show in March, when Jaguar advised it would not be sold Down Under.

Now, however, Jaguar Australia has confirmed 10 examples of the 280km/h XKR Special Edition coupe will arrive here from October, priced at $272,000.

That represents a $17,000 price increase over the standard 250km/h XKR Coupe ($255,000), with which the Special Edition shares its 375kW/625Nm supercharged AJ-V8 Gen III R V8.

But while the XKR Special Edition – which was designed to celebrate the famed British brand’s 75th anniversary – sprints to 100km/h in the same 4.8 seconds (claimed) as the standard XKR, it comes with a host of bold cosmetic extras.

All versions will come with unique ‘Polaris’ white exterior paint, as well as 20-inch ‘Kalimnos’ alloy wheels with a gloss black finish, which is also applied to the exclusive new XKR’s upper and lower grilles, side air intake cheeks and window surrounds.



Further differentiating its exterior will be red brake callipers with R logos, a body-coloured ‘Aerodynamic Pack’ comprising a front bib spoiler and larger rear spoiler, a body-coloured rear boot lid finisher and ‘XKR’ body side graphics.

Inside, the XKR Special Edition features a soft-grain interior in Warm Charcoal with Cranberry contrasting stitching, 16-way heated and cooled front seats with memory, ‘Jet Suedecloth’ premium headlining, ‘Flint Grey’ carpet and premium carpet mats, ‘Piano Black’ facia, centre console and door switches veneers, and a premium 525-Watt Bowers & Wilkins sound system with Dolby ProLogic II surround sound, Kevlar midrange speakers and specially designed aluminium tweeters.

Finally, freeing up an extra 30 litres of luggage space is a fully carpeted boot well (which can hold a specially designed XK accessory suitcase) and ‘Instant Mobility System’ (IMS) tyre repair kit to replace the standard XKR’s space-saver spare wheel/tyre.

Jaguar Australia general manager Kevin Goult said the XKR Special Edition was the most spectacular-looking XKR ever from Jaguar.

“By raising the XKR's maximum speed, the new car has extended its sporting credentials taking it even further into supercar performance territory,” he said.