This new Jaguar can run with the best of them
Sometimes, at the wheel of a certain car on a certain stretch of dry, deserted rural interstate, there comes the urge to get deep into the throttle, prompted by the devilish realization that “I Oughta be on the Autobahn.”
I remember traveling that high-speed public highway from Frankfurt en route to the deathly infamous racetrack, the Nurburgring, where, I thought, the real high-speed stuff would begin. There I was on the Autobahn, however, already at 140 miles per hour, moving quickly to my right to let a Porsche, and then a large S-Class Mercedes-Benz blow by me like I was a hesitant lane-clogger lost in the exhaust of a Sunday drive.
The flashback hit me recently behind the wheel of an unexpected car: a Jaguar.
Ah, but this was not your everyday prowling cat. This was a Jag to chase down a cheetah: the 2004 S-Type R, a hot luxury sedan.
It is something of a ‘tweener car, not really built to challenge the big muscle of such howlers as the Mercedes-Benz AMG 55 or the BMW M5, yet it ends up running far closer to their performance standards than the sedans of Infiniti or Lexus, the latter being cars from which it was, in fact, designed to pull away.
It is a long leap from the basic S-Type to this supercharged, rear-wheel-drive thumper, but this cat makes the pounce most nimbly. Whereas the base 4.2-liter engine delivers a respectable 294 horsepower, the supercharged 4.2, dual overhead cam, aluminum V-8 in the S-Type R has 390 horsepower and 399 lb.-ft. of torque. And it provides it to the wonderful whine of the supercharger at maximum throttle.
Perhaps in backing away from the full pedal-to-the-metal approach of the M5 or the AMG 55, the R has a transmission that is a bit more “controlling” than you might expect in a high-performance car. Indeed, the six-speed automatic had a tendency to shift up sooner than an enthusiast would prefer. But that, I suspect, is part of being a ‘tweener.
It is a trait you can sense, as well, in the ride. The R has a smoother, softer ride than the AMG 55 or the M5, and that’s a good thing, I suppose, for spirited if controlled highway cruising. It lacks the stiffness of the others, however, in cornering and rapid lane change posture.
The suspension, independent front and rear with aluminum double wishbone setups and stabilizer bars front and rear, is electronically controlled for two stages, depending on driver demand and road conditions.
Stopping the Jaguar with a system that seems to get tighter and quicker the harder it is pushed, is a four-channel, four-piston Brembo system with ABS tied to 14-inch-plus discs up front and near 13-inch discs in the rear.
The ride, smooth on highways, a bit squishy in lane changes, and somewhat undulating on rough roads, still offered a sporty experience. There were slight hints of understeer, but no thing that threatened to become unmanageable.
Inside, fine leather seating was firm and tight in a good way. I could do without the gray bird’s-eye maple wood treatment, but I loved the gauge/control setup, with the behind-the-wheel gauges growing a warm green of a winter night, and the center control pod — audio, climate, navigation — framed in a protruding, stitched leather rim. Leg and head room were great, front and rear.
From the outside, there’s no mistaking this as a classic Jag, with the oval mesh grille; muscular, slanted front fenders; sloping rear roof; and chopped rear deck.
This is a very quick, fast car — 0 to 60 mph in just over 5 seconds, electronically limited to 155 miles per hour. And that’s at just over two tons of curb weight. I wonder how this cat would run if the steel body was replaced with the aluminum Jaguar is turning to in other models?
