Jaguar's fattest Cat yet

There's a new trend emerging among the luxury tourers - power. If you don't have it, you may as well forget it.

And the the magic number could be 200. That's right, 200 kilowatts of power at the crank, which is easier said than done. Locally, you could nominate the Holden Statesman packed with the 5.7-litre Chev engine, perhaps even an HSV-enhanced special.

Take the new Jaguar, for instance. Under Ford's wing, the company has supercharged one of the company's many V8 blocks and is now targetting the hot BMW M5. Both the S-Type R and M5 create around 300kW and it is clear than the lines have been drawn.

Maserati's new Quattroporte is likely to join the fiery four-door fray in 2003, but for now, we'll take a look at the S-Type R and see if the R really stands for what we think it does...

The look of the S-Type R is, for all intents and purposes, traditionally Jaguar. But at the same token, subtle tweaks will identify it as something completely different for those with an eye for detail.

Take, for instance, the bootlid spoiler. Very small, but sporting. The new 18-inch wheels, ever-so-slightly exaggerrated body kit, revised grille (with integrated growler emblem) and xenon healights take nothing away from the distinctive Jag look, but give it a visual edge over it's stablemates at the same time. Oh, and the 'R' badges are a bit of a giveaway...

Weighing in at about the 1800kg mark, the S-Type R is (really) leaden with luxury goodies, including state-of-the-art (Xenon) HID headlights with electronic headlamp leveling, 16-way electrically-adjustable front seats, dual zone automatic climate control, heated front seats, rain-sensing wipers, moonroof, six-CD autochanger and, surprisingly, power adjustable pedals. Another unique feature is a button-operated hand-brake, which would make rally-driving interesting...

The suspension system is pretty cool too, which endows the new 'R' with fairly nimble handling. CATS, or computer active technology suspension, as the boffins call it, gives the portly Jag it's dancing shoes, allowing for a more refined ride, but at the same time solid handling and reduced body-roll when at the limit.

To get this balance right, the dampers are electronically controlled two-stage adaptive types, changing to suit the situation. CATS also incorporates uprated springs and the whole shebang amounts to more predictability when cornering and braking. In that respect you could also add 'safety' to the 'handling' gains.

Hauling the fat Cat in from speed are massive Brembo brakes, sporting 365mm discs up front and 330mm discs aft, with four-piston calipers all round. Together with DSC, the S-Type R is an ultimately safe car.

The DSC, or Dynamic Stability Control, incorporates ABS and TCS to give the car sure-footing, even in adverse conditions, and helps reduce severe over and under-steer.

The S-Type R is a very important model for the British marque and, as such, the car makes use of an all-new six-speed auto gearbox from ZF. A first for Jag.

The new slick-shifting six is coupled to a revised version of Ford's 4.0-litre V8, used in the outgoing S-Type model. The new quad-cam 4.2-litre V8 is worth an impressive 224kW, but slap on a supercharger and peak power is hiked to a commanding 298kW. This is achieved @ 6100rpm - quite a high-revver for a V8. Peak torque is 553Nm @ 3500rpm, creating a tasty poweband between 3000-6000rpm.

Such a glut of power allows the big Cat to arrive at a 250km/h top speed, while the 0-100km/h dash is claimed at 5.3 seconds, which is quite a feat for such a large car. That should wipe the smirk off the 500Nm BMW M5's face. But power isn't everything and Jaguar is hoping that it's new flagship model will chip away at a customer base that is predominantly German-biased.

As far as safety goes, the S-Type R comes fitted with Adaptive Restraint Technology System (ARTS). Basically the deployment of the front airbags is based upon the presence, position and weight of the front passenger, the position of driver in relation to the steering wheel, the usage of seatbelts, and the severity of the impact and was first seen on the XK Series sports cars.

Mike Cross, the chief engineer of vehicle integrity, had this to say about the dynamics of the sporty S-Type: "The S-Type R has a dual personality, in line with Jaguar’s philosophy for our ultra high performance flagship vehicles. The new car is inherently quiet, refined and comfortable – but when stirred, it becomes a true performance machine, satisfying the demands of the driving enthusiast. Power is instantly available, without ever being intimidating or overly demanding of the driver."

Complimenting the XJR and XKR coupe and convertible, the new S-Type R is Jaguar's most powerful saloon ever built. And perhaps that's exactly what the marque needs to get attention - a big, luxurious, expensive and kick-ass 298kW behemoth to excite the punters. Jaguar newcomers will appreciate the sheer grunt and impressive amount of extras and goodies that make up the S-Type R, but traditionalists, if they can forgive the Ford-esque rear, should find merit in the fast S-Type, too. Potential buyers can expect to pay around $165,000 for the fattest Cat around when it arrives in July.