Jaguar Could Build More XKR-S GTs

British carmaker insists capacity is there to create 50 examples of its most hard-core model.

Upon serving up the XKR-S GT at the New York Auto Show, Jaguar announced its most extreme of performance models would be limited to just 30 units: 25 for the US and 5 for Canada. However, after the car’s unveiling, Jaguar boss Adrian Hallmark confirmed there was capacity to build a further 20 cars if demand was there. "It is possible the production run will reach 50"” said Hallmark. "The initial cap was set to define the business case but, thankfully, there is room for more."

In building the car, Jaguar focused on areas such as aero enhancements, weight saving, drivability and brake performance instead of trying to generate more output from the 550-horsepower supercharged V8. The result is a car that can lap the Nurburgring in under 7m 40s, which puts the XKR-S GT into supercar territory with the likes of the Lexus LFA, Lamborghini Murcielago, and Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG. The real beauty of this project has been that it has extended our understanding of the elements involved in making a car go so fast, and that will feed back into all our road car programmes," added Hallmark.

The XKR-S GT can hit 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 186 mph - making it one of the quickest Jags since the famous XJ220. Even with a price tag of $174,000, we’re sure there’ll be twenty more takers for this potent Leaping Cat, particularly in the UK and Europe - regions that were excluded from the original allotment of 30 cars.