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2013 Jaguar XKR-S Convertible by Arden 
The Jaguar XKR-S Convertible is one of the coolest Jaguar models unveiled in the past few years by the British manufacturer and, if you ask us, it is perfect from factory. Apparently not all the tuner share our thoughts on it, as the German tuner Arden has announced an aerodynamic kit for the sports convertible. The kit includes a series of aerodynamic parts made in carbon fiber: new front spoiler, side skirts and side vents. Arden is also offering a hand-crafted, highly polished stainless-steel mesh that helps optimize the engine and brake cooling. For the rear, the tuner installed sport silencers made entirely out of stainless steel that offer the engine a more powerful sound. The last piece of the package includes the addition of a set of light alloy wheels, sized 21 inches and offered in multi-piece design. These new wheels are wrapped in high-performance rubber and guarantee optimum driving characteristics and a smooth ride. 2013 Jaguar XKR-S by Superior Automotive Design
Every car owner would crave for individuality, from the cheap Tata Nano to the bank-account-wiping Bugatti Veyron. That’s why there are one-off special editions fetching top dollar just for its exclusivity. So much for individuality... The owner of this Jaguar XKR-S didn’t feel satisfied just having one of the baddest production Jags ever. So the boys at Superior Automotive Design decided to redefine the word "exclusive" and, judging from the picture above, they have done a great job at it. This metallic cat is wrapped in chrome, which according to S.A.D owner, Kris Lim, was a tough challenge, as heat doesn’t work on the material and neither does stretching the material, unlike other custom wraps. Nevertheless, since the decision to wrap the car in chrome was made already, they went about installing the wrap and finished the build in a fortnight. With careful attention to detail, the wrap is seamless in this example, and adds a bling factor to the reclusive kitty. In fact, Justin Bieber and his Fisker Karma are in awe of its blinginess. A full chrome wrap is a little bit too cheesy, so, S.A.D decided to balance that out by adding black accents to certain elements of the car. With this addition, the XKR-S is a perfect combination of bling and wickedness, an aspect expected if your team is into car customization. With already 550 horses powering this Jag, S.A.D decided to leave the powertrain alone since Jaguar themselves have done a great job at it. So, no harm done here... Overall, we think this build looks absolutely fantastic, though we aren’t huge fans of chrome wrap. We think it’s the black accents that make it stand out among the rest of the chrome-wrapped cars. Nice touch, S.A.D.
Video: Drive Visits Jaguar’s Top-Secret Test Facility at NürburgringDrive has shot yet another amazing video. A few months ago, Drive got the chance to shoot inside the Pagani factory, and the fellas are ready to try and trump that video with their latest visit. This lastest trip takes the boys the famous Nürburgring race track, which really isn’t a huge deal. What is a huge deal is that they got to spend time at the Jaguar test center. Jaguar’s test center is hidden on a side road just outside the northern loop of the Nürburgring, more precisely in the Industrial Park — AKA the “Area 51 of cars.” The guys over Drive got a tour of the test facility with Phil Talboys, head of European Test Operations for Jaguar, and took a lap around the Nordshliefe with Sascha Bert, the Jaguar test driver who set the XKR-S lap record. All we can say is sit back and enjoy! You’re sure to be amazed by the hell that Jag puts its cars through when testing. Then again, with some of the issues the once-great Jaguar has had in recent years, it doesn’t surprise us that the test cars get thrashed to their breaking point.
2013 Jaguar XKR-S Nicko McBrain EditionJust like what Ferrari did for golfer Ian Poulter and musician Eric Clapton, automakers have been known to acquiesce to certain customers who want to build their own one-off customized vehicles. British automaker Jaguar recently took that step when it built a special edition XKR-S exclusively for Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain. On top of being a sick drummer for one of the world’s most famous heavy metal bands, McBrain is also a noted car enthusiast. So it wasn’t all that surprising that McBrain decided to have Jaguar commission him with a special edition XKR-S shortly after taking the sports car out for a ride out on a race track. The man knows how to decide quickly, doesn’t he? At his behest, Jaguar jumped at the opportunity, dressing up McBrain’s XKR-S with an Ultra-Blue exterior paint job to go with a red and black interior that comes complete with Iron Maiden references. The door sills, in particular, were engraved with a "Nicko McBrain" XKR-S" inscription using Iron Maiden’s iconic font style. The same font was also used on the carbon fiber hood louvers where the word "Supercharged" was engraved to. There doesn’t appear to be any performance modifications on the XKR-S, but McBrain doesn’t appear to mind considering that the Jaguar sports car already comes with a 5.0-liter V8 engine that produces 500 horsepower and 501 lb/ft of torque.
2013 Jaguar XKR-S Track Version
It was just last week when we brought proof that Jaguar is working on a hardcore version of the XKR-S, and now the car has been caught testing again taking some very fast laps around the famous Nurburgring race track. Could this be Jaguar’s answer to the Mercedes Black Series line from AMG? Compared to a standard XKR-S, the new prototype features some significant changes: a deeper front spoiler with canards mounted on the sides, a different engine hood with more air outlets, and a massive rear wing. On the interior, the standard front seats will be replaced by new bucket seats and the rear seats will be non-existent. Since there is a new hood on this bad boy, as well as a stiffer suspension, we assume that it will be toting more than the usual 550 HP. All of these new elements, as well as the almost definite power increase, should make for a very potent track orientated supercar. Track-Focused Jaguar XKR-S Caught Testing at NurburgringBack in February 2012, it was reported that Jaguar was preparing a track-focused XKR-S Coupe. Now, the guys from BridgetoGantry have caught a very strange looking XKR-S testing around the Nurburgring track. So, why do we think this is not just an ordinary XKR-S? First, we looked at the front of the vehicle where we noticed the huge front splitter and dual canards. Then, there’s that huge rear wing at the back. These new elements should have a dramatic effect on front-end grip and feel in high-speed corners. Also, under those huge 20" wheels, we noticed an upgraded multi-piston big brake kit. So, with all these updates provided to the XKR-S, we strongly believe that Jaguar is working on an even more impressive sports coupe. However, when asked about it, Jaguar officials said that "testing various vehicles and parts do not always necessarily lead to parts or vehicles entering volume production." Let’s just hope they’re trying to keep it a secret, and not just testing parts. 2012 Jaguar XKR-S by Arden
When Jaguar unveiled the XKR-S sports coupe, we were more than impressed with its 550 HP V8 engine, but German tuner Arden didn’t agree. They decided it would be much better off with an upgrade package that increased the final output to an even more impressive 645 HP. If memory serves us correctly, this is the first upgrade kit offered for the sports coupe and will probably be one of the few offered. With a car as sleek and stylish as the XKR-S - it was Playboy’s Car of the Year, after all - there wasn’t much Arden could do to improve on the exterior of the sports car. What they did do was remove the Jaguar logo from the grille, added a new spoiler that slopes a bit down and a new rear spoiler. The Jaguar sits on a new set of sportier wheels as well. The biggest change, however, was made under the hood where the tuner added an extra 95 HP. The tuner didn’t reveal how they obtained the extra power, but they probably tweaked the ECU and added a new exhaust system at the very least. 2012 Jaguar XKR Art CarWe have seen all kinds of art cars lately, but if we remember correctly, this may be one of the few times we actually see a Jaguar XKR Art Car. The car features a unique paint scheme courtesy of renowned local graffiti artist, Mr Kaves. His work was done in order to attract a younger, hipper audience. The car was revealed at the STK restaurant in New York, where Mr Kaves also presented a fourth canvas based around the F-TYPE name. Ian Callum, Jaguar’s Director of Design, was impressed by the final result: "I love it. It’s a fascinating contrast of beauty and drama. There’s a real edginess to it that we can enjoy at Jaguar." Mr Kaves said: "I was enlisted to come up with something exciting and spontaneous. I went back to my roots and picked up the spray cans. Seeing the car itself and its great lines, it just inspired me."
Video: Forza 4 previews new Alpinestars Pack to release in AprilAnother month, another downloadable car pack from Turn 10 Studios. Never content with the growing number of cars on Forza Motorsport 4, Turn 10 Studios is gearing up for the release of their latest downloadable content in the game, the April Alpinestars Car Pack. For this pack of new vehicles, Turn 10 Studios is including a bevy of new rides mixed in with some classics from yesteryear. For the new rides, the Alpinestars Pack has a 2011 Mercedes-Benz #35 Black Falcon SLS, a 2012 Jaguar XKR-S, which if you didn’t know, is the fastest Jaguar in the world, and a 2011 Aston Martin #009 Aston Martin Racing AMR One. If you’re into some of the earlier models, the pack also has a variety of those, including a 1985 Mazda RX-7 GSL-SE, a 1959 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz Convertible, and a 1972 Mercedes Benz 300 SEL, which was, at one point in time, one of the fastest cars on the planet. To mark the occasion of the impending release of the Alpinestars Car Pack, Turn 10 Studios has dropped a video preview of the pack, complete with footage of the cars included in it. Check it out!
Video: Jaguar XKR-S Coupe is Ready to Pounce on the CompetitionIt’s very easy to discount a Jaguar sports car against its more heralded competition because you didn’t always get to see the Cat showing off its claws. But now that the British company has turned over a new chapter in their company’s history, the Big Cat is primed and ready to present their new ferocious feline, the Jaguar XKR-S Coupe. Think of all the past Jags that ran the streets of the world not so long ago. Now, imagine a sleeker, sportier, and far more menacing version that takes advantage of being the first model to be designed entirely under the guidance of Design Director Ian Callum. That’s what you get with the XKR-S Coupe. Not only does the design blow your mind, but it’s also got the kind of performance credentials that would make the competition stand up and take notice. This promo video of the XKR-S Coupe will be all the evidence you need to understand that Jaguar means some serious business with their new sports coupe. Don’t mistake the XKR-S Coupe for meek because if you do, you better be ready to get pounced on. | Jaguar XKR latest reviews:Jaguar XKR tuning:
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