Late last month, a supercharged Jag->ke39 set the official record for fastest production vehicle in South Africa. An asphalt-blazing top speed of 181.1 mph was achieved in a blast down the runway at Upington Airport, in the Northern Cape, as a gaggle of Jaguar employees looked on. Elevation was 2,759 feet above sea level, which probably didn’t affect the forced-induction V-8 all that much.

“Not only do we say that racing is in our blood – we go out there and prove it,” said Richard Gouverneur, Managing Director of Jaguar->ke39 Land Rover->ke46 (JLR) South Africa and sub-Sahara Africa. “Aside from being inspired by our history of racing and land speed records, we also wanted to show off the innovation, performance and safety of our vehicles. A car that’s capable of reaching 300km/h safely is many times safer at legal and safe speeds.”

Now that Jaguar has stepped up to claim the title of quickest in South Africa, I’d love it if other makes got in on the action. A buck eighty is fast, no doubt about it, but certainly not unbeatable. Let’s see that top end, Ferrari,->ke252Lamborghini->ke44 and McLaren!->ke284

Continue Reading to learn more about the Jaguar F-Type R.

Jaguar F-Type R

Underneath its supple bodywork and striking aerodynamics, the Jaguar F-Type R has all the makings of a serious speed machine. The powerplant is a 5.0-liter V-8 that’s blown to 550 horsepower at 6,500 rpm and 502 pound-feet of torque at 2,500 to 5,500 rpm. Spray-guided direct injection (SGDI) and dual independent variable cam timing (DIVCT) help eke the most from this aluminum-block engine. While lightweight, it's also strong, thanks to cast-iron liners and cross-bolted main-bearing caps. Making the fantastically dirty noises is an Active Sports Exhaust with quad tailpipes. A “Quickshift” eight-speed transmission from ZF routes power to an Electronic Active Differential that splits it between the rear wheels.

While good for full-throttle, straight-line runways, the F-Type R isn’t too shabby in a bend either. Underpinned by an Adaptive Dynamics suspension, vertical body movement, roll and pitch rates are all monitored and controlled via continuously adjustable dampers that optimize themselves up to 500 times per second. Behind the 20-inch wheels you’ll find a standard Jaguar Super Performance braking system with 15-inch rotors in the front and 14.8-inch rotors in the back. As an optional upgrade, you could spring for the Carbon Ceramic Matrix (CCM) system that comes with 15.7-inch rotors and six-piston calipers up front, and 15-inch rotors and four-piston calipers in the rear. It’s a good idea if you plan on testing the upper limits of the speedometer.

Finally, we would be remiss if we neglected to mention the lovely interior, with the leather-wrapped and warming sport seats, a heated steering wheel, and 770-watt Meridian surround sound audio system (not that you’ll need a stereo with that snarling V-8 to keep you entertained).

Prices start at around $100,000.