Jaguar F-Type R: hardcore roadster targets Vantage
CarAdvice's spy photographers have captured the Jaguar F-Type R undergoing high-speed testing around the Nurburgring in Germany.
The previously unseen high-performance roadster will sit above the standard F-Type sports car, which is set to hit our shores in the second half of 2013.
Blowing the F-Type R’s cover is its quad exhaust layout and dramatic diffuser, confirming the presence of a more powerful engine under the bonnet.
The more aggressive front-end design, larger alloy wheels and speed-sensitive auto-deploying rear spoiler are further evidence of the prototype’s sporting prowess.
The F-Type R will be powered by Jag’s supercharged 5.0-litre V8, with the brawny engine expected to be detuned slightly from its current 375kW/625Nm production output. The detune will leave breathing space between the F-Type R and the $263,000 XKR Convertible while still providing a considerable step up from the standard F-Type’s all-new 3.0-litre supercharged V6, which is set to produce around 280kW and 460Nm.
While the entry-level F-Type will compete with high-performance versions of the BMW Z4 and Porsche Boxster, Jaguar is understood to have set its sights on the Aston Martin Vantage with its extreme R variant.
A coupe version of the F-Type will launch 12 months after the roadster. A hardtop R variant will join its soft-top sibling, likely sometime in 2014.
Despite this being the first time the F-Type R has been spied, rumours are already abounding that Jaguar’s success with the XKR-S could encourage it to produce a hardcore version of its entry-level model, dubbed the F-Type R-S.
Jaguar fans will get their first opportunity to see the F-Type in the flesh when a development prototype of the two-seat sports car makes its public debut at next week’s Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK.
Click on the gallery for more images.