We like the XJ a lot. It’s big, comfortable and handles well for a luxury express. Now, Jaguar has given it even more speed (and is speed a bad thing?)
The Sport Pack – available throughout the XJ range – comprises a number of exterior and interior design options that clearly underline the assertive side of the car’s personality. Externally the appearance of the XJ has been made even more dramatic with the addition of aerodynamically optimised changes to the bodywork and an alloy wheel design specific to the Sport Pack.
The functional aerodynamic changes of the Sport Pack allow supercharged XJ models to be additionally offered with the Speed Pack, which raises the limited top speed. Ian Callum, Director of Design, Jaguar Cars said, ”the XJ is much more than a limousine. Its power and potential mean it can out-perform many so-called sports cars. The new Sport and Speed Packs allow customers to enhance that sporting dynamism even further and create an XJ that looks as good as it drives.”
The front of the car gains an aerodynamic splitter beneath the bumper to direct air beneath the car to reduce lift, and at the rear the bootlid lip has been extended to ensure a clean separation of air from the trailing edge of the bodywork. While ensuring optimal stability at high-speed, the Sport Pack maintains the standard XJ’s sleek 0.29Cd aerodynamic figure.
These changes have been reinforced with a number of cosmetic additions that clearly distinguish the Sport Pack-equipped cars from other models. The bold Jaguar radiator grille gains a gloss black mesh finish with the same treatment applied to the lower air opening and side vents. Red painted brake callipers hide behind new 20-inch ‘Venom’ alloy wheels with a diamond-turned sparkle silver finish to the five split-spoke design. Newly designed split twin tailpipes completes the look.
Inside this fast Jag are front seats with enlarged side bolsters and stainless steel pedals engraved with the Jaguar name. The rear seats have been trimmed to match the front pair and the Sport specification will be offered in two colourways of Jet over Jet or Jet over Ivory. The eye-catching Piano Black trim that highlights certain touch surfaces in the XJ is contrasted in the Sport specification by subtly applied carbon-fibre highlights.
The Sport Pack is available on nearly all engine variants, including the muscular twin-turbo diesel, market-specific 3.0 V6 petrol and naturally-aspirated 5.0-litre AJ-V8 where it serves to emphasise the sporting character and driver involvement that are core strengths of every XJ model. On supercharged AJ-V8 models, the Sport pack can be combined with the Speed Pack, which raises the electronically limited maximum speed from 250 km/h to 280 km/h.
Jaguar claims that the supercharged petrol engines produced so much power, no increase was necessary to achieve the higher top speed. The only changes necessary were a recalibrated engine management system, reworked software for the innovative virtual instrument display and adjustment to the tyre pressure monitoring system to take into account the heat generated by sustained high-speed motoring.
“A car capable of 174mph must have certain basic attributes – stability, aerodynamics, prodigious power and as little weight as possible. The XJ is blessed with all these qualities in abundance and with the addition of the Speed Pack it becomes an ever more impressive performance saloon,” said Mike Cross, Chief Engineer, Vehicle Integrity.