The company has already confirmed plans to offer an XE 35t variant, powered by a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 engine with 340 horsepower and 332 lb-ft of torque. The setup is good for a zero-to-60 mph sprint in just under five seconds.
To better keep up with the German rivals, the British automaker is planning to borrow the F-Type V8 S convertible‘s blown 5.0-liter mill that delivers 495 ponies and 460 lb-ft of twist, unnamed sources have told Autocar. It will be mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, remapped for more aggressive shifts.
The XE is already more rigid and a few hundred pounds lighter than the F-Type roadster, thanks to extensive use of aluminum. It is unclear if the XE-R will adopt even more lightweight material such as carbon fiber, but it should handily beat the F-Type V8 S’ 4.2-second zero-to-60 mph time even without shedding any extra pounds. For comparison, the M4 hits 60 mph from a standstill in 3.9 seconds with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission.
The latest report claims Jaguar engineers had less trouble installing the F-Type’s V8 in the XE than they faced fitting the same chassis with the company’s new fuel-sipping Ingenium four-cylinder engine. Rumors suggest Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations unit will likely get their hands on the XE-R and upgrade it with the F-Type R coupe’s 550-horsepower V8.
A time-frame for launching the XE-R remains unclear, though sources claim the project could be a lower priority than faster versions of existing models and the upcoming F-Pace crossover.
Photo by Drew Johnson.
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