Just occasionally in the recent past, Jaguar has gone a bit mad - with spectacularly brilliant results. The Project 7 was the classic hot rod reinvented for the modern world, fit to burst with unbridled V8 muscle and rear-drive, road racer attitude. The Project 8 was similarly silly and no less lovable; there was to be no mere M3 for the rival for the XE, instead a Nurburgring-crushing, 600hp, all-wheel drive monster that could be optioned without rear seats. Both were hard to justify, lots of money, superb to drive, and will live forever as some of the best homes for the venerable supercharged V8. But they weren’t the only ones…
Remember the XKR-S GT? Paving the way for the later 5.0-litre Special Operations cars, it too was very limited run, extremely powerful, fairly OTT - and absolutely brilliant. Some of the raw stat didn’t paint the GT in a tremendously favourable light 11 years ago, as it was no more potent than a standard 550hp S, more than £30k costlier than the then-new 991 GT3, and was built from a car that had been on sale since 2006. Still has the old six-speed auto, too. It didn’t look to be off to the most auspicious of starts.
But there was plenty more about the GT. Despite a production run of just 40 cars (10 for the UK), substantial changes were undertaken, including fitting Jaguar’s first ceramic brakes, widening the front track, overhauling the suspension with fiercer spring rates and Eibach hardware, pinching some steering bits from the upcoming F-Type and adding carbon aero devices as well. For 40 cars! The result of all that were some much more encouraging stats: despite a negligible weight saving over standard, the GT was 11 seconds faster around the Nordschleife than an XKR-S, recording a 7:40. No doubt helped by the additional downforce and wider Pirelli tyres, it was (and is) an impressive time for a car not really known as a track slayer.
That’s exactly what it proved to be, though. ‘I think we did 60 flat-out laps and it felt fresh as a daisy’, was the PH verdict from Chris Harris, and that must have been the first time that was written about a roadgoing Jag. ‘The ride quality is good, the car is just as easy to live with as a cooking RS… anyone who fancies going very fast on track in a Jaguar will have a stunning time in this car. For trips to the 'ring it would be sensational.’ Even with a less-than-stellar automatic, it left a very favourable impression.
With so few made and the F-Type arriving soon after, the limelight wasn’t on the XKR-S GT for long. But with new Jag imminent, so the recent greatest hits are being revisited with increased nostalgic fervour; the GT was a very special new car, so it’ll be no surprise to find it much loved now. 21st-century Jags don’t get much more desirable, it could be argued.
Or more expensive. Given the reputation it earned and the tiny numbers, appreciation shouldn’t be unexpected. When we last wrote about a GT in 2017, the asking price was £149,995, a modest if useful uplift from the original £138,000 RRP. But plenty has happened since then, so now a similar car (2015 instead of 2014, again with 4,000 miles) is for sale at £200,000. Or the price of two low-mileage Project 8s. But those cars are commonplace by comparison to the GT, as is pretty much every other alternative you care to mention. You’re more likely to see an XJ220. If the Jag collection has an obvious absentee - or perhaps someone out there wants to see what the fuss was about - this looks an amazing opportunity. Hardly going to become less interesting or rare over the coming years, is it?
SPECIFICATION | JAGUAR XKR-S GT
Engine: 5,000cc V8, supercharged
Transmission: 6-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 550@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 502@2,500-5,500rpm
MPG: 23
CO2: 292g/km
First registered: 2014
Recorded mileage: 4,000
Price new: £138,000
Yours for: £149,995
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