My white lightning - The Jaguar XF-R

nirmalkrishnan · 23rd September 2012, 19:49

well i know everybody would ask me this question - Why an XFR. Well i wanted a supercar that could had a dual personality , a wolf in sheeps clothing . I had norrowed down on 3 cars -

An E60 M5 ( the F10 was way out of my budget)

Pros .
Phenomenal Performance (needs to be revved hard)
Its a musical Instrument
Sitting Inside an M5 is like sitting inside a laptop , I love the endless possibilities to customize the way the car behaves
Very sharp handler
Cons
Very Stiff Ride
I already have a 530d with an m5 bumber so both cars would look the same
Dismal Milage and more importantly fuel range of the V10 (250kms i was told)
I wanted a car which was still under company warranty for obvious reasons and there wernt any good examples that i found

An E93 M3 (convertible) - now this is what i really wanted badly

pros
Looks , power and convertible charm
Like the M5 its easy to customize the way the car behaves
Cons
Most good examples were very overpriced
Family dint like the idea of a two door sports coupe but i am sure i could convice them

The XFR - well i thought this was the perfect compromise over the M models. I got a good example (2010 model) for a decent price and the car was well used and maintained except for few squeaks and rattles and near bald rear tyres, the car had done Just 17k on the odo and had full service history. I drove the car and fell in love with it instanly and made up my mind to go for it. I have been using the car since the past 3months now and done around 1500km and i must say that i am very happy with it . I always wanted to post a review of the car on this forum but never actually got the time. Today being a sunday i thought i would jot down a quick ownership report. here you go...

Design
I am a big fan of the new facelifted XF/XFR looks . My car is a prefacelift model and i wasnt very excited initially about the front end , though the rear and profile with the hunkered down looks are very classy. The front end looks however starts to grow on you with time , especially those aggresive supercharger vents and bonnet bulges.The XFR has got the gentleman thug thing down pat. It's not a showy car by any means, in fact you might not even notice it unless you're attentive - or look at the 20-inch wheels that have ‘supercharged' engraved around their rims. Still, there's a big bonus to walking quietly but carrying a really big stick: this is a modern day street-sleeper and that's very cool indeed. exactly what i wanted

Comfort

The XFR is determinedly a decent road car first and a headbanger second, so the ride is firm but not intrusive.Comparing to my e60 the ride is firmer but very flat with minimal pitching or bobbing movement of the nose. The autobox is almost totally unfelt in D mode and the ambience one of determined pressing-on rather than blood and fire. There's a lot of waft here, a nice surprise for something with 500bhp.

Performance

I one word spectacular. A 5.0-litre supercharged V8 with 510bhp and a 0-100 time under five seconds (4.9 to be exact).It actually feels quicker than the numbers suggests , probably due to the insane torque of 625NM(for a petrol). A more impressive figure is a 80-120Km/h time of just 1.9 seconds (got this from jags official website) - that's what you'll use to overtake the average luxuary saloon - enough to make your eyes widen. There's a claimed limiter at 250km/h but we could max out the speedo on a closed road.My only compaint is that the car doent have a launch control system like the m5 or m3 for bragging rights atleast , though its very easy to launch the car if you have good tyres ie.

Quality

There's not a great deal that sets the XFR apart from the standard XF on the inside, so the quality seems as per the normal version. There are a few extra badges, some nice bolstered seats, a speedo that is forced to read much higher, but otherwise this is XF. I would however like to point out that the build quality is a notch below the germans for sure.

Handling

Quite soft on first impressions, with slightly numb steering for such a fast car. Start prodding a few buttons (to be read as Dynamic mode and Sport shifter) and go a bit quicker though, and the XFR opens up a whole range of previously veiled ability. It's not the scalpel that is the BMW M5 or M3, but the XFR has its own character that's very easy to hustle. You get more indication that the car is going to start to oversteer, in most cases revelling in the fact that it seems to release into mild slides at corner apex without biting your head off . It can be a hooligan, but you have to poke it a bit to get it angry - after that, it's

sublime.In fact on our recent supercar drive to athirapilly twisties we had many fun oversteer moments even with the DSC and DTC fully on , possibly because the road was wet and the rear tyres were on their last lap.

Practicality

All the practicality of the XF - so while possibly not the best in class, certainly nothing that you'll be stamping your feet about. Big boot, seats four comfortably and five at a push, easy to drive, easy enough to park and thread through traffic - the XFR is very easy to like.

Running costs
Well Driven with a very light foot the car gave me 4-5kp/l in town and a maximum of 7.5-8km/l on the highway . Push on and the milage drops drastically . On our supercar drive we managed a hilarious milage of 2.5kpl. A full tank of premium petrol (we dont get speed 97 in kerala) would last me 350-400 kms .

And my conclusion is that the XFR is possibly the best fast large saloon in the world( only bettered by the new M5).

The old Jag tagline rings true here: ‘Grace, space and pace’.

Photos coming soon

Scorcher · 23rd September 2012, 20:58

Finally!

Good one, Nirmal.

Adding my two cents,
My first comment on the car when it arrived was, why didn't you go for a Kyanite Blue one, the white color was just too church-going a skin for the wolf underneath. Nirmal told me that the color went with his profession, you wouldn't want your doc to "show up" in a flashy Jyag, eh. Still, I had my reservations aout how mellow it looks, that is, right until the moment I saw it in flesh. You wouldn't mistake this one with a normal XF. Though not as shouty and in-your-face as an M5, there is no denying that the XF-R, with that deep growl, HUGE rims and those meaty vents will leave no doubt that this is something special.

Couple of weeks back, we both attended a supercar drive in Kerala and I witnessed this puppy in action. Good lord, Nirmal has a heavy foot

On the ghats, his car was right behind mine and all the while I could hear tyre-screeching from behind. Literally, it was Tokyo Drift: Desi Edition.

The Jag had left a mighty good impression on me. That roar!

All my wishes for a hassle free and fun filled ownership Nirmal. We need to do that again sometime soon

Adding come pics of his car which were with me,

nirmalkrishnan · 23rd September 2012, 21:23

Thanks for the comments vish. As u said we must do that once more. Chears.

nirmalkrishnan · 23rd September 2012, 22:03

some pictures of my xfr. most of the images are clicked on mobile and hence quality isnt great.

YashD · 23rd September 2012, 22:09

Great review buddy! How much did it cost you and how many miles did you clocked in it and the most important quetion how is the service of Jaguar-Land Rover? I was thinking of getting a Freelander 2..

dhuli · 23rd September 2012, 22:15

This Supercar thing is indeed an event! Wish I could see more pics of all the amazing cars. I do hope you guys get to meet more often. Enjoy!

ashwin.terminat · 23rd September 2012, 22:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by nirmalkrishnan

some pictures of my xfr. most of the images are clicked on mobile and hence quality isnt great.

Looks like you got the pics through WhatsApp,

The backdrop in the last pic looks gorgeous, what place is that?

Lastly, awesome car! I love the way the Jags look. They look so much docile compared to their peers, but boy, the engine under that hood rakes up some jaw dropping numbers. The Jags look best in white and black IMO. Good choice, drive safe!

nirmalkrishnan · 23rd September 2012, 22:42

Quote:

Originally Posted by ashwin.terminat

Looks like you got the pics through WhatsApp,

The backdrop in the last pic looks gorgeous, what place is that?

Lastly, awesome car! I love the way the Jags look. They look so much docile compared to their peers, but boy, the engine under that hood rakes up some jaw dropping numbers. The Jags look best in white and black IMO. Good choice, drive safe!

Well the last pic was taken at athirapilly falls at the supercar event.

Scorcher · 23rd September 2012, 23:18

Adding couple of videos on Nirmal's behalf

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0LSFOOGJFE

thumpingheart · 25th September 2012, 13:26

Wow man. Congrats on your buy. Have always been a huge fan of the big cat! The XFR looks very subtle and has an understated but real presence! And well the supercharged V8 makes it simply delicious!!

Well i see you have already answered the "Kitna deti hai?" part

I don't think it matters to a person who has a passion for fast cars and who can afford it. I prefer not to ask that question to someone like you!

Anyways congrats and have a blast in your Jag! Cheers!

ashis89 · 25th September 2012, 14:40

Congrats Nirmal on your sheep, which indeed is a beast. The Jag looks great is white, it further helps to potray a decent and sobre image to the mean machine.

Awaiting more pics and a long term report from you.

mempheS.D · 25th September 2012, 17:16

Quote:

Originally Posted by nirmalkrishnan

Running costs
Well Driven with a very light foot the car gave me 4-5kp/l in town and a maximum of 7.5-8km/l on the highway . Push on and the milage drops drastically . On our supercar drive we managed a hilarious milage of 2.5kpl. A full tank of premium petrol (we dont get speed 97 in kerala) would last me 350-400 kms .

And my conclusion is that the XFR is possibly the best fast large saloon in the world( only bettered by the new M5).

The old Jag tagline rings true here: ‘Grace, space and pace’.

Photos coming soon

Concise and precise review. Congratulations supercharger! That in itself makes you distinct amidst all the turbocharged oil burners. Way to go.

You mentioned about a full tank getting you 350-400kms. What's that tank capacity? 100 litres per my math.
Last but not the least, what do you do for a living?

I need an XFR too...

nirmalkrishnan · 25th September 2012, 17:38

Quote:

Originally Posted by mempheS.D

Concise and precise review. Congratulations supercharger! That in itself makes you distinct amidst all the turbocharged oil burners. Way to go.

You mentioned about a full tank getting you 350-400kms. What's that tank capacity? 100 litres per my math.
Last but not the least, what do you do for a living?

I need an XFR too...

Thank you mempheS. As a matter of fact the range of 350-400 km is on a combined cycle which involves 75% town driving and 25% highway blasts and the tank capacity is 70liters.

Veelubai · 25th September 2012, 21:16

Fantastic Review! Brief yet comprehensive. Since the both of us are from the same place in KL , I was lucky enough to get a few opportunities to experience this "Super CAT" . So I thought I will just pen down my impressions on the "R".

* First things first , the "R" in this car stands for Raw , just raw untamed power which we find completely missing in the latest sports cars or even in a few super cars.

* The best thing about this car according to me is the engine! Its got a mother of an engine , which pulls like diesel and revvs like a petrol! Smooth as silk , torquey as hell! I really cant find a better way to put it together. I really dont have much exposure to super cars etc , but from my brief experience with cars in our city like Ferarri F430 , Bentley CGT Speed, Porsche etc , I feel that the XF-R is competent enough to keep up with most super cars atleast on straight roads.

* With regard to the ride and handling of the car , this is one tail-happy car

. You can go all day sideways if you wish to in executive comfort. It rides beautifully for a sports saloon which is shod with 20inch wheels.

* Finally, an answer for the million dollar question which most people ask, "Mileage" ?I Have attatched a small picture with this post to testify that even a supercar can be rewarding if you have an air-light foot. It can hover anywhere between 2.5kmpl to 10kmpl depending on the flex of your right foot!

To Sum it up , I feel that for a person who wish to have a car which is beautiful, practical , comfortable and insanely fast, there are hardly a few cars which can compete with the XF-R in today's market.

Sahil · 25th September 2012, 21:25

Congrats Nirmal, I did see this car on sale in the used market too. I believe it is an ex-Mumbai car. The price was indeed very attractive, what was the final deal settled at? (PM me if you prefer)

23rd September 2012, 19:49	#1
nirmalkrishnan BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Thrissur Posts: 90 Thanked: 111 Times	My white lightning - The Jaguar XF-R well i know everybody would ask me this question - Why an XFR. Well i wanted a supercar that could had a dual personality , a wolf in sheeps clothing . I had norrowed down on 3 cars - An E60 M5 ( the F10 was way out of my budget) Pros . Phenomenal Performance (needs to be revved hard) Its a musical Instrument Sitting Inside an M5 is like sitting inside a laptop , I love the endless possibilities to customize the way the car behaves Very sharp handler Cons Very Stiff Ride I already have a 530d with an m5 bumber so both cars would look the same Dismal Milage and more importantly fuel range of the V10 (250kms i was told) I wanted a car which was still under company warranty for obvious reasons and there wernt any good examples that i found An E93 M3 (convertible) - now this is what i really wanted badly pros Looks , power and convertible charm Like the M5 its easy to customize the way the car behaves Cons Most good examples were very overpriced Family dint like the idea of a two door sports coupe but i am sure i could convice them The XFR - well i thought this was the perfect compromise over the M models. I got a good example (2010 model) for a decent price and the car was well used and maintained except for few squeaks and rattles and near bald rear tyres, the car had done Just 17k on the odo and had full service history. I drove the car and fell in love with it instanly and made up my mind to go for it. I have been using the car since the past 3months now and done around 1500km and i must say that i am very happy with it . I always wanted to post a review of the car on this forum but never actually got the time. Today being a sunday i thought i would jot down a quick ownership report. here you go... Design I am a big fan of the new facelifted XF/XFR looks . My car is a prefacelift model and i wasnt very excited initially about the front end , though the rear and profile with the hunkered down looks are very classy. The front end looks however starts to grow on you with time , especially those aggresive supercharger vents and bonnet bulges.The XFR has got the gentleman thug thing down pat. It's not a showy car by any means, in fact you might not even notice it unless you're attentive - or look at the 20-inch wheels that have ‘supercharged' engraved around their rims. Still, there's a big bonus to walking quietly but carrying a really big stick: this is a modern day street-sleeper and that's very cool indeed. exactly what i wanted Comfort The XFR is determinedly a decent road car first and a headbanger second, so the ride is firm but not intrusive.Comparing to my e60 the ride is firmer but very flat with minimal pitching or bobbing movement of the nose. The autobox is almost totally unfelt in D mode and the ambience one of determined pressing-on rather than blood and fire. There's a lot of waft here, a nice surprise for something with 500bhp. Performance I one word spectacular. A 5.0-litre supercharged V8 with 510bhp and a 0-100 time under five seconds (4.9 to be exact).It actually feels quicker than the numbers suggests , probably due to the insane torque of 625NM(for a petrol). A more impressive figure is a 80-120Km/h time of just 1.9 seconds (got this from jags official website) - that's what you'll use to overtake the average luxuary saloon - enough to make your eyes widen. There's a claimed limiter at 250km/h but we could max out the speedo on a closed road.My only compaint is that the car doent have a launch control system like the m5 or m3 for bragging rights atleast , though its very easy to launch the car if you have good tyres ie. Quality There's not a great deal that sets the XFR apart from the standard XF on the inside, so the quality seems as per the normal version. There are a few extra badges, some nice bolstered seats, a speedo that is forced to read much higher, but otherwise this is XF. I would however like to point out that the build quality is a notch below the germans for sure. Handling Quite soft on first impressions, with slightly numb steering for such a fast car. Start prodding a few buttons (to be read as Dynamic mode and Sport shifter) and go a bit quicker though, and the XFR opens up a whole range of previously veiled ability. It's not the scalpel that is the BMW M5 or M3, but the XFR has its own character that's very easy to hustle. You get more indication that the car is going to start to oversteer, in most cases revelling in the fact that it seems to release into mild slides at corner apex without biting your head off . It can be a hooligan, but you have to poke it a bit to get it angry - after that, it's sublime.In fact on our recent supercar drive to athirapilly twisties we had many fun oversteer moments even with the DSC and DTC fully on , possibly because the road was wet and the rear tyres were on their last lap. Practicality All the practicality of the XF - so while possibly not the best in class, certainly nothing that you'll be stamping your feet about. Big boot, seats four comfortably and five at a push, easy to drive, easy enough to park and thread through traffic - the XFR is very easy to like. Running costs Well Driven with a very light foot the car gave me 4-5kp/l in town and a maximum of 7.5-8km/l on the highway . Push on and the milage drops drastically . On our supercar drive we managed a hilarious milage of 2.5kpl. A full tank of premium petrol (we dont get speed 97 in kerala) would last me 350-400 kms . And my conclusion is that the XFR is possibly the best fast large saloon in the world( only bettered by the new M5). The old Jag tagline rings true here: ‘Grace, space and pace’. Photos coming soon
	(14) Thanks

23rd September 2012, 20:58	#2
Scorcher Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Trivandrum, KL Posts: 4,918 Thanked: 7,124 Times	re: My white lightning - The Jaguar XF-R Finally! Good one, Nirmal. Adding my two cents, My first comment on the car when it arrived was, why didn't you go for a Kyanite Blue one, the white color was just too church-going a skin for the wolf underneath. Nirmal told me that the color went with his profession, you wouldn't want your doc to "show up" in a flashy Jyag, eh. Still, I had my reservations aout how mellow it looks, that is, right until the moment I saw it in flesh. You wouldn't mistake this one with a normal XF. Though not as shouty and in-your-face as an M5, there is no denying that the XF-R, with that deep growl, HUGE rims and those meaty vents will leave no doubt that this is something special. Couple of weeks back, we both attended a supercar drive in Kerala and I witnessed this puppy in action. Good lord, Nirmal has a heavy foot On the ghats, his car was right behind mine and all the while I could hear tyre-screeching from behind. Literally, it was Tokyo Drift: Desi Edition. The Jag had left a mighty good impression on me. That roar! All my wishes for a hassle free and fun filled ownership Nirmal. We need to do that again sometime soon Adding come pics of his car which were with me, Attached Thumbnails
	(9) Thanks

23rd September 2012, 21:23	#3
nirmalkrishnan BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Thrissur Posts: 90 Thanked: 111 Times	re: My white lightning - The Jaguar XF-R Thanks for the comments vish. As u said we must do that once more. Chears.
	() Thanks

23rd September 2012, 22:03	#4
nirmalkrishnan BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Thrissur Posts: 90 Thanked: 111 Times	Re: My white lightning - The Jaguar XF-R some pictures of my xfr. most of the images are clicked on mobile and hence quality isnt great. Attached Thumbnails Last edited by nirmalkrishnan : 23rd September 2012 at 22:08.
	(9) Thanks

23rd September 2012, 22:09	#5
YashD BHPian Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Kolkata Posts: 555 Thanked: 1,030 Times	Re: My white lightning - The Jaguar XF-R Great review buddy! How much did it cost you and how many miles did you clocked in it and the most important quetion how is the service of Jaguar-Land Rover? I was thinking of getting a Freelander 2..
	() Thanks

23rd September 2012, 22:15	#6
dhuli BHPian Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 201 Thanked: 49 Times	Re: My white lightning - The Jaguar XF-R This Supercar thing is indeed an event! Wish I could see more pics of all the amazing cars. I do hope you guys get to meet more often. Enjoy!
	() Thanks

25th September 2012, 13:26	#10
thumpingheart BHPian Join Date: May 2012 Location: Pune Posts: 329 Thanked: 188 Times	Re: My white lightning - The Jaguar XF-R Wow man. Congrats on your buy. Have always been a huge fan of the big cat! The XFR looks very subtle and has an understated but real presence! And well the supercharged V8 makes it simply delicious!! Well i see you have already answered the "Kitna deti hai?" part I don't think it matters to a person who has a passion for fast cars and who can afford it. I prefer not to ask that question to someone like you! Anyways congrats and have a blast in your Jag! Cheers!
	(1) Thanks

25th September 2012, 14:40	#11
ashis89 Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Bengaluru Posts: 3,468 Thanked: 10,922 Times View My Garage	Re: My white lightning - The Jaguar XF-R Congrats Nirmal on your sheep, which indeed is a beast. The Jag looks great is white, it further helps to potray a decent and sobre image to the mean machine. Awaiting more pics and a long term report from you.
	(1) Thanks

25th September 2012, 21:16	#14
Veelubai BHPian Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: B'lore/Trichur Posts: 317 Thanked: 87 Times	Re: My white lightning - The Jaguar XF-R Fantastic Review! Brief yet comprehensive. Since the both of us are from the same place in KL , I was lucky enough to get a few opportunities to experience this "Super CAT" . So I thought I will just pen down my impressions on the "R". * First things first , the "R" in this car stands for Raw , just raw untamed power which we find completely missing in the latest sports cars or even in a few super cars. * The best thing about this car according to me is the engine! Its got a mother of an engine , which pulls like diesel and revvs like a petrol! Smooth as silk , torquey as hell! I really cant find a better way to put it together. I really dont have much exposure to super cars etc , but from my brief experience with cars in our city like Ferarri F430 , Bentley CGT Speed, Porsche etc , I feel that the XF-R is competent enough to keep up with most super cars atleast on straight roads. * With regard to the ride and handling of the car , this is one tail-happy car. You can go all day sideways if you wish to in executive comfort. It rides beautifully for a sports saloon which is shod with 20inch wheels. * Finally, an answer for the million dollar question which most people ask, "Mileage" ?I Have attatched a small picture with this post to testify that even a supercar can be rewarding if you have an air-light foot. It can hover anywhere between 2.5kmpl to 10kmpl depending on the flex of your right foot! To Sum it up , I feel that for a person who wish to have a car which is beautiful, practical , comfortable and insanely fast, there are hardly a few cars which can compete with the XF-R in today's market. Attached Thumbnails
	(3) Thanks

25th September 2012, 21:25	#15
Sahil Distinguished - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 6,292 Thanked: 7,607 Times	Re: My white lightning - The Jaguar XF-R Congrats Nirmal, I did see this car on sale in the used market too. I believe it is an ex-Mumbai car. The price was indeed very attractive, what was the final deal settled at? (PM me if you prefer)
	() Thanks