Ultimate XKR's on the road

An Auto Express reader caught the new XKR-R - a coupé that's set to target Aston Martin's V8 Vantage and the Porsche 911 Turbo - testing in Scotland.

With the sale of Aston by parent firm Ford, the way is now clear for faster Jaguars such as this. Parked in a layby in Glenshee, Perthshire, the undisguised development car caught reader Colin Thomson's eye, as it had two different sets of alloys, with the rears larger than those of the XKR.

That's because under the bonnet is Jag's new 5.0-litre supercharged V8, which delivers 500bhp through a revised six-speed auto box. Sprinting from 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds, the XKR-R should hit a maximum speed in excess of 180mph. Stiffened suspension, retuned adaptive dampers and uprated brakes complete the dynamic changes, while the production version will also benefit from a subtle but muscular bodykit. It will arrive in showrooms in 2008, carrying a price tag of £75,000.