2012 Jaguar XKR-S
According to Jaguar, the XKR-S is the fastest production car they’ve ever produced. Well, we couldn’t let a claim like that go by without seeing for ourselves. So, we headed to the place we know best to figure out such things out, Georgia’s Roebling Road Raceway, to find out if this cat is indeed their quickest yet!
Well, before we find out if this 2012 Jaguar XKR-S is indeed the fastest production Jaguar yet, let’s get to know it a little better.
Based on the sleek Jaguar XKR coupe, the XKR-S takes on a more sinister look thanks to a healthy dose of performance enhancing treatments like carbon-fiber front splitter, blacked-out mesh grille, and both engine, and tall-slit-like brake cooling ducts that really visually widen the car. In profile, things take a turn to the dark side as well, with black window surrounds, fender vents, and beefy 20-inch wheels. Red brake calipers help avoid a total blackout. Out back, there’s a huge rear wing and below, a carbon-fiber rear diffuser wraps around two sets of dual exhaust tips from a Performance Active Exhaust System that really lets this cat purr.
So, as great as Ian Callum’s original design was, we like it even more after this trip through “nasty” school. Okay enough of that, off to the track, or tracks, we go.
First stop is our hometown 75-80 Dragway for ¼-mile testing, where unfortunately, cold winter temperatures or maybe it was just the 550-horsepower, made launching a bit tricky. Eventually, we nailed a good one, and scorched to 60 in just 4.3–seconds. Streaking through the ¼ mile, this thing sounds absolutely awesome and unlike any Jag we’ve ever driven. It still feels like a Jaguar though, as the engine itself is smooth and quiet for the entire 12.6–seconds that it takes to reach the end of the strip at 118 miles-per-hour. Both acceleration times are a second quicker than the last XKR that we tested in 2007.
Those quicker runs come courtesy of the 5-liter V8 engine under the hood wearing a Roots-type supercharger. It’s the same all-aluminum AJ-V8 you’ll find in the XKR, but it puts out 40-additional horsepower and 41-more pound feet of torque thanks to revised fuel mapping, making the new totals 550-horsepower and 502 pound feet.
After a comfortable and speedy 9-hour drive down I-95 we arrived at our next venue, Roebling Road Raceway, near Savannah, Georgia, where warmer temperatures weren’t the only thing that put smiles on our faces. Handling Roebling’s high speed turns? Oh yeah, this Jag’s got an app for that. The XKR’S aluminum chassis was already capable, but the XKR-S’ lowered suspension and new dampers take it to a whole new level.
Jaguar’s Adaptive Dynamics and DSC software get a sportier re-flash and there’s a new Active Differential Control. All of it helps to really put the power down out of corners. Steering feel, especially in Dynamic Mode, is about as good as it gets. You do feel the size of this car at times, mainly in tighter turns where the front tires take some abuse, but otherwise it’s one agile cat. Paddle shifters for the 6-speed automatic work well, but not well enough to forget that it’s a slush-box you’re manipulating and not a sequential manual.
One thing that hasn’t been altered is the XK’s split personality. You can flog this beast around the track all day long, and then impress your significant other with a comfortable ride and posh interior that evening. And speaking of interior, the XKR-S’ does take a sportier turn, but not at the price of sacrificing luxury. There’s still leather everywhere, but now it’s accompanied by unique color stitching and aluminum trim.
While technically not a limited edition vehicle, Jag expects to sell fewer than 100 XKR-S’s at a rarified price of $132,875; and there’s a convertible version arriving soon, as well.
So, the 2012 Jaguar XKR-S is indeed the fastest production Jaguar ever, and incredibly enough, it accomplished this without losing any “Jag-ness” along the way.
Specifications
- Engine: 5-liter V8
- Horsepower: 550
- Torque: 502 lb-ft.
- 0-60 mph: 4.3 seconds
- 1/4 mile: 12.6 seconds @ 118 mph
2025 MINI Countryman S ALL4
Biggest MINI Gets Bigger, Stays MINI
The automotive industry is full of inconsistencies, like… biggest MINI. Well, that’s what this MINI Countryman has been since it arrived for 2011 as the brand’s first SUV. Well, time flies when you’re having fun driving a MINI, so a third generation is already arriving. Let’s find out if that still means big fun for this now not quite so small crossover.
MINIs may not attract the kind of attention they did when the Cooper returned to the U.S. market for 2002, but that’s mostly because they’ve become mainstream, with an expanded lineup that even includes an SUV, this 2025 Countryman S ALL4.
But what hasn’t changed, is that MINIs still look cool and are even more enjoyable to drive. No surprise, the suspension in this latest Countryman, which shares its chassis with BMW’s X1, is very firm; but that’s what gives it that precise go-kart feel that we love in all MINIs. Though that also makes it more primed for backroads exploring and short trip commuting than for extended highway travel.
Continuing another MINI tradition, things inside remain quirky seemingly just for the sake of being quirky, the latest example being the fabric tether-like spoke on the steering wheel. For better or worse, MINI still puts all driver and multimedia information in the same central circle. Perhaps it’s the improved touchscreen, or maybe just that technology has caught up to it, but we think it works better now than ever before; delivering a lot of information. The flip-up Head Up Display helps too, as it keeps you from having to look over to see how fast you’re going.
Good use of space inside as always, with plenty of room for adults up front and lots of useful storage places. And with 40/20/40 folding of the rear seatbacks, there’s more flexibility than most other small utilities. In back, there’s underfloor storage space as well as room for 25.0 cubic-feet of cargo, expanding to a max of 56.2 cubic-ft, 18% more than last gen.
Things inside remain quirky seemingly just for the sake of being quirky.
As of right now, there’s no “standard” Countryman. Its only available as a Countryman S ALL4, which means power comes from a turbo engine and all-wheel drive is included. BMW’s 2.0-liter turbo I4 outputs 241 horsepower here with a stout 295 lb-ft of torque. But a JCW version is also available, which cranks the 2.0-liter up to 312 horsepower. All Countryman work with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission; no manual transmission available. MINI Experience Modes set the stage for your preferred driving style. It was Go-Kart mode for us, as we headed to our Mason Dixon Dragway test track.
Things were actually pretty calm off the starting line, but once it got crankin’, speeds built quickly, and we were off to 60 in 5.9 seconds. The DCT was very direct and firm with shifts through the first couple of gears, but they smoothed out noticeably in the higher ranges; power delivery stayed strong throughout the 14.3-second quarter-mile finished at 98 mph.
Being the SUV of the MINI lineup, there was more body roll through our handling course than you’d experience in a Cooper, but we could still carry a lot of speed through the cones. MINI’s ALL4 torque vectoring all-wheel-drive system distributes power to whichever wheels can put it to the best use, helping the Countryman feel well planted while turning in eagerly. Brakes were solid and mostly fade-free with stops averaging just 105 feet from 60. That stable and steady feel at the track is the result of a platform that’s grown slightly larger in both wheelbase and track. Overall length grows just under 5 inches.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 24 City, 32 Highway, and 27 Combined; we averaged a fine 26.6 mpg on Premium. That’s slightly better than average for the Energy Impact Score; 11.0 barrels of yearly oil consumption with 5.3 tons of CO2 emissions.
Pricing starts at $39,895 for Signature Plus trim; Iconic packs in a lot of additional features and starts at $43,095.
The 2025 MINI Countryman S ALL4 is much more than just a nifty machine that’s perfect for living the city life; it’s a fun-to-drive getaway mobile that can also add a big dose of excitement into your daily duties. And even more thrills are on the way with an all-electric version of the Countryman, coming soon.
Specifications
As Tested
- Engine: 2.0-liter turbo I4
- Transmission: 7-speed DCT
- Horsepower: 241
- Torque: 295 lb-ft
- EPA: 24 City | 32 Highway | 27 Combined
- 0-60 mph: 5.9 seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 14.3 seconds at 98 mph
- Braking, 60-0 (avg): 105 feet
- MW Fuel Economy: 26.6 mpg (Premium)