Jaguar is looking to give the Germans another run for their money with a high-performance variant of the XE sport sedan.
Currently, the most powerful engine available under the hood of the Jaguar XE is a supercharged 3.0-litre V6, good for 335 horsepower. Autocar UK reports a high-performance XE-R is in the works, targeting the likes of the BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63.
Unlike the M3, however, the XE-R won’t be powered by a six-cylinder engine. Instead, Jaguar will reportedly drop in the eight-cylinder engine from the F-Type V8 S, producing 488 horsepower and lending to a zero-to-100 km/h well below 5 seconds.
Also read: Our first drive of the BMW M3-baiting 2016 Cadillac ATS-V
Why a V8? The reason is simple – it’s easier to integrate it into the XE’s engine bay than the base four-cylinder diesel, according to Autocar‘s sources within Jaguar. The XE-R will also likely receive an eight-speed automatic transmission tuned towards more aggressive shifts, as well as a handful of chassis and handling enhancements.
But if this still isn’t enough, Jaguar Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations could work their magic and introduce an even hotter XE-R, complete with the 550-horsepower V8 engine from the F-Type R.
