2008 Rocketsports XFR V8 Fastest Jaguar Over 225 mph at Bonneville Salt Flats

This Jaguar XFR prototype is the fastest Jaguar ever made (as of 2008), an XFR fitted with the supercharged 5.0 litre engine.  In November 2008, it was driven by Paul Gentilozzi of the US racing team Rocketsports at the Bonneville salt flats in Utah, and was timed at 225.675 mph (363.2 km/h), beating the previous record set in the early 1990s by an XJ 220 super car, which reached around 217 mph (349 km/h).

To get it to reach that speed, Jaguar engineers gave the XF a remapped ECU, a modified air intake and exhaust, and a revised supercharger.  The car was also fitted with a parachute to assist with slowing down from such high speeds.  The engine internals were unchanged from the production car and it retained the standard six-speed automatic.

The XF had made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2007, and was warmly welcomed as the first example of Jaguar’s new design direction on a saloon car.  Despite the XF being radical steps forward from its S-Type predecessor, Design Chief Ian Callum was very conscious of Jaguar’s heritage.  The objective with XF was to create a car which, in the modern age, had an equally great impact as the Jaguars of the past had in their day.

As a result, the XF still had several clear Jaguar design cues.  The recessed radiator grille was inspired by the 1968 XJ6.  The grille in turn defined the rest of the shape, which was more like the XK fastback coupé than a traditional saloon.  The headlamp fairings and the rear side window shape also nodded to tradition.  The Jaguar leaper was still found but only on the rear! The interior featured wood and leather, but used in a contemporary and innovative manner.

The new car was built on a developed S-Type platform and used the same engines at launch, ranging from the acclaimed Diesel V6 to the range-topping supercharged 4.2 litre petrol V8.  For the 2010 model year, the 4.2 litre V8 was superseded by the new 5.0 litre Gen lll version of the AJ-V8 engine.  In supercharged form, this engine produced an incredible 510PS and made its debut in a new XFR model which replaced the prior SV8.

Chassis Number: SAJAC07R991X01841

Owner: The Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust

Inventory Number: 181/J.120