Bold new model for E Type anniversary

The Jaguar XKR-S. Photo / Supplied

Jaguar is celebrating 50 years of the E-Type with another go-fast model, this one its most potent production car yet.

The XKR-S and its supercharged 5-litre V8 engine will go public at the Geneva motor show next week.

"The XKR-S is a bold and exciting new model for Jaguar," said Adrian Hallmark, Jaguar's new global brand director. "We expect it to attract both loyal and new Jaguar driving enthusiasts."

The boosted 5-litre engine delivers around 410kW and 680Nm of torque, for a top speed of 300km/h. Jaguar says the XKR-S sprints to 100km/h in 4.2 seconds and 160km/h in 8.6 seconds.

The XKR-S is not merely the quickest Jaguar ever, but also the most agile, responsive and driver-focused, the company says. It claims the XKR-S is the only car in its class that emits CO2 exhaust emissions below 300 grams per kilometre.

Jaguar will also mark the E-Type's 50th with special drives near the Geneva show site, where the original was launched by Jaguar founder Sir William Lyons in 1961.

The appeal of E-Type transcended the automotive world. It remains a permanent exhibit in New York's Museum of Modern Art.

"It is impossible to overstate the impact the E-Type had," said Ian Callum, Jaguar design director. "Here was a car that encapsulated the spirit of the revolutionary era it came to symbolise."