Jaguar To Kick Off Performance Line With 322 Km/H F-Type Coupe

The F-Type SVR coupe has a top speed of 322 km/h, is powered by a 5.0-liter V-8 engine with 575 hp and is 55 pounds lighter than its sibling.

It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds. SVR's tuning included revising the coupe's suspension, transmission, power steering and handling.

There also will be an F-Type SVR convertible with a top speed of 314 km/h. Deliveries start this summer. The coupe has a base price of $126,945 and the convertible starts at $129,795. Both prices include shipping.

Interior and exterior changes were made to the coupe and convertible to give them a more aggressive and sporty look.

Jaguar Land Rover executives said the SVR models are expected to appeal to enthusiasts who would not have considered a Jaguar.

"It is important because from a pure business perspective there is an appetite for halo vehicles that push the boundaries," said John Edwards, managing director of Special Vehicle Operations, known as SVR. "Piston-heads are very hard-core, and they would not have originally talked to us."

SVR is Jaguar Land Rover's equivalent of the Mercedes-Benz AMG and BMW M units. The Range Rover Sport SVR luxury model went on sale last year.

Jaguar will not limit production of the vehicles, Edwards said last month at the auto show here. He said the SVR models will account for up to 4 percent of F-Type sales.

About 2,500 Range Rover Sport SVRs have been sold in the past year, Edwards said. SVR also developed the SVAutobiography version of the Range Rover. About 750 have been sold globally in the past year, he said. The SVAutobiography starts at $200,490. A base Range Rover Sport's price is $85,945. Both prices include shipping.

Unlike Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar will only make SVR versions of certain nameplates, said Mark Stanton, director of SVR, hinting that the XE compact won't make the cut.

Edwards said that on the F-Type, "we worked on the aerodynamics and paid a lot of attention to top speed and downforce on the suspension to get better handling and better steering."

SVR will also let customers customize SVR models with special paint and trim.