S-type R Review

[JOE-DOT-COM]

Hi All

Saw this and found it very good.

 https://gasketcase.wordpress.com/2016/10/09/the-jaguar-s-type-r-britains-unsung-hero/

Cheers

Joe

[Old Peter]

A good read, Joe.

Did you know that a 1950's Ferrari was 3 seconds slower over 0 -60 mph than a D Type Jaguar, and even with a 4.9 litre engine was slower from 0 to 60 than a current S Type with a 2.7 Diesel

Peter.

[Russ68]

Really good review that Joe, contemporary and interesting, overtaking Ferrari's indeed!

Here is the Honest John review for the 3.0 Sport that sold me on mine. This was before the R had been launched when the manual Sport was the way to go, I particularly liked these lines:

And the engine pulled our car to an indicated 146mph on a German Autobahn with commendable ease. Fuel consumption worked out at 23.9mpg overall, which wasn't bad for the speeds plus a lot of stop-start town work.

Which sums the car up for me, faster and more capable than you'd think, as well as being not too uneconomical. I wonder if there are any track or performance comparisons between the R and a manual 3.0? I bet the R would have it but I wonder by how much...  

 

[JOE-DOT-COM]

Hi Russ

there is a massive difference between the 3.0 sport and STR

Its not just the power, its the Torque the STR V8 produces, from way down in the revs , 553 Nm, 408 ft-lb of torque compared to 300 Nm on the 3.0

Thats 253 Nm more than the 3.0, the 2.5 v6 only produces 245 Nm

you have to drive one to appreciate the Jaguar V8,

also the suspension is much stiffer on the STR

some specs here for various model s-types

http://www.parkers.co.uk/jaguar/s-type/saloon-1999/specs/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jaguar_S-Type

just a quick comparison a Ferrari 458 coupe italia, 2016, only produces 540 Nm, 398 ft-lb out of its 562 bhp motor

so 553 Nm is really good http://www.parkers.co.uk/ferrari/458/coupe-2010/italia-(hele)-2d-auto/specs/

cheers

Joe

 

[Russ68]

Hi Joe,

Thanks mate, I appreciate there is a massive difference between the STR and 3.0 Sport, about 160bhp worth and nearly double the torque!

Plus I've experienced the supercharged AJ8, albeit in a Rangy Sport, which was flung down the road at an amazing rate for such a big car. Although because of the weight difference between the Sport and R, which is c150kg, all over the front axle, plus the manual vs auto box, I was musing how this could translate in terms of track times?

The Sport has stiffened suspension too, but 5.3 to 6.7 0-60 and all that power and torque speaks for itself. The R is a supercar challenger and the Sport isn't and I'd be a fool to suggest the Sport was a better or even comparable performance machine. Mine still goes pretty well though .

No offence taken I hope?

Cheers, Russ

[JOE-DOT-COM]

HI

No, none at all, Russ

just think the s-types and s-type R are a very under rated car

cheers

Joe

[Russ68]

Couldn't agree more Joe, underrated and such a lot of bang per buck, particularly with an R like yours 

PS. Don't suppose you've ever considered the Racing Green sequential steering wheel shifters? Or does the J gate auto work well for you? I hoping to get an XKR fairly shortly and this would be a mod I'd consider...

[JOE-DOT-COM]

hi

contacted racing green, was going to have it done, they don't do that conversion any more

otherwise I would of had it done

I assume the conversion is copied from the bmw's, as they use the exact same gearbox with paddle shift

but saying that, the gearbox in mine is silky smooth and works really well in sport mode

cheers

joe

[Russ68]

Interesting that re the Racing Green, they're still being listed for the XKR, I guess the STR is a different system...

[JOE-DOT-COM]

Hi

Last time I looked they still listed it for the STR

but when you contact them, they say they have stopped doing it, not enough demand

cheers

[Shelob]

Mine is an STR I find the gearbox looks after itself great just point it where u want to go and hang on :)