Jaguar F-Type coupe: hardcore R-S spied on track

A prototype of what is believed to be the as-yet-unconfirmed Jaguar F-Type R-S coupe has been spied lapping Germany’s Nurburgring.

Snapped by CarAdvice’s spy photographers on track and on the roads around the famous circuit, the F-TypeR-S coupe test car is clearly kitted out with a monster brake package comprising yellow calipers stamped ‘Jaguar Carbon Ceramic’.

Our trackside shooter says the brakes, with cross-drilled rotors, appear identical to those helping to stop the hardcore, track-focused Jaguar XKR-S GT. The images also show the prototype with its front side air intakes blocked off and covered in camouflage.

With the supercharged 404kW/680Nm 5.0-litre V8-powered XKR-S GT able to reach 100km/h in 4.1 seconds and the standard364kW/625Nm F-Type V8 S hitting the same target in 4.3sec, a hardtop Jaguar F-Type R-S could well dip below the four-second mark.

Jaguar product planning manager Steven De Ploey suggested to CarAdvice earlier this month that an F-Type coupe would be a more purist, driver’s proposition than the convertible.

Highlighting the advantages of less weight and greater rigidity, De Ploey said, “…clearly we could stretch the edges with such a car [F-Type coupe] more than we could do with a convertible car”.

With a fixed aluminium roof confirmed to replace the F-Type convertible’s fabric drop-top and further weight expected to be saved as a result of it not requiring extra body reinforcement, the coupe should be significantly lighter than its circa-1600kg sibling.

Furthering the likelihood of an F-Type R-S coupe eventuating into a production model, De Ploey also confirmed that the leaping cat brand is committed to future ‘R’ performance models across its range to challenge the likes of BMW’s M Division, Audi’s Quattro GmbH and Mercedes-Benz AMG.

De Ploey said the F-Type is “the most obvious” candidate for all three R, R-S and R-S GT tiers of its performance arm, specifically highlighting the F-Type as a model that would be the perfect platform to expand and exploit the performance range.

“It’s the most likely car on which to do it [R, R-S and GT],” De Ploey said.