It may look like any old XKR, but most of the 75's budget was spent on the bits you can't see...
Most carmakers these days can switch their fleet over to electric power without too many customers batting an eyelid. Not everyone cares if an eco box ditches its teeny tiny three-cylinder turbo engine for a battery and e-motor setup , and nor is it quite as sacrilegious if a manufacturer treats its EVs as separate entities to its piston-powered models.
That’s a situation Jaguar has sort of found itself in - and sort of hasn’t. The company was the first major premium carmaker to bring a skateboard-style EV to market with the brilliant I-Pace in 2018, which still manages to hold its own against much newer and more advanced rivals. So the firm’s commitment to a fully-electric lineup come 2025 didn't necessarily come as a huge shock , but it doesn’t mean the V8 thunder cats of old won't be sorely missed.
It is, however, a very special Jag. Peel back the modest visual enhancements and you’ll find some serious hardware upgrades, such as machined aluminium front and rear suspension uprights for a 25 per cent improvement in camber stiffness, plus tweaks to the adaptive damper software and a drop in ride height by 15mm. Spring and damper rates were firmed up by 28 per cent at the front and 32 and the rear, while a recalibration of the Active Differential Control software aided high-speed stability.
Then there were the engine upgrades. The 5.0-litre supercharged V8 gained 20hp over the standard model, bringing peak power up to 530hp at 6,000rpm. The regular XKR reputedly had to be detuned to stop the gearbox from blowing up, but the 75 special brought an upgraded six-speed torque converter that could handle everything the blown V8 had to offer, allowing engineers to dial the engine back up to its full potential. Acceleration was rapid, with 62mph coming about in 4.
Wouldn’t know that just by looking at it, would you? Not to say it isn’t a pretty thing, because the second generation XKR - especially with the light visual modifications on the 75 - is ageing rather nicely. And although it’s properly rare, with only 20 of the 75 built coming to the UK in right-hand drive, the £36,995 asking price seems quite sensible.
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