Jaguar's new 186mph XKR-S Cabrio 16 | 11 | 2011

JAGUAR HAS TODAY officially unveiled what it unceremoniously bills as “the most powerful and fastest open-topped GT model” the company has ever built: say 'hello' to the new Jaguar XKR-S convertible.

Capable of leaping from standstill to 62mph in just 4.2sec, Jaguar has 'limited' the soft-top's maximum speed to 186mph.

The cabrio uses the same 5.0-litre V8 fitted with a Roots-type twin-vortex supercharger as the XKR-S coupe, and breathes through twin intercoolers.

Its 542bhp and 502lb ft of torque, an increase of 38bhp and 40lb ft on the XKR’s engine, is more than enough to catapult the 1800kg machine to eye-watering performance. Just for good measure, power is driven through the rear wheels via an active differential.

As you might expect, the cabrio enjoys the same aerodynamic changes — including the new nose, revised sills and prominent rear wing — as the coupé. It also has the same lavish carbonfibre trim in the cabin.

Watch our video of the XKR-S Cabrio testing at the Nurburgring

Jaguar, under the ever-watchful eyes of Scots design chief Ian Callum, has paid significant attention to ensuring the cabrio delivers the ride buyers would expect.

As a result its body is the stiffest in its class, meaning it rides on the same uprated suspension system used on the coupé. The lack of a roof structure also means the rear damper mounts in the cabrio have been further stiffened.

“Because the XK was designed as a convertible, it has great structural integrity," Mike Cross, head of vehicle integrity and Jaguar’s chassis guru, said as the car was officially unveiled in Los Angeles today.

"This allowed us to apply the XKR-S coupé’s sporting suspension settings to create a convertible with no compromises.”

Jaguar is keeping quiet about the price of the car, but's it's fair to suspect you won't get any change from £100k.

See more official images of the XKR-S Cabrio

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news by following us on twitter.com/scotcars

Jim McGill