Jaguar XE-R aims straight for the BMW M3

Hotter sport sedan expected to use 488 hp V8 engine from F-Type Roadster

The 2017 Jaguar XE -- the automaker's BMW 3-series fighter -- isn't even on store shelves, but a hotter version is already in the works, Autocar reports. The Jaguar XE-R will take on the BMW M3, Cadillac ATS-V and the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, and will make use of the corporate V8 from the F-Type roadster. The V8 unit in question is a supercharged 5.0-liter unit that produces 488 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque in the roadster.

This engine is expected to propel Jaguar's newest offering to 62 mph in less than five seconds. The XE-R will also reportedly feature a reworked eight-speed automatic transmission, courtesy of ZF, as well as retuned adaptive dampers from the F-Type S, in addition to other suspension tweaks.

Autocar reports that the XE-R will probably be priced to take on the BMW M3 directly, which in the U.S. market will likely mean a starting price of around $63,000. As powerful as the XE-R will be, Autocar believes that there is still room at the top of the range for a version by Jaguar Land Rover's SVO, the recently created Special Vehicle Operations division.

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The civilian-spec versions of Jaguar's sport sedan will debut before the XE-R sees light, and will land stateside next spring as 2017 models. The base version in the range will actually be the XE 20d, using the Ingenium aluminum-block four-cylinder diesel engine good for 180 hp and 318 lb-ft of torque. The other model will be called the XE 35t, and will feature a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 engine tuned for 340 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque. The XE 35t will itself boast a 4.9-second sprint to 60 mph, so the XE-R model will have no choice but to best that number by a good margin.

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