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2003 SVC Jaguar S-Type R
By: Drew Phillips
the author
August 04, 2006

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When the S-Type R debuted in 2002, Jaguar had high hopes for the car. It matched the M5 and the E55 AMG for grunt and offered the luxury, comfort and style of Jaguar’s standards. It was the first “R” badged car to come from the Jaguar stable, and it offered a supercharged V8. However, the performance of the car was lackluster with its sluggish automatic transmission and near-4000 lbs curb weight. When BMW and Mercedes-Benz upgraded their respective models with newer body styles and upgraded engines, the S-Type R was left in the dust. Its measly 400 bhp no longer met the high standards set for a 4-door performance sedan, and Jaguar owners and enthusiasts were left wishing for something more. Unfortunately, the aftermarket isn’t much help. Jaguar tuners are few and far between, most likely because those customers wanting more performance generally buy a different model all-together. In steps Special Vehicle Concepts based in Costa Mesa, CA. SVC prides itself on building, simply put, special vehicles. They have the ability to meet clients’ individual requests and have worked on everything from a Corvette to a Yukon Denali to this feature Jaguar. Whatever you want they can build, whether it’s a Hummer H2 with zebra skin interior or a custom hunting truck with a fitted elk lift. No seriously – those were actual customer requests. However wacky and wild your ideas are for a vehicle, SVC can build it. These customers are generally few and far between, though, and most prefer the subtle and elegant look built into most SVC cars.

SVC’s ability to work on any vehicle came in handy when building this custom Jaguar S-Type R. One of their specialties is the Range Rover Sport, which happens to use the same supercharged 4.2-liter engine in the S-Type R. Being familiar with the powerplant, SVC spent no time at all utilizing the forced induction to gain more power from the V8. A smaller diameter pulley is used to provide more boost, and a SVC performance exhaust system makes a nice addition not only for the added horsepower but because of the more aggressive sound being emitted from the rear of the car. An upgraded ECU makes sure the engine is making the most of the air and fuel being combusted. Helping off-the-line performance, SVC also installed a differential with a 3.56 ratio. The combination of these items changes the car from a tame kitten to a fierce predator, with the exhaust roaring and the tires scrambling for traction every time the driver applies more than moderate pressure to the throttle. M5 owners beware: this is one Jaguar you won’t want to mess with.

In addition to providing the extra horsepower, SVC sharpened the Jag’s handling with H&R Coilovers that lower the body by 1 ½ inches. Wheels and tires are also upgraded with rear 19” and front 18” black HRE rims wrapped in Toyo Proxes T1-S tires. The front 14.0 inch and rear 12.8 inch stock brakes remain on the car and are still well suited to hauling the car down from high speeds.

For exterior enhancements, SVC turned to German tuning company Arden who provided a four piece body kit for the S-Type R. The kit includes a front spoiler, side skirts, and rear skirt that was specially painted and fitted to the car by SVC. Also from Arden is the lower mesh grille. Further enhancing the look of the car, SVC added XKR-like hood vents and then added several other small mesh grilles along the body kit to match the rest of the car. The overall appearance package looks subtle enough and has the details of a stock Jaguar, yet it has a more aggressive look. The addition of the small mesh grilles in the body kit and on the hood are especially nice touches. The best part is that they were specially done for the car, meaning that no one else owns anything like it. And that is one of the best parts about this Jaguar as well as every other car built by SVC – it’s built specially for you.