New Jaguar XJ Sport and Speed Packs

Jaguar has announced a duo of upgrade packages for the XJ limousine: the Sport Pack and the Speed Pack.

The Sport Pack is an exterior and interior styling upgrade, designed to give the big Jag a more aggressive, sporting stance. Its aerodynamically efficient tweaks include a front splitter and extended boot-lip spoiler, which improve high-speed stability and reduce lift.

First Drive: Jaguar XJ (2010 onwards)

Red painted brake callipers sit behind new 20-inch, split-spoke designed ‘Venom’ alloy wheels, diamond-turned for a sparkling effect when in motion. Completing the exterior styling changes, the Sport Pack XJ also gets the gloss black mesh finish on the grille, previously seen on high performance ‘R’ versions of the XF and XK.

Inside, front and rear sports seats can be specified, as can a number of new interior trim options, including machined stainless steel pedals, and – rather incongruously – carbon fibre detailing.

The second upgrade, the Speed Pack, is available only on the supercharged Supersports model, and even then, only when the Sport Pack has been fitted. A simple ECU remap, it raises the electronic speed limiter from 155mph to 174mph.

“The XJ is much more than a limousine,” said Ian Callum, Director of Design at Jaguar. “Its power and potential mean it can out-perform many so called sports cars. The new Sport and Speed Packs allow customers to enhance that sporting dynamism even further and create an XJ that looks as good as it drives.”

Both the Sport Pack and Speed Pack are available to order now. Prices depend on which version of the XJ they are applied to, but the Sport Pack starts at £1,645 for the exterior changes and £800 for the interior options.

The Speed Pack is £3,445 when fitted to a long-wheelbase Supersports, rising to £3,700 should you want it on a standard length model. Weird, but there you are.

First Drive: Jaguar XJ (2010 onwards)