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Jaguar’s F-Type R rapid response vehicle isn’t nearly as rapid as the SSC Bloodhound

Miles Branman
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Jaguar & Bloodhound Project partnership announced with F-TYPE Coupé AWD high-speed test

Jaguar’s F-Type R is a supremely fast sports car. Its supercharged 5.0 liter V8 makes 550 horsepower and 502 pound-feet of torque. That big power will get it to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 186 mph.

As impressive as those figures are, they’re nowhere near as jaw dropping as the SSC Bloodhound, a rocket- and jet-powered land speed car with 135,000 hp that’s gunning for 1,000-plus mph. Still, Jaguar has decided the F-Type R will make a great support vehicle, so the U.K. automaker has revealed a version of its sports car to aid the Bloodhound SSC team.

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Jaguar employed its Special Vehicle Operations team to turn the standard F-Type R AWD into a rapid response vehicle. But the specialized F-Type isn’t just about the blue and orange paint job; the sports car also played a key role in testing the Bloodhound SSC’s radio equipment.

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The Bloodhound SSC livery Jag will debut at the Coventry MotoFest on May 29, along with a lineup of Jaguar heritage vehicles like the 1953 C-Type, the 1956 D-Type Long Nose, and the 1966 XJ13.

As for the Bloodhound SSC world record attempt, that’s scheduled for sometime later this year in Northern Cape, South Africa, where a stretch of track 12 miles long has been cleared for the run.

For that event, the F-Type R may be the quickest responding vehicle for emergency situations, but first responders will need to pack light — it is a sports car after all.

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