Does the shift pattern change on a Jaguar when you press the s button?

Answer 1

Launch Report
Jaguar S-Type R

Black Marks In Spain
by John Fife (18 Mar 02)

None! Even trying as hard as I could, I left no black marks in Spain. You would think that with 400bhp on tap, laying down some rubber would be easy. It wasn't. I left the country frustrated but very impressed.

Jaguar has introduced the S-Type R to back up the existing high-performance XJR and XKR models. Both original "R" cars had the 370bhp four-litre supercharged V8, but the new car gets an improved 4.2-litre unit whose Eaton blower takes power up to the 400 mark.

It also gets a brand new six-speed ZF automatic transmission, which is just so good that Jaguar is not offering a manual version. OK, so the auto box has a sequential shift over-ride, but according to the claims the average driver won't need even that since the Mechatronic brain inside the unit incorporates "adaptive strategies", the technical term for the car's supposed ability to adapt to the driver's style, either relaxed, cruising or sporting.

This is activated by the "S" button beside the auto shift lever. When pressed, throttle pedal usage and cornering behaviour are assessed by the electronics, which then enhance the driver's role by ensuring that upward and downward gearchanges are not selected at embarrassingly wrong moments. In theory there is no need to opt for the manual sequential shift option for press-on motoring, but it would need longer acquaintance with the car, trying out both modes, to assess the differences - if there are any.