THE big cat is on the prowl - with tasty fare like the Audi R8 firmly in its sights.

What they call the sub-exotic segment marks new territory for Jaguar, but the company has a new performance flagship to steer a winning path.

It's called the XKR-S and for the first time with a series production car, the big cat has gained entry to the exclusive ‘300kph club' thanks to its supercharged 5.0-litre AJ-V8 engine.

A revised fuelling map means the direct-injection powerplant now produces 550PS and is capable of a 0-60mph time of just 4.2 seconds - quicker than the XKR Speed version launched last year. Top speed is 186mph.

A performance theme stands out in both the interior and exterior styling of the XKR-S, which features exclusive new paint colours - like Italian Racing Red and French Racing Blue - that reflect Jaguar's racing heritage.

There are new performance seats with prominent shoulder wings for close support during hard cornering and they feature 16-way adjustment, memory and heating functions while there's also a a new three-spoke steering wheel.

Jaguar's design director Ian Callum said: "The styling of this car isn't about image, it's about true performance. Like other iconic Jaguars before it, the styling has been driven by geometry and aerodynamics for genuine design purity.

"The physics required to achieve 300kph have led the aesthetic; if you don't like the way it looks, you probably won't like the way it drives either."

Slimmer LED headlights, more compact main air intake and a vertical side power vent are highlights of the car's head-on appeal while at the rear the famous Jaguar ‘Leaper' now takes pride of place in the centre of the bootlid.

And the exterior trim is finished in gloss black, complemented by 20-inch Vulcan lightweight forged alloys in a dark technical finish.

The order book opens in September and prices will start at £97,000.